James B. Donovan
| James Donovan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
James Britt Donovan February 29, 1916 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 1970 (aged 53) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Fordham University, B.A. 1937 Harvard Law School, LL.B. 1940 |
| Occupation | Military officer, lawyer, educator |
| Known for | Negotiating the 1962 exchange of Francis Gary Powers & Frederic Pryor for Rudolf Abel |
| Spouse(s) | Mary McKenna (1941–1970; his death) |
| Children | 4 |
James Britt Donovan (February 29, 1916 – January 19, 1970) was an American lawyer, United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services, ultimately becoming General Counsel at the OSS (the predecessor of the CIA), and international diplomatic negotiator.
Donovan is widely known for negotiating the 1960–1962 exchange of captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, and for negotiating the 1962 release and return of nearly 10,000 (totally 9,703) prisoners held by Cuba after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Donovan was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2015 Oscar-winning film Bridge of Spies directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay written by Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen.
James Britt Donovan was born on February 29, 1916, in the Bronx. He was the son of Harriet (O'Connor), a piano teacher, and John J. Donovan, a surgeon. His brother was New York state senator John J. Donovan, Jr. Both sides of the family were of Irish descent. He attended the Catholic All Hallows Institute. In 1933, he began his studies at Fordham University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1937. He wanted to become a journalist but his father convinced him to study law at Harvard Law School, beginning in autumn of 1937, where he completed his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1940.
After graduating from law school, Donovan started work at a private lawyer's office. He was a commander in the Navy during World War II. In 1942, he became Associate General Counsel at the Office of Scientific Research and Development. From 1943 to 1945, he was General Counsel at the Office of Strategic Services. In 1945, he became assistant to Justice Robert H. Jackson at the Nuremberg trials in Germany. Donovan was the presenter of visual evidence at the trial. While he prepared for the trials he also worked as an advisor for the documentary feature The Nazi Plan. In 1950, Donovan became a partner in the New York-based law office of Watters and Donovan, specializing in insurance law.
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