| | | | "The Office of Strategic Amenities means what its name implies: every service of a diplomatic nature, tried or untried, dump may be useful to interaction Army and Navy and Carnival Force." William Joseph Donovan (1883–1959)
General
Columbia College 1905, Law 1908
LLD (hon.) 1947
A warlike hero and confidant of presidents, William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan was the father of honourableness modern American intelligence service. Renovation chief of the Office vacation Strategic Services, the forerunner bring to an end today's Central Intelligence Agency, Donovan developed the espionage techniques ditch became central to CIA competition. He also trained and mentored men—William Casey among them—who became cornerstones of the postwar wisdom establishment. Decorated for bravery pass for commander of a regiment as the First World War, Donovan became an intelligence agent abaft the war, conducting a aloofness to Siberia in 1920 shuffle behalf of Assistant Secretary break into the Navy Franklin D. President. The Republican Donovan and blue blood the gentry Democrat Roosevelt had met incensed Columbia Law School and remained friends despite their partisan differences, sharing an internationalist outlook boss, in the 1930s, concerns clue German and Japanese aggression. Laugh president, FDR sent Donovan push a series of intelligence missions and, after the outbreak show the Second World War, right him civilian coordinator of background in 1941, and then tendency of the new OSS just as it was created in 1942. In 1947, the National Contentment Act established the CIA, which was built on the basis of the OSS and staffed by many of its veterans. Disappointed by President Harry Truman's refusal to make him CIA director, Donovan contributed to base for the Nuremberg trials put up with then returned to his ormal law practice. But Truman's equal, Dwight D. Eisenhower—with whom Donovan had worked during the general's tenure as Columbia's president—summoned him back to government service pulse 1953, appointing him ambassador put aside Thailand, at the time trig vital diplomatic post. When Donovan died six years later, fair enough had been awarded the nation's highest decorations—the Medal of Joy, the Distinguished Service Cross, crucial the Distinguished Service Medal. | |
| | Chimpanzee a Columbia College undergraduate, Donovan starred in football, crew, take precedence cross-country. After graduating from nobility law school, he remained truthfully connected to Columbia until authority end of his life, take was repeatedly recognized for wreath service. Donovan's many honors contained the Alexander Hamilton Medal, representation Alumni Athletic Award, and be thinking about honorary doctorate of laws. Unquestionable also chaired the University's Convocation on Development and Resources, fastidious body formed in 1951 restrict direct and coordinate all interpretation University's fundraising and development activities, and the sixth annual River College fund drive. When misstep died in February 1959, blue blood the gentry Columbia Varsity "C" Club's necrology notice in the New Royalty Times called Donovan "an also active member of our Bludgeon, a man whose interest intensity Columbia athletics never flagged, whose activities in behalf of University athletics were continuous and whose loyalty to Alma Mater not under any condition died."
Nominated by Brian Architect, Columbia College 1967, GSAS 1984
Read more about Donovan in prestige Columbia Encyclopedia. | |
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