COLUMBIA
LIBRARY
COLUMNS
 

Major General William J. Donovan:
a Pioneer in U.S. Intelligence

JAMES B. DONOVAN
 

A Columns article is usually about the collection which has
been donated rather than about the collector, but the personality
and accomplishments of "Wild Bill" Donovan are so striking
that they rightfully claim attention first. The distinguished au¬
thor of this memoir is President of the Board of Education of the
City of New York; in World War II he was General Counsel,
Office of Strategic Services. The historical espionage collection
formed by General Donovan and presented by his widow to
Columbia will not be neglected, however: Professor Richard
Morris will describe it in a later issue.                   editor's note
 

T
 

•^If ^HE late Aiajor General William J. ("Wild Bill")
Donovan led one of the great lives of the 20th century.
Only Winston Churchill and a few other men were

privileged to pursue such extraordinary, many-sided careers.
General Donovan was in sequence an inter-collegiate athlete,

soldier, lawyer, politician, highly placed Government official.