William J. Donovan
American soldier, lawyer, and intelligence officer (1883–1959) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Joseph "Wild Bill"[1] Donovan KBE (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), during World War II. He is regarded as the founding father of the CIA, and a statue of him stands in the lobby of the CIA headquarters building in Langley, Virginia.
Bill Donovan | |
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United States Ambassador to Thailand | |
In office September 4, 1953 – August 21, 1954 | |
President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Preceded by | Edwin F. Stanton |
Succeeded by | John Peurifoy |
Director of the Office of Strategic Services | |
In office June 13, 1942 – October 1, 1945 | |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
Deputy | John Magruder |
Preceded by | Himself (as Coordinator of Information) |
Succeeded by | John Magruder (as Director of the Strategic Services Unit) |
Coordinator of Information | |
In office July 11, 1941 – June 13, 1942 | |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Himself (as Director of the Office of Strategic Services) |
Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division | |
In office 1926–1927 | |
President | Calvin Coolidge |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | John Lord O'Brian |
Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division | |
In office 1924–1925 | |
President | Calvin Coolidge |
Preceded by | Earl J. Davis |
Succeeded by | Oscar Luhring |
United States Attorney for the Western District of New York | |
In office 1922–1924 | |
President | Warren G. Harding |
Preceded by | Stephen T. Lockwood |
Succeeded by | Thomas Penney Jr. |
Personal details | |
Born | William Joseph Donovan (1883-01-01)January 1, 1883 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
Died | February 8, 1959(1959-02-08) (aged 76) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Niagara University Columbia University (BA, LLB) |
Civilian awards | |
Nickname | "Wild Bill"[1] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | |
Years of service |
|
Rank | Major General |
Commands | |
Battles/wars | Pancho Villa Expedition World War I |
Military awards | |
A decorated veteran of World War I, Donovan is believed to be the only person to have been awarded all four of the following prestigious decorations: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security Medal.[2] He is also a recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart, as well as decorations from a number of other nations for his service during both World Wars.