James B. Donovan

In 1957, Donovan would famously represent the Soviet Spy, Rudolf Abel, having his death penalty dropped. Within his argument Donovan cited that the treatment of Abel would dictate the treatment of captured American Spies. This would come to fruition in 1962, as Donovan, with the CIA, would successfully negotiate the exchange of Rudolf Abel for the captured American U2 pilot, Gary Powers. Later within that year, Donovan would negotiate the release of prisoners from the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion with Fidel Castro, on behalf of the United States Government.

In 1965, Donovan would move from his position of vice president to president of the New York Board of Education. In 1968, Donovan was chosen by Pratt Institute’s Board of Trustees to become the next president of the institution with the intention of both bringing financial prosperity to the school and addressing the issue of students’ rights.

Donovan would remain president until his death in 1970. Although he only had a short presidency at Pratt Institute, Donovan’s presidency embodies a generational tension between the Greatest generation and the emerging generation of the 1960s and 1970s.