Senator James Donovan served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee of New York for fourteen years. He was, and still is, known as a “man of the people.”
He passed away in 1991 after battling cancer, and his death was considered a “tremendous loss.” His contributions are widely recognized today. Senator Ralph J. Marino said “Jim Donovan’s most lasting contribution will be in the area of education, where he assured that quality and affordable education was this state’s top priority.”
The governor at the time of Donovan’s death added that “Donovan’s courageous struggle to overcome his illness served as an inspiration to us all.”