Known as a “man of the people,” Senator James H. Donovan served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee of New York for 14 years.
His death in 1991 was considered a “tremendous loss” to the state, and Donovan’s contributions are widely recognized until today. According to Senator Ralph J. Marino, “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 of New York at the time of his death added that Donovan’s “courageous struggle to overcome his illness served as an inspiration to us all.”