Throughout his life, Senator James Donovan contributed greatly to New York’s education, and worked to lessen teenage illiteracy and pregnancy. He also supported the building of new schools with his creation of the New York City School Construction Authority.
Mr. Donovan received many awards in honor of his efforts, including the Gold Baton Award, Utica Symphony Orchestra, Inc., in 1987. This orchestra is well known, and is one of the only groups of professional symphonies “providing high quality symphonic music that is accessible to all residents of our region and actively contributes to the economic, social and educational development of the Mohawk Valley through performance and outreach activities.”