LAWYER
James B. Donovan
1916 - 1970

James B. Donovan
James Britt Donovan (February 29, 1916 – January 19, 1970) was an American lawyer and United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency), ultimately becoming General Counsel of the OSS, and an international diplomatic negotiator. Donovan is widely known for negotiating the 1960–1962 exchange of captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and American student Frederic Pryor for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, and for negotiating the 1962 release and return of 9,703 prisoners held by Cuba after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Donovan was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2015 feature film Bridge of Spies. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. James B. Donovan is the 51st most popular lawyer (up from 64th in 2019), the 3,909th most popular biography from United States (up from 5,690th in 2019) and the 13th most popular American Lawyer.
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Among LAWYERS
Among lawyers, James B. Donovan ranks 51 out of 136. Before him are Bernhard Windscheid, Judy Sheindlin, Cino da Pistoia, Johann Kaspar Bluntschli, William Blackstone, and Asad ibn al-Furat. After him are Jean Domat, Alfenus Varus, Heinrich Marx, Hans von Dohnanyi, Peter Yorck von Wartenburg, and Hans Litten.
Most Popular Lawyers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsBernhard Windscheid
1817 - 1892
HPI: 61.58
Rank: 45
Judy Sheindlin
1942 - Present
HPI: 61.53
Rank: 46
Cino da Pistoia
1270 - 1336
HPI: 61.52
Rank: 47
Johann Kaspar Bluntschli
1808 - 1881
HPI: 61.34
Rank: 48
William Blackstone
1723 - 1780
HPI: 61.19
Rank: 49
Asad ibn al-Furat
759 - 828
HPI: 61.19
Rank: 50
James B. Donovan
1916 - 1970
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 51
Jean Domat
1625 - 1696
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 52
Alfenus Varus
100 BC - 60 BC
HPI: 60.74
Rank: 53
Heinrich Marx
1777 - 1838
HPI: 60.61
Rank: 54
Hans von Dohnanyi
1902 - 1945
HPI: 60.60
Rank: 55
Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
1904 - 1944
HPI: 60.39
Rank: 56
Hans Litten
1903 - 1938
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 57
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1916, James B. Donovan ranks 107. Before him are Sangoulé Lamizana, Edmundo Suárez, Zein Al-Sharaf Talal, Forrest J Ackerman, Helmut Gröttrup, and Ivo Lola Ribar. After him are Ugo Locatelli, Walter Cronkite, Morris West, Frank Parker, Jacques Georges, and Unica Zürn. Among people deceased in 1970, James B. Donovan ranks 118. Before him are Romaine Brooks, Prince Adalbert of Bavaria, Abraham Zapruder, Ed Begley, Yusof Ishak, and Johannes Heinrich Schultz. After him are Hélène Sparrow, Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg, Cathy O'Donnell, Unica Zürn, Lonnie Johnson, and Félix Gaillard.
Others Born in 1916
Go to all RankingsSangoulé Lamizana
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2005
HPI: 61.92
Rank: 101
Edmundo Suárez
SOCCER PLAYER
1916 - 1978
HPI: 61.91
Rank: 102
Zein Al-Sharaf Talal
COMPANION
1916 - 1994
HPI: 61.87
Rank: 103
Forrest J Ackerman
WRITER
1916 - 2008
HPI: 61.87
Rank: 104
Helmut Gröttrup
INVENTOR
1916 - 1981
HPI: 61.58
Rank: 105
Ivo Lola Ribar
POLITICIAN
1916 - 1943
HPI: 61.34
Rank: 106
James B. Donovan
LAWYER
1916 - 1970
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 107
Ugo Locatelli
SOCCER PLAYER
1916 - 1993
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 108
Walter Cronkite
PRESENTER
1916 - 2009
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 109
Morris West
WRITER
1916 - 1999
HPI: 61.02
Rank: 110
Frank Parker
TENNIS PLAYER
1916 - 1997
HPI: 60.99
Rank: 111
Jacques Georges
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2004
HPI: 60.98
Rank: 112
Unica Zürn
WRITER
1916 - 1970
HPI: 60.98
Rank: 113
Others Deceased in 1970
Go to all RankingsRomaine Brooks
PAINTER
1874 - 1970
HPI: 61.55
Rank: 112
Prince Adalbert of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1886 - 1970
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 113
Abraham Zapruder
POLITICIAN
1905 - 1970
HPI: 61.30
Rank: 114
Ed Begley
ACTOR
1901 - 1970
HPI: 61.30
Rank: 115
Yusof Ishak
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1970
HPI: 61.24
Rank: 116
Johannes Heinrich Schultz
PSYCHOLOGIST
1884 - 1970
HPI: 61.21
Rank: 117
James B. Donovan
LAWYER
1916 - 1970
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 118
Hélène Sparrow
PHYSICIAN
1891 - 1970
HPI: 61.01
Rank: 119
Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg
POLITICIAN
1897 - 1970
HPI: 60.99
Rank: 120
Cathy O'Donnell
ACTOR
1923 - 1970
HPI: 60.98
Rank: 121
Unica Zürn
WRITER
1916 - 1970
HPI: 60.98
Rank: 122
Lonnie Johnson
MUSICIAN
1899 - 1970
HPI: 60.90
Rank: 123
Félix Gaillard
POLITICIAN
1919 - 1970
HPI: 60.76
Rank: 124
In United States
Among people born in United States, James B. Donovan ranks 3,909 out of 20,380. Before him are James Michael Harvey (1949), Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1929), Jeff Buckley (1966), Christopher Connelly (1941), Elgin Baylor (1934), and Clyde Cessna (1879). After him are Walter Cronkite (1916), Nadia Cassini (1949), Maureen Connolly (1934), Richard Carlson (1912), Suzanne Somers (1946), and Cecil Andrus (1931).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJames Michael Harvey
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1949 - Present
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 3,903
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
MUSICIAN
1929 - 2000
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 3,904
Jeff Buckley
MUSICIAN
1966 - 1997
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 3,905
Christopher Connelly
ACTOR
1941 - 1988
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 3,906
Elgin Baylor
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1934 - 2021
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 3,907
Clyde Cessna
BUSINESSPERSON
1879 - 1954
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 3,908
James B. Donovan
LAWYER
1916 - 1970
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 3,909
Walter Cronkite
PRESENTER
1916 - 2009
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 3,910
Nadia Cassini
ACTOR
1949 - 2025
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 3,911
Maureen Connolly
TENNIS PLAYER
1934 - 1969
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 3,912
Richard Carlson
ACTOR
1912 - 1977
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 3,913
Suzanne Somers
ACTOR
1946 - 2023
HPI: 61.08
Rank: 3,914
Cecil Andrus
POLITICIAN
1931 - 2017
HPI: 61.08
Rank: 3,915
Among LAWYERS In United States
Among lawyers born in United States, James B. Donovan ranks 13. Before him are Roy Cohn (1927), Bill Gates Sr. (1925), Warren Christopher (1925), Scooter Libby (1950), Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw (1959), and Judy Sheindlin (1942). After him are Robert Bilott (1965), William J. Brennan Jr. (1906), Alan Dershowitz (1938), William Rehnquist (1924), Leo Frank (1884), and Robert Treat Paine (1731).
Roy Cohn
1927 - 1986
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 7
Bill Gates Sr.
1925 - 2020
HPI: 69.12
Rank: 8
Warren Christopher
1925 - 2011
HPI: 64.68
Rank: 9
Scooter Libby
1950 - Present
HPI: 63.40
Rank: 10
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw
1959 - Present
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 11
Judy Sheindlin
1942 - Present
HPI: 61.53
Rank: 12
James B. Donovan
1916 - 1970
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 13
Robert Bilott
1965 - Present
HPI: 59.96
Rank: 14
William J. Brennan Jr.
1906 - 1997
HPI: 59.84
Rank: 15
Alan Dershowitz
1938 - Present
HPI: 59.77
Rank: 16
William Rehnquist
1924 - 2005
HPI: 58.14
Rank: 17
Leo Frank
1884 - 1915
HPI: 57.72
Rank: 18
Robert Treat Paine
1731 - 1814
HPI: 57.64
Rank: 19