F. Joseph Donohue

In the 1940s he was special assistant to the U.S. attorney general and moved to San Francisco where he successfully prosecuted labor leader Harry Bridges, whose deportation was sought by the government. (The conviction later was reversed). He returned to Washington and continued to work for the Attorney General and in private practice. In 1950, he became assistant director in charge of enforcement in the Office of Price Stabilization.^[1] He was a fervent anti-communist who defended Helen Gahagan Douglas, the Democratic opponent of Richard Nixon in the 1950 California Senate Election, when she was accused of being a communist.

In 1951, President Truman - who Donohue was known to play poker with - appointed him to the D.C. Board of Commissioners, which was celebrated by residents because Donohue was an open supporter of District of Columbia home rule but opposed by those in the temperance movement because of his ties to the liquor industry. In 1952, he replaced John Russell Young as the President of the Board of Commissioners and served until the end of the Truman administration. During his time he was known for making speeches, hosting weekly TV and radio shows where he gave people a weekly update on the local government and improving the police department. He also sought more money for the District, accusing the Federal Government of "studied neglect," which he wanted to spend on long-range investments and improvements within the black schools (which were still segregated at the time - something he asked Congress to end). During his time as president, board meetings were opened to the press, a day was set aside each month to hear citizens views on proposed changes in regulations, a Citizens Advisory Council was established, and the firing, hiring and promotion of employees became based on merit rather than politics.^[1]

After leaving office, Donohue ran the 1956 presidential campaign of Sen. Estes Kefauver, who failed to get the nomination but was tapped for vice-president and then served as vice chairman of the Stevenson-Kefauver Campaign Committee. In 1960, he testified before Congress against the idea of retrocession and in favor of the 23rd Amendment. Later however, he opposed home rule and a voting delegate to Congress.^[6]

He commanded the National Capitol Wing of the Civil Air Patrol from 1956 to 1961.^[7]

In later life, Donohue returned to law practice representing banks before the federal reserve and argued cases before the Supreme Court and was California Lieutenant Governor Ed Reinecke's lawyer during his perjury trial.

On April 4, 1978, he died of a heart attack at George Washington University Hospital and was later buried in Arlington National Cemetery.