Jim Donovan
| Date and Place of Birth: | 1916 South Boston, MA |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 23, 1943 Fort Benning, GA |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Second Base |
| Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Military Unit: | US Army |
| Area Served: | United States |
James J. Donovan, Jr., was born in South Boston, Massachusetts in
1916. The son of James and Katherine Donovan, young Jim attended the
English High School in Boston where he excelled as an athlete.
In 1938, he signed as a second baseman with the Rome Colonels of the
Class C Canadian-American League, making an immediate impression on
manager Bill Buckley during spring training. When opening day came
around, Donovan was Buckley's starting second baseman. He singled
against the Amsterdam Rugmakers on May 16 but was hitless in his other
appearances and was released by Buckley as the Colonels flirted with the
basement position.
Aged 22, Donovan enrolled at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois in
the winter of 1939. He was a sensation on the freshman football team and
left Millikin after one semester to pursue a career as a halfback in
professional football. Over the next couple of years he played pro
football with the independent St. Louis Gunners, the Boston Shamrocks
and the Boston Irish-Americans, while working at the Fore River Shipyard
during the off-season.
On June 19, 1942, Donovan, aged 26, enlisted with the Army. He attained
the rank of sergeant with an infantry regiment while stationed at Fort
Meade, Maryland, then attended Officer Candidate School at Fort
McClellan, Alabama, and Fort Benning, Georgia. He graduated as a second
lieutenant on January 22, 1943 and volunteered for paratrooper service.
On June 23, 1943, 2/Lt. James Donovan was killed in a parachute training
jump at Fort Benning. A Requiem Mass was held at Gate of Heaven Church
in Boston on June 28, 1943. He was survived by his parents (his father
was aide to Fire Commissioner William A. Reilly at the time) and
sibblings Edward, John, Paul, Robert, Rosemary and Mrs. Betty Trayers.
Two of Donovan's teammates on the 1938 Rome Colonels also lost their
lives during World War II.
George Gamble, an outfielder who became a
fighter pilot, was killed in Indo-China in December 1944.
Frank Janik,
also an outfielder who served as an infantryman, was killed at Okinawa
in April 1945.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
AVG |
| 1938 | Rome | Canadian-American | D |
Thanks to Todd Rudat, Assistant Archivist & Research Associate at
Millikin University's Staley Library for help with this biography.
Date Added January 27, 2011 Updated May 5, 2014
Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is associated with Baseball Almanac
Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is proud to be sponsored by
