James W. Donley

Former Treasury Department Press Secretary, James W. Donley, died on April, 26, 2023. He was Special Assistant for Public Affairs and spokesman in the early 1970’s for Secretaries John B. Connally and George P. Shultz. He also served as Connally’s press aide when President Nixon named him Ambassador at Large, traveling to 30 countries in Latin America, South Asia, Indian sub-continent, and Middle East. He later represented Connally at the 1976 Republican Convention when he was a prospective vice-presidential nominee.

Donley left Washington in 1974 to start Donley Communications Corporation in New York City. In the 1980s and 90s the public relations firm represented many of the large investment banks, institutional money managers and law firms involved in the merger and acquisition boom. Concentrating in financial and professional services firms, Donley developed the first outside consulting service for using communication techniques in professional business development. By 1990 he had counseled over 30 law firms. As a result of his Treasury Department experience Donley also represented offshore financial centers such as The Crown Colony of Gibraltar.

Donley earned an MBA from The Wharton School of Finance in International Business and a BA from Denison University in Development Economics. He also studied agricultural economics at the University of Wisconsin.

He started his business career at Time Incorporated in 1960 and rose to assistant to the publisher of Time Magazine. In 1993 he decided to devote more time to economic development in poor rural countries and became an active director of TechnoServe Inc., funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. His work there took him to East Europe, Africa and South America.

In 1995 he went to work for the International Executive Service Corps and became Country Director in Bulgaria where he directed several programs to bring a market economy to this former communist country. In 1997 he was involved in the overthrow of the socialist government in Bulgaria and represented the new Democratic Prime Minister to U.S. investment interests.

Donley was born in 1934 in Hudson, Ohio where his family was in the iron and steel business and farming. He worked in both steel mills and farms as a youth and graduated from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH where he was football and track captain. He later served for 15 years as an overseer of the preparatory school.

After two years at Denison University in Ohio he joined the U.S. Army, was trained as a Military Policeman and assigned to a Military Government unit in Germany. In 1955 and 1956 he was involved in events in Bavaria and Austria related to the Hungarian uprising. Donley returned to Denison and graduated in 1958.

Donley was an adventurer, storyteller, and engaging conversationalist. Those that knew him or shared a dinner table with him will miss his quick wit and the twinkle in his eye when telling a story of questionable verifiable facts. He loved his family, pets, travel, athletic endeavors, long walks, cocktail cruises and hiking, climbing and skiing in the mountains.

A resident of Greenwich, CT since 1972, Donley served on the boards of several local non-profit agencies and for 12 years was a director of Greenwich Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Round Hill and Belle Haven clubs of Greenwich. He and his wife Toddy spent 2012 - 2021 in Delray Beach, FL and were members of the St. Andrews Club and Gulfstream Bath and Tennis. He was also a member of the Circumnavigation Club of Palm Beach. In 2021 they moved back to CT and lived at Edgehill in Stamford, where he died.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Todd Donley of Greenwich, CT, his daughters, Dana Donley Morton (Jason) of Lafayette, CO, Eliza Donley Nolte, of Denver, CO and their children Sophie and Stella Nolte and Fletcher and Colby Morton, his stepchildren, Benny Goodspeed (Eva), Mary Todd Goodspeed Hobson (Chris), Emily Goodspeed Timchak (Steve), Jonathan Goodspeed (Brooke) and their collective 10 children. He is also survived by his nieces Lynn Lavery and Louise Lavery Hendrix and nephew James Lavery.

For those wishing to honor and remember Jim, contributions may be made to his beloved alma mater, Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio