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William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan KBE (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), during World War ...
In fact, it’s some of these unorthodox leadership traits which earned him the nickname ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan. But, how did Donovan get there? And what made him so decidedly ‘unorthodox?’
Growing “easily accustomed” to standing up under fire, Donovan eschewed being a “dugout commander” and led his troops from the front. On the morning of Oct. 14, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, Donovan would earn the Medal of Honor.
Major General William J. Donovan led the Office of Strategic Services from 1942-1945. National Archives. As a young man, Donovan had acquired the nickname "Wild Bill,” but in 1940, at age 57, however, he seemed anything but wild.
William J. Donovan (born January 1, 1883, Buffalo, New York, U.S.—died February 8, 1959, Washington, D.C.) was an American lawyer, soldier, and diplomat who directed (1942–45) the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Donovan began the practice of law in Buffalo in 1907.
William “Wild Bill” Donovan: America’s Spymaster in WWII. The behind-the-scenes story of how a World War I hero helped to strengthen U.S.-British ties and forged the beginnings of today’s CIA. This article appears in: Winter 2013.
He chose General William “Wild Bill” Donovan to be the leader of the Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) established on July 11, 1941. Donovan was a highly decorated hero of the First World War and was awarded the Medal of Honor, among several other orders and medals.
In other words, teaching people to do their jobs badly. OSS Director William “Wild Bill” Donovan had select parts of the manual declassified and disseminated to citizens of enemy states through pamphlets, targeted radio broadcasts, and in person.
Mar 15, 2017 · Wild Bill Donovan, 76, died on Feb. 8, 1959, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Although he was never officially a member of the CIA, a life-size bronze statue of Donovan dominates the entrance lobby of the agency’s original headquarters building in Langley, Va.
William “Wild Bill” Donovan is considered the father of American centralized intelligence. Major General Donovan led the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) from 1942 to 1945. The OSS was the forerunner of today’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
