Senator William G. Donnan View All Years

Senator Hoyt, from the Special Committee appointed to draft suitable resolutions commemorative of the life of the Hon. William G. Donnan, submitted the following report and moved its adoption:

MR.PRESIDENT—Your special committee appointed to prepare suitable memorial resolutions relative to the life, character and public service of the late William G. Donnan of Buchanan County; beg leave to submit the following report:

William G. Donnan was born in West Charlton, Saratoga County, New York, June 30, 1834. He was the son of Alexander and Elizabeth McKindley Donnan. At the age of seventeen years Mr. Donnan entered the Cambridge Academy, in New York and later Union College, in Schenectady, New York, from which institution he was graduated with honor in the classical course in 1856. In the fall of the same year he came to Independence, Iowa, and in October of 1857 was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Williamson at her father’s home near Hopkinton, Iowa. Two sons were born to them, William W. who died November 1, 1906 and Donald D.

Mr. Donnan began the study of law soon after his arrival in Independence, was admitted to the bar in 1857, and was at once elected to the office of treasurer and recorder of Buchanan County which office he filled for two terms.

In August he volunteered his services in the Civil War enlisting as private in the 27th Iowa Infantry, was commissioned Second Lieutenant, brevetted Captain and Major for efficiency in the field and later served as Adjutant General for General J. I. Gilbert. He was honorably mentioned in many official reports and was mustered out of service August 8, 1865.

Mr. Donnan’s legislative services began in 1867, when he was elected to represent his district in this body. Here his peculiar fitness for legislative work was so manifest that he was elected to Congress in 1872 and again in 1874. At the end of his second term as congressman he refused re-nomination and was offered a diplomatic position by President Grant but declined the honor.

Mr. Donnan was delegate to the Nation Convention that nominated President Hayes and was delegate at large to the convention that nominated James A. Garfield. He was again elected to represent the Buchanan-Delaware Senatorial District in the Twentieth and Twenty-first General Assemblies and during these sessions introduced a bill to prohibit the liquor traffic which bill was the foundation of the present prohibitory law.

In 1875 Mr. Donnan was elected director of the First National Bank of Independence, Iowa, and in 1903 was elected unanimously president of that institution which position he held until his death which occurred December 7, 1908. As a man of the highest integrity and of broad judgment he occupied a very high place in his state and the community in which he lived.

Therefor be it Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Donnan the state has sustained the loss of an able and conscientious public servant and statesman; the legal fraternity a gifted jurist and the community in which he lived a wise councellor and a faithful friend.

Resolved, That these resolutions be entered in the Journal of the Senate and each member of the family be furnished an engrossed copy by the Secretary of the Senate.

E. H. HOYT,

W. P. WHIPPLE,

JOHN FOLEY,

Committee.