James J. Donovan

James J. Donovan (1890-1971,) the Mayor of Bayonne from 1939-1943, led the anti-Hague movement on the Home rule ticket. He was elected by the largest margin in the history of Bayonne politics.

Donavan served in the Medical Corp in World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.), the United States' second highest military honor, for his bravery at Grand Prix, France in October, 1918. He also received the Italian Cross from the Italian government at New York City Hall in 1919.

Bayonne's Naval Base
In 1942, Donovan and his administration successfully lobbied United States Naval officials to locate a base at the old port terminal in Bayonne. The base would become one of the most strategically important on the East coast, while providing 6000 jobs for Bayonne citizens.

In October 2009, the City Council of Bayonne passed a resolution to dedicate a park in Donovan's memory at the old Navy base site.

Articles on James J. Donovan can be found in multiple newspapers, such as the Bayonne Times archives, The Jersey Journal, The New York Times, The New York Herald Tribune, The Hudson Dispatch, The Jersey Observer, Bayonne Facts, and The Morristown Daily record. These newspapers are listed in verification of the articles on James J. Donovan