James B. Donovan

James Britt Donovan (February 19, 1916 – January 19, 1970) was an American lawyer and Commander in the United States Navy Reserve.

He negotiated deals with Fidel Castro for the release of prisoners captured during the Bay of Pigs invasion, as well as with the Soviet government for the release of captured U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers, winning the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

Donovan was an assistant trial counsel in the Nuremberg Trials, and presented at the trial filmed evidence of Nazi abuses against the Jews. In 1962, Donovan was the Kennedy-backed Democratic candidate for a Senate seat in the state of New York against Jacob Javits. In 1967, he published his second book "Challenge". A lifelong interest in the arts led to Jim Donovan becoming President of the  New York art school; Pratt Institute. He served as the school's president from 1968, during the student uprisings period until his death in 1970.

It was recently announced that Steven Spielberg is planning to direct a film about Donovan's negotiations for Powers' release. Touchstone Pictures will release the film on October 16, 2015, and Tom Hanks will star as Donovan.