James J. Donovan, reporter, PR man, dies at 72

JOSEPH JAMES DONOVAN, an award-winning journalist who once worked for the

Daily News,

KYW news radio and WCAU-TV and later entered public relations, died Feb. 26 of cancer. He was 72 and was living in Atlanta.

Joe Donovan, as he was known, formerly lived in Wynnefield. He was born in Camden to Willie Virginia Jones and Phillip James Donovan, and graduated from the Edward Bok Vocational Technical High School in 1954.

He enlisted in the Air Force in 1955 and served until 1959, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He then returned to Bok and studied cartography and photography.

Joe was hired as a librarian at the Daily News in 1960, and in 1961 worked as a background writer for stories on the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

Six months later, he joined the news staff as a reporter. He was only the second African-American reporter on the staff.

In 1970, Joe joined the staff of KYW news radio. Among the stories he covered was a speech by Alabama Gov. George Wallace, running for president, in Fishtown.

He co-hosted "Black Edition" with longtime KYW reporter Malcolm Poindexter, and appeared with Reggie Bryant on the TV show "Black Perspectives on the News," on Channel 12.

In 1975, he was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship and wrote a critique of the public education system called "Why Johnny Can't Read."

From 1978 to 1980, Joe was assignment manager for the CBS affiliate WCAU-TV. In 1979, he covered the Three Mile Island nuclear emergency, and in 1980 received the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in electronic journalism.

He left CBS in 1980 and joined the Environmental Protection Agency as regional Superfund information officer.

From 1990 into 2000, Joe worked for Waste Management Inc. He was the first African-American at the Lisle, Ill., corporate headquarters, where he served as corporate director of community relations.

Joe was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

He is survived by a daughter, Joelen Donovan-Gray; a son, Vernon Hemsley; three sisters, Barbara Mitchell, Anne Stuckey and Joye Case, and two grandchildren.

Services: Memorial service 10:45 a.m. March 21 at the Center of Peace, 4700 Wissahickon Ave.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Joe Donovan Journalism Scholarship Fund, Box 7156, Elkins Park PA 19027. *