Baker City, Oregon
James Cleveland Donald, 75, of Acton, Mass., a former Baker City resident, died April 11, 2004.
He was a third-generation citizen of Baker County. His father, James Donald, was a member of the Baker City law firm, Nichols, Hallock, Donald, Banta, which is now Silven, Schmeits and Vaughan.
James attended Baker schools until he was 16 when he transferred to Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass. He kept close to his classmates at Baker High School and attended every reunion of the Class of 1946. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service during his college vacations.
He was a 1950 graduate of Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. After serving two years with the 2nd Infantry Division, which saw action in Korea, he graduated from Harvard School of Business.
His working career spanned 45 years and seven companies, including DuPont and Almy, where he achieved the Daran patent. His last job was as president of his own company, Six States Engineering. He was active in community affairs in Acton and traveled twice to Romania to help support the church people who had suffered during the dictatorship.
He was an early feminism enthusiast, encouraging his wife to continue her medical practice and civic activities. He kept in close touch with his friends and classmates in Baker County and always was proud of his Baker County heritage.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Donald, M.D., of Acton; sister, Jane Creighton of San Rafael, Calif.; and three children, James Wylie Donald of Fair Haven, N.J., Amy Donald Pualwan of Greensboro Bend, Vt., and Lt. Commander Elliott Judson Donald of the U.S. Navy at Norfolk, Va., and his wife, Olivia Cole of Haines; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Judy.
Baker City friends suggest memorial contributions to the Crossroads-Carnegie Project since James Donald spent many happy hours in the Carnegie Library and would take great pride in seeing its restoration as a cultural center.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 23, 2004
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
