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William H. Donaldson

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For other people named William Donaldson, see William Donaldson (disambiguation).
William H. Donaldson
27th Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
In office
February 18, 2003 – June 30, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byHarvey Pitt
Succeeded byChristopher Cox
2nd Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs
In office
November 26, 1973 – May 10, 1974
PresidentRichard Nixon
Preceded byCurtis W. Tarr
Succeeded byCarlyle E. Maw
Personal details
Born(1931-06-02)June 2, 1931
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2024(2024-06-12) (aged 93)
Waccabuc, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJane Phillips Donaldson
Children3
Alma materYale University (BA)
Harvard University (MBA)
OccupationSEC chairman

William Henry Donaldson (June 2, 1931 – June 12, 2024) was an American businessman who was the 27th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), serving from February 2003 to June 2005. He served as Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs in the Nixon Administration, as a special adviser to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, and Chairman, President and CEO of Aetna.[1] Donaldson founded Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Donaldson attended both Yale University (B.A. 1953) and Harvard University (M.B.A. 1958). While he was a senior at Yale, he joined its Skull and Bones secret society.[3][4]

He served in the United States Marine Corps as a first lieutenant in Japan and Korea (1953-55), as a rifle platoon commander and later as aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of the 1st Provisional Marine Air Ground Task Force.[5][6][7][8]

Career[edit]

Donaldson is sworn in as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2003

Donaldson began his career at G. H. Walker & Co., a banking and brokerage firm.[9]

Donaldson returned to Yale and founded the Yale School of Management, where he served as dean and professor of management studies.[10][11] According to Lee Tom Perry, a former Brigham Young University professor of strategy and organizational behavior, Donaldson had a vision of Yale's management program forming students who could easily and seamlessly flow between public and private management roles.[12] This was a binary vision, emphasizing private for profit corporations and government leadership positions, while ignoring leadership in various not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations.[citation needed] His grand visions of balanced approaches were shattered when the first graduating class almost all took positions in business, almost none taking jobs with government.[12] The main building of the school continues to display a life-size portrait of him and the premier leadership award at Yale School of Management is called "Donaldson Fellows".[10]

Donaldson was Chairman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 1999 to 2003.[13]

Donaldson was a chartered financial analyst (CFA) charterholder and received a number of honorary degrees.[14]

He was on the board of IEX.[15]

Personal life and death[edit]

Donaldson was the father of three children and was married to Jane Phillips Donaldson.[14] He died on June 12, 2024, at the age of 93.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Aetna chief: Aetna Inc. named William Donaldson chairman". Chicago Tribune. February 25, 2000. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
  2. ^ Linder, Karen (2012). The Women of Berkshire Hathaway: Lessons from Warren Buffett's Female CEOs and Directors. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118227411. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  3. ^ Robbins, Alexandra (2002). Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power. Boston: Little, Brown. pp. 166, 173. ISBN 0-316-72091-7.
  4. ^ "Skull And Bones: Secret Yale Society Includes America's Power Elite" Archived 2013-10-08 at the Wayback Machine, CBS News, June 13, 2004
  5. ^ "Official biography at SEC website". Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  6. ^ "FDIC: Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee Member Biographies". www.fdic.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  7. ^ "William Donaldson | CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council". www.systemicriskcouncil.org. Archived from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  8. ^ "Bill Donaldson, Wall Streeter | WeSalute". www.wesalute.com. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  9. ^ Wall Street figure tapped to head SEC Archived 2012-07-01 at archive.today. San Francisco Chronicle, December 11, 2002
  10. ^ a b "Remembering Founding Dean William H. Donaldson, 1931-2024". som.yale.edu. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  11. ^ "William H. Donaldson". The White House. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  12. ^ a b "Private Service" address Archived 2017-09-16 at the Wayback Machine by Lee Tom Perry on issues involved in the Yale Management School formation
  13. ^ "Donaldson, William H." Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  14. ^ a b "Bill Donaldson". NNDB. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  15. ^ Executive Team, IEX, archived from the original on October 27, 2017, retrieved October 26, 2017
  16. ^ "Ex-US SEC head William Donaldson dies at 93". Reuters. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Undersecretary of State for International Security Affairs
1973–1974 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
New office Dean of the Yale School of Management
1975–1980 		Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Robert Carswell
 Chairman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1999–2003 		Succeeded by
James C. Gaither
Government offices
Preceded by Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
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