Senator James H. Donovan is most famous for his fourteen year role as chairman of the US Senate Education Committee. Throughout his life, he served as chairman for many other committees as well. His first experience was as chairman of the Committee on Roads and Public Works. Other committees that he served include the Committee of Mental Hygiene and Addiction Control, and the Select Committee on Mentally and Physically Handicapped.
Senator Donovan was honored with numerous awards both before and after his death. These include the Gold Baton Award, the Americanism Award, Construction Man of the Year, the Man of the Year Award and many, many others.