2012 Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee retired Maj. Gen. James E. Donald (B.A. 1970) of Atlanta.
Retired Maj. Gen. James E. Donald (B.A. 1970) of Atlanta was awarded the University of Mississippi Alumni Association’s highest honor when he was inducted into the 2012 Alumni Hall of Fame during Homecoming.
Created in 1974, the Hall of Fame honors those select alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to their country, state or the University of Mississippi through good deeds, services or contributions.
Donald is former chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. He earned the Bronze Star for his bold leadership as a task force commander with the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” during Gulf War I. He achieved strategic successes as deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Pacific and two tours of duty in the Pentagon. He was appointed commissioner of corrections in December 2003.
In 2009, Donald was sworn in by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to a seven-year term on the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. He was subsequently elected by his colleagues to serve two consecutive terms as chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Donald is a Jackson native and a 1970 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri.
