The first head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, William J. Donovan (1883-1959) ran the agency that served as the direct precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Before his career in intelligence, however, Donovan was one of the best known lawyers in the country, reaching the post of assistant Attorney General during the administration of Herbert Hoover in the 1920s. After his term at OSS, Donovan remained both an influential lawyer and an expert in the world of espionage. Appointed ambassador to Thailand in 1953 for a brief period, Donovan continued to use the latter skills in building up America's resistance to Communism in the Far East. At the time of his death in 1959, Donovan was remembered as a public servant and statesman in addition to his success as an attorney and businessman.

In contrast to his later elite connections and world travels...