Frank J. Donner
Frank J. Donner was born on November 25th, 1911. Frank passed away June 10th, 1993 at 81 years old. Frank J. Donner was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Donner attended the University of Wisconsin where he received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree and Columbia University where he received a law degree.
Frank J. Donner was one of the most distinguished civil liberty lawyers in the United States. He was one of the longest-serving directors of the
Project on Political Surveillance at the American Civil Liberties Union.
When he was starting out, he served at the National Labor Relations Board as a staff attorney from 1940 to 1943. In 1947, he started his own practice as he represented progressive clients such as
United Steel Workers and
United Electrical in addition to championing labor rights.
Teaming up with Marshall Perlin and Arthur Kinoy, he was a cofounder of the
Donner, Kinoy & Perlin law firm, which took cases of people prosecuted under the
Smith Act during the McCarthy era. In 1956, he was accused of affiliation with Communists and was summoned by the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
In 1970, Frank Donner started working with the
Project on Political Surveillance at the ACLU as a director. During this time, he investigated domestic intelligence activities, including urban
Red Squads and
COINTELPRO.
In his writings, he critiqued the monitoring of dissent by surveillance agencies under the pretense of security. He also criticised the use of dossiers from law enforcement to suppress political expression.
In 1961, Frank J. Donner published the work
The Un-Americans, in which he criticized the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
The author explains how the committee silenced dissent and destroyed lives due to anti-communist hysteria. He describes how the committee used blacklists, loyalty oaths, subpoenas, and informers to destroy the lives of innocent people over suspicion.
The author shows how fear, rather than evidence, was used in combination with the abuse of political power and surveillance to crush perceived dissenters and reformers.
In his work
The Age of Surveillance, Frank Donner shows how the government built a massive system intended to spy on Americans under the pretense of combating communism.
Donner explains the genesis of surveillance following the First World War, which grew massively under J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and was expanded when he implemented programs such as
Red Squads and
COINTELPRO, which went after anti-war and civil rights activists.
He also shows how lawmakers and private groups helped the government by blacklisting and monitoring people.
In his 1990 work,
Protectors of Privilege, Frank Donner shows how
Red Squads from the police harassed and spied on political groups across the United States for more than 100 years.
Following the 1886
Haymarket Riot, the
Red Squads went after anti-war protestors, civil rights activists, and labor unions. To protect the powerful and crush dissent, they used blacklists, intelligence gathering, wiretaps, and infiltration.
Using fear as a tool to limit political protest and free speech, the unit usually operated outside the rules governing police work. It was more about punishing people as opposed to dealing with crime.
Frank J. Donner: F.A.Q
When was Frank J. Donner Born?
Frank J. Donner was born on November 25th, 1911.
When did Frank J. Donner die?
Frank J. Donner died on June 10th, 1993 at 81 years old.
Where was Frank J. Donner Born?
Frank J. Donner was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What was the first book Frank J. Donner wrote?
The first book written by Frank J. Donner was The Un-Americans, published in 1961.
What was the most recent book Frank J. Donner wrote?
His most recently released work was Protectors of Privilege on October 21st, 1990.
How many books has Frank J. Donner written?
Frank J. Donner has written 3 books. All of his books are Non-Fiction Books.