He was a professor at Howard University, where he was instrumental in establishing a PhD program in mathematics.
Donaldson was born in on April 17, 1941, on a farm near Tallahassee, Florida, where he grew up attending segregated schools.
[1][6][7] In the 1998—1999 school year, Donaldson took a leave of absence from Howard to serve as the acting president of Lincoln University, his undergraduate alma mater.
[8] In 1969, Donaldson was one of the founding members of the National Association of Mathematicians, the professional society promoting mathematical development of underrepresented minorities.
[1][3] In 2021, a Special Session in Donaldson's honor was held at the Joint Mathematics Meetings.