[5][6] In 1965, Donovan was painted by Bjorn Peter Egeli for the Saddle & Sirloin Club after winning one of the greatest distinctions in the agriculture industry.

[7][8] His portrait hung in the club's Agriculture Hall of Fame for nearly two decades and now hangs in the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Donovan began his career in 1918, at the age of 15, when he joined Frederick H. Prince's Brokerage as a messenger boy.

[1][4] He ascended through the ranks of the company and over his tenure he held the positions of bookkeeper, accountant, controller, and treasurer.

[12] Aside from his business ventures, Donovan was an active member of a number of educational, civic, and charitable organizations.