Mezue ahịrịokwu na-esonụ: Mgbe Donovan gụsịrị akwụkwọ na bachelor of arts, ọ nọrọ afọ abụọ na Columbia Law School, bụ ebe ya na Franklin D. Roosevelt nọ n'otu klas, ma soro Harlan Fiske Stone mụọ ihe. Mgbe ọ laghachiri na Buffalo, ọ sonyeere ụlọ ọrụ iwu a na-akwanyere ùgwù nke Love & Keating na 1909 na, afọ abụọ ka e mesịrị, mepere ụlọ ọrụ iwu nke ya na Buffalo na mmekorita ya na onye otu klas Columbia, Bradley Goodyear. Na 1914, ụlọ ọrụ ha na ụlọ ọrụ ọzọ jikọrọ aka, wee ghọọ Goodyear & O'Brien. N'afọ 1912, Donovan nyere aka guzobe, ma bụrụ onye ndu, ndị agha ịnyịnya nke New York National Guard. A kpọkọtara ndị agha a n'afọ 1916 ma jee ozi n'ókè Amerịka na Meksiko n'oge gọọmenti Amerịka na-alụso
Pancho Villa. Ọ mụrụ otú e si alụ agha na otú e si alụ agha. Ọ gụkwara akwụkwọ na New York City site n'aka otu onye na-eme ihe nkiri n'oge ahụ, Eleanor Robson. N'afọ 1914, ọ lụrụ Ruth Rumsey, onye nketa Buffalo onye gara Rosemary Hall.