John C. McDonald was
born in Lorimor, Iowa, on February
19, 1924, and died in Dallas Center,
Iowa on December 2, 2005. He attended Simpson
College and Southern Illinois
University. He joined the U.S. Army
Air Force in 1943 and served as a
pilot in the Pacific Theatre through
the end of World War II.
After discharge from the service in
1946, John attended Law School at
Drake University in Des Moines,
Iowa, and received his L.L.B in 1948
(and his J.D. in 1968). He practiced
law in Dallas Center beginning in
1948, until he was recalled to
service in the Korean War in 1950.
He served as a Judge Advocate and
pilot at the Strategic Air Command
headquarters during the Korean War.
He was a Colonel in the United
States Air Force Reserve.
In 1951 John returned to Dallas
Center and formed the Hall and
McDonald law firm with Guy H. Hall.
He became the senior partner in the
McDonald, Brown & Fagen law
firm.
John was the Dallas Center City
Attorney from 1956 to 1984, and the
Dallas County Attorney from 1958 to
1962. He was the attorney for the
Dallas Community School District
from 1953 to 1968, and served as a
member of the Board of Directors of
the Dallas Community School District
(now Dallas Center-Grimes) from 1968
to 1976; and he served four years as
Board President. He was a member of
the Dallas County Hospital Board of
Trustees (1973-1975).
From 1971 until his death, John was a member of
the Simpson College Alumni Council
(President, 1977-1980); and in
1978 he became a member of the
Simpson College Board of Trustees.
He was a past member of the National
Advisory Committee of Central
College. John was awarded the
Simpson College Achievement Award in
1974, and the Drake University
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1978.
President Gerald Ford appointed John
to the Board of Visitors of the
United States Air Force Academy, a
post he held from 1975-1978 (Board
Chairman, 1977-1978). Presidents
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush
appointed him as a member of the
American Battle Monuments Commission
(1982-1994).
John was appointed by Governors
Robert D. Ray and Terry E. Branstad
to the Iowa Board of Regents, he was
confirmed by the Iowa Senate, and
served from 1981 to 1987 (Board
President, 1985-1987). He was a
member of the Board of Directors of
Iowa Public Television (1981-1985);
appointed by Governor Branstad to
the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task
Force on Campaign Finance Disclosure
Law in 1989; and appointed by
Governor Branstad to the Iowa
Student Loan Liquidity Corporation
(1987-2001).
John was the Dallas County
Republican Chairman (1963-1968); a
member of the Republican State
Central Committee of Iowa
(1968-1969); and Chairman of the
Republican Party of Iowa
(1969-1975). He was the Chairman of
the Republican State Chairman's
Advisory Committee from 1973 to
1975.
He was a member of the Republican
National Committee from 1969 to
1988; and was Midwest Vice Chairman
of the Committee (1982-1984). He was
a delegate to the Republican
National Convention in 1964, 1972,
1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988 (and Iowa
Delegation Vice Chair in 1972 and
1988). He chaired the Committee on
Contests for the 1976, 1980, 1984,
and 1988 conventions, and chaired
the Convention's Committee on
Credentials in 1976, 1980, and 1988.
John was admitted to the Iowa Bar in
1948. John was admitted to practice
before the United States District
Court for the Southern District of
Iowa in 1949; to the United State
Court of Appeals for the Armed
Forces in 1956; and to the United
States Supreme Court in 1956.
John and his wife, Barbara, were married
in 1943. They have three
daughters, Mary Richard, Joan
Ackerman, and Jean McDonald. He was a member of the Presbyterian
Church for more than fifty years,
and was an elder.
Copyright © 2010 by
Brown, Fagen & Rouse. All
rights reserved. You may reproduce
materials available at this site for
your own personal use and for
non-commercial distribution. All
copies must include this copyright
statement.