Thomas J. Donohue, the retired longtime president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is to be remembered at a memorial Mass Oct. 29, 2024, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C.
He died Oct. 14 at his home in Arlington, Va., at the age of 86.
Donohue led the Chamber of Commerce for 23 years, during which he guided the business association to advocate for health care for the uninsured, free trade and immigration reform legislation, including by filing a legal challenge to the Trump administration’s plans to limit visas for students and skilled workers.
In 2013, Donohue was honored by Foreign Policy Magazine on its list of the 500 most powerful people in the world. A decade earlier, he received the Keepers of the American Dream Award from the National Immigration Forum.
Honors bestowed upon Donohue over the years showed the range of his interests and work. He held numerous honorary degrees, including from his alma maters, St. John’s University and Adelphi University; the Horatio Alger Award, given to those who overcome adversity and achieve greatness; and the Boy Scouts of America National Capitol Area Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
He also received high civilian honors from the governments of Germany, South Korea, Belgium and Japan.
A compilation of memorial tributes for Donohue in Politico hailed him variously as “larger than life,” as a legend in the advocacy world and as a gracious mentor who quietly touched the lives of many people.
Donohue was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and later moved with his family to Long Island, where he played varsity basketball at St. Agnes Cathedral School in Rockville Centre and received the Boy Scouts Eagle Scout Award. He went on to St. John’s University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history. From there he went to work for the Boy Scouts of America and Abilities Inc, which helped disabled World War II veterans find work. He later earned a master’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University in New York.
Prior to taking the lead post at the U.S. Chamber he worked with the American Trucking Associations, as a senior vice president for the U.S. Chamber and as a deputy assistant U.S. Postmaster General. Before those roles, he had senior development positions for the College of New Rochelle and Fairfield University.
Upon his retirement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2021, he remained active on the boards of the U.S. Chamber, the Hudson Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise and Marymount University.
St. John’s University marked Donohue’s death with a report noting that the school had bestowed on him its Spirit of Service Award in 2021. The article described him as “the personification of a hardworking and successful St. John’s graduate.” It said he regularly supported his alma mater in various ways, particularly through its Alumni Insider’s View program, connecting alumni who live and work in the Washington, D.C. area with other St. John’s graduates in various business and government positions.
Donohue is survived by a sister, three sons and five grandchildren. His wife of 57 years, Liz Donohue, died in 2017. In a death notice in the Washington Post, Donohue’s family noted that he and his wife were “significant benefactor(s)” of various organizations including SOME (So Others Might Eat), the Lombardi and MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Brain Ball and many others.
