Evening star., 1935-06-20
MARYLAND PRISON
DIRECTOR CHOSEN
FOR BARNARD POST
Harold {. DonneII viii Be
Recommended Soon to
Commissioners.
ENTRANCE INTO OFFICE
UNLIKELY BEFORE FALL
City Heads Expected to Insist
Present Official Be Permitted
to Quit in Own Time.

The year long search of the Board
of Public Welfare for the eventual
successor to Capt. M. M. Barnard as
superintendent of District penal insti-
tutions has ended with the selection
of Harold E. Donnell, superintendent
of Maryland Prisons, it was learned
today.
Elwood Street, director Of public
welfare, said a recommendation for
Donnell's appointment will be placed
before the District Commissioners at
an early date.
It is expected, however, that the
Commissioners will demand asSur-
ances that Capt, Barnard, who is 70,
but still robust, wishes to retire, before
they consent to appoint his successor.
They feel Barnard is doing a good
job, despite his years, and should be
allowed to keep his post as long as ne
wants it and his work continues sat-
isfactory.
Change Unlikely Before Fall.
In any case, there is not likely to be
a change in penal superintendent un-
til next Fall when Capt. Barnard will
round out 40 years of institutional
work. The veteran superintendent
became head of the Districts penal
institutions November l, 1928, after
serving seven years as chief OF the
Lorton Reformatory.
Donnell was recommended to the
Board of Public Welfare by the United
States Bureau of Prisons, DR.. Walter
N. Thayer, jr., New York Commis-
sioner Of CORRECTION, and numerous
other responsible sources. The board
was informed he has done excellent
work in Maryland and is especially
well. qualified to supervise a wall
less refcrmatory such as that at Lor-
ton.
Although no member of the Public
Welfare Board would allow himself
to be quoted, it was learned that the
vote for Donnel was not unanimous.
Some of the members had committed
themselves to support Col, William L.
Peak, now superintendent 1.-the Dts-
trict reformatory.
Even Peaks supporters, however,
agreed on the qualifications of Dom
nell and one of them praised him as
IAN excellent choice"
Appointed by Richie.
If Donnen comes to the District 1t
will be because of political difficult
ties which he is said to feel are ham,
pering his work in Maryland. He
was appointed by Gov. Albert c..
Ritchie, Democrat. With the elec-
tion of Gov. Harry w. Nice, q Re-
publican, rllmors arose that Donnell
might be forced out, but these were
quickly quashed by an announce
ment from the new Governor.
Despite this, Donnell is thought to
feel uncomfortable in his present posi-
ton and to be dissatisfied with certain
restrictions on his work.
In taking the District job, Donnell
would receive a substantial salary re-
duction, since the Superintendency Of
District penal institutions pays but
$500, as compared with his present
$4,000 salary.
Donnell is Al years old and has
been superintendent of Maryland
prisons since August, 1880. In that
job he supervised the building in
Western Maryland of an open sys-
TEN" institution like those at Lorton
and Occoquan, which house District
prisoners.
He is vice president of the American
Prison Congress and a director of the
Osborne Association of New York,
which works for better prison condi-
tions throughout the country.
Headed Commission.
He also was chairman of former
Gov. Ritchie's Social Welfare Survey
Commission, which set up the nucleus
Of Maryland's present welfare system.
Before his appointment as superin-
tendent of prisons, he was superin-
tendent of the Maryland Training
School for Boys for six years.
A graduate of Colby College and
Harvard University, Donnell entered
institutional work in 1916 as assistant
superintendent of Sochonosset School
for Boys at Howard, r. I. While
there he began the first psychological
testing done in juvenile institutions In
this country and perfected a congre-
gate school system.
! During the World War he was edu-
cational officer of the United States
Naval Prison at Portsmouth, NJ H.,
and later became administrative officer
of that institution. From there he
went to Maine to build a reformatory
for men similar to the one at Lorton
Capt Barnard ordinarily would have
retired at the age Of 70, but was given
an indefinite extension of service by
President Roosevelt.