Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-18
Atlanta Official
Named District
Penal Director
Donald CIemmer, 43,
FiIIGiII's Post
In Reorganization
By John W. Thompson, Jr.

Donald Clemmer, 43-year-old
associate warden at Atlanta
Penitentiary, today was ap-
pointed by the Commissioner to
be general superintendent of
District penal institutions.
Mr.. Clemmer, native of Chicago,
was appointed or recommendation
of the Board of Public Welfare, and
succeeds Howard B. Gill, who was
dismissed last April on charges Of
incompetency, ineficiency and in
subordination
District officials were uncertain
now soon the new penal chief would
be sworn in and officially take over
his duties, saying that he probably
had personal affairs to clear UP in
Atlanta.
In the interim since Mr.. Gill's dis
missal, w. French Fleming has been
acting general superintendent.
Part of Overlade Plan.
Appointment of Mr.. Clemmer is a
part of the reorganiza ton of Dis
trlct adult penal institutions being
supervised by j. Ellis Overlade.
warden of the Federal penitentiarv
at Terre Haute. Ind, who has been
loaned to the city temporarily.
The reorganization is the out
growth OF wholesale escapes from
District Jail between last November
and April and a congressional in
vestigation into jail administration.
An exhaustive inquiry was also made
by the Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation.
Mr.. Clemmer is the second Federal
prisons official to be given perma-
nent post in the District setup. Col,
Curtis Reid, veteran of the At
lanta guard force, took over the lob
as resident superintendent of the
Jail last month.
Welfare Director Ray L. Huff said
that the new appointee has been
working for Mr. Overlade for about
a month as one of the group of
Federal experts called in by Mr..
Overlade to help with the reor-
ganization program.
/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Oy bennett.
He said Mr.. Clemmer comes to
the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
| Born in suburb of Chicago in
1903, the son of dentist, Mr.. Glenn
mer attended Morgan Park Military
Academy. where he made good
scholastic and athletic records In
1928, he was graduated from Cor
nell with an ALB. degree after
majoring in biology.
He returned to the military acad-
envy as coach and teacher for
two years, and had in his classes the
sons of some notorious Chicago
hoodlums. Becoming interested in
the prison problem, he enrolled in
criminology course at the Uni
versity of Illinois and received an
MA. degree in 1881.
From then until September, 1912.
he worked in all of the Illinois penal
institutions, but mostly at Joliet and
Menard. At Joliet Diagnostic
Depot, he was responsible for gen.
eral organization and procedure.
Surveyed Juvenile Crimes.
During this period, he spent year
surveying juvenile crime, admins
tering a child guidance bureau and
initiating preventive work for the
city of East st. Louis. For another
six months, he was loaned to set up
relief agencies in Central and South
ern Illinois.
In 1912, he became personnel man
ager for the Republic Steel g. Tool
Co. of Chicago.
Two years later. in March, 1914,
he entered the Federal Bureau of
Prisons here and has worked in
> developing an lin service" training
program for personnel. He also
handled selective service matters
for inmates in all Federal prisons.
In May, 1915, he became associate
warden IN charge of individualized
treatment of inmates at Atlanta
He is married and has two chill