Donald W. Banner

Donald W. Banner (February 23, 1924 – January 29, 2006) was a United States Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks.

Donald W. Banner
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
PresidentRichard Nixon
Jimmy Carter
Preceded byC. Marshall Dann
Succeeded bySidney A. Diamond
Personal details
Born(1924-02-23)February 23, 1924
Chicago, Illinois, United States
DiedJanuary 29, 2006(2006-01-29) (aged 81)
Tucson, Arizona, United States
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery
(Sec: 69, Site: 710)
Alma materPurdue University B.S. (1948)

University of Detroit J.D. (1952)

John Marshall Law School Master's of Patent Laws (1958)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceArmy Air Force
RankSecond Lieutenant

Early life and career

Banner was born in Chicago and served as a P-47 pilot during World War II. He was shot down over Italy, and held in a German POW camp until April 29, 1945.[1]

After the war, Banner attended Purdue University, graduating with a BSEE in 1948. He earned his Juris Doctor in 1952 from the University of Detroit. He later went on to earn his Master of Patent Law in 1958, and his Doctor of Laws in 1979 from the John Marshall Law School.[2]

Political career

Banner was appointed to be U.S. Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks by both Presidents Nixon and Carter,[3] the only person to be so appointed by presidents of both political parties. He served in that office only during the Carter Administration from 1978 to 1979. After his time as Commissioner of Patents he entered private practice with the firm now known as Banner & Witcoff.[4] He also served as director of the Patent Law Division at John Marshall Law School.[5]

He died on January 29, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona.[6]

References
  1. "Donald W. Banner: 1924--2006Noted patent attorneyThe Chicago native, named U.S. patent commissioner by President Carter, specialized in intellectual property issues". sip-trunking.tmcnet.com. Retrieved Mar 14, 2023.
  2. "Donald W. Banner, Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award".
  3. Carter, Jimmy Earl and National Archives and Records Service. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Jimmy Carter, 1978, Book 1: January 1 to June 30, 1978. Government Printing Office. p. 292.
  4. "Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law StudentsCommerce Secretary". The John Marshall Law School. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  5. "Leading the Way in Intellectual Property Legal EducatioCommerce Secretary". The John Marshall Law School. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  6. "Donald Banner, 81. Led Patents and Trademarks Agency". The Washington Post. February 5, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-10. Donald W. Banner, 81, a lawyer and former U.S. commissioner of patents and trademarks, died January 29 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Tucson, Ariz. A former resident of McLean and the District, he had lived in Tucson since 2001.



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