Born in Union Parish, Louisiana, George W. Donaghey (July 1, 1856-December 15, 1937) worked variously as a cowboy, farmer, and school teacher in Texas and Arkansas before settling in Conway (Faulkner County) in 1883. After laboring as a carpenter and cabinet maker, Donaghey achieved a considerable fortune as a building contractor and architect. In 1899 he was appointed to the commission supervising the building of a new state capitol. Controversy surrounded its construction, and in 1908 Donaghey won election to the governorship on the campaign pledge of completing the structure.

Donaghey served as governor of Arkansas from 1909 to 1913. As well as successfully overseeing the building of the state's new capitol, the Donaghey administration had a number of other achievements, most notably in public education and public health. Donaghey's most celebrated act, however, was his mass pardoning in 1912 of 360 state penitentiary inmates. The pardons were designed to focus sufficient public attention upon the corrupt convict-lease system to destroy it, and in that Donaghey succeeded.

Donaghey lost his bid for a third term to Congressman Joe T. Robinson. After leaving politics, however, Donaghey remained in the public eye through service on various state boards and commissions and by high profile business activities.