George M. Sullivan
Encyclopedia
George Murray Sullivan (March 31, 1922 – September 23, 2009) was an American
politician
from the state of Alaska
who served as the Mayor of Anchorage
from 1967 until 1981.
who had followed the Chilkoot Trail
in 1898 to join the Klondike Gold Rush
. Harvey Sullivan met Viola Murray (who would become George's mother) in Valdez
, where she was serving as Postmaster
.
Sullivan was born in Portland, Oregon
, as it was a common practice in the settler communities of Alaska in the first half of the 20th century for expectant mothers to leave Alaska to have their babies in not such a primitive environment. Sullivan grew up in Valdez, then the location of the federal court for the Third Judicial District of the Territory of Alaska. His mother was elected mayor in 1934. During the summer of 1937, he lied about his age in order to obtain a job at the Kennecott Mines
; he was only 15, and the minimum age was 16.
After graduating from Valdez High School, Sullivan went on to join the Army
during World War II
and served in the Aleutian Islands. After the war, he lived in Nenana
and worked as a Deputy Marshall. He married Margaret Eagan Sullivan (died 2007), the youngest daughter of Daniel and Isabelle Eagan of Fairbanks. Together, they had nine children, including Anchorage
Mayor Dan Sullivan
.
, where Sullivan was employed as the manager of a freight company. He was elected to the City Council and became active in the Republican Party. In 1959, the family moved to Anchorage, having been transferred there by the freight company. Sullivan would continue to play a role in the Fairbanks community for years to come. He is listed as one of the original incorporators of Mt. McKinley Bank, founded in 1965.
In 1964, Sullivan was appointed to the Alaska House of Representatives
to fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Representative William H. Sanders to the Superior Court. In 1965 he was elected to the Anchorage City Council, and in 1967, he was elected Mayor of Anchorage.
In 1975, the Greater Anchorage Area Borough unified with the City of Anchorage and several smaller cities to become the Municipality of Anchorage. Sullivan, the city mayor, defeated Jack Roderick, the borough mayor to become mayor of the new city government. Sullivan fulfilled the maximum two terms mandated by the municipal charter, handing over the reins to Tony Knowles
on January 1, 1982.
In 1976, he vetoed an anti-discrimination bill extending protection to sexual orientation
. This became a campaign issue in the 1978 mayoral race, where he successfully defended his seat against challenger Dave Rose. In 1979, he invited Pope John Paul II
to visit Anchorage. On February 26, 1981, the pope visited the city.
Toward the end of the 1970s, he proposed what he called "Project 80s", a campaign of beautification and preservation of historic sites. After his lengthy tenure as mayor, Sullivan served as the senior vice president of Western Airlines
.
in Anchorage, constructed in 1983 as a part of Project 80s, was named in his honor.
Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, located at the northern end of Spenard Road where it crosses Chester Creek, was named for Sullivan's wife.
Marc Marlow, an Anchorage electrical contractor
turned real estate developer, began an ambitious urban renewal
project in the northeastern corner of downtown Anchorage. The centerpiece of the project was the rebuilding of the McKinley Tower, constructed in the early 1950s
and abandoned in 1984. Adjacent to that building, Marlow constructed an assisted living facility
and named it the George M. Sullivan House.
on September 23, 2009. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, and their son, Harvey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
who served as the Mayor of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
from 1967 until 1981.
Early life
His father was Harvey Sullivan, a U.S. District MarshalUnited States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
who had followed the Chilkoot Trail
Chilkoot Trail
The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 miles trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska in the United States, to Bennett, British Columbia in Canada....
in 1898 to join the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
. Harvey Sullivan met Viola Murray (who would become George's mother) in Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, where she was serving as Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
.
Sullivan was born in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, as it was a common practice in the settler communities of Alaska in the first half of the 20th century for expectant mothers to leave Alaska to have their babies in not such a primitive environment. Sullivan grew up in Valdez, then the location of the federal court for the Third Judicial District of the Territory of Alaska. His mother was elected mayor in 1934. During the summer of 1937, he lied about his age in order to obtain a job at the Kennecott Mines
Kennicott, Alaska
Kennecott, also known as Kennecott Mines or AHRS Site No. XMC-001, is an abandoned mining camp in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska that was the center of activity for several copper mines. It is located beside the Kennicott Glacier, northeast of Valdez, inside Wrangell-St....
; he was only 15, and the minimum age was 16.
After graduating from Valdez High School, Sullivan went on to join the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served in the Aleutian Islands. After the war, he lived in Nenana
Nenana, Alaska
Nenana is a Home Rule City in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Nenana lies at the juncture of the Nenana River and the Tanana River. The population was 402 at the 2000 census. "Nenana" means 'a good place to camp between two rivers.'-History...
and worked as a Deputy Marshall. He married Margaret Eagan Sullivan (died 2007), the youngest daughter of Daniel and Isabelle Eagan of Fairbanks. Together, they had nine children, including Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
Mayor Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan (Alaska)
Daniel A. "Dan" Sullivan is the incumbent Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, the state's largest city. He is a member of the Republican Party and the son of Anchorage's longest-serving mayor, George M. Sullivan. Prior to being elected mayor, he served the maximum of three consecutive terms on the...
.
Political career
In 1952, the family moved to FairbanksFairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, where Sullivan was employed as the manager of a freight company. He was elected to the City Council and became active in the Republican Party. In 1959, the family moved to Anchorage, having been transferred there by the freight company. Sullivan would continue to play a role in the Fairbanks community for years to come. He is listed as one of the original incorporators of Mt. McKinley Bank, founded in 1965.
In 1964, Sullivan was appointed to the Alaska House of Representatives
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
to fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Representative William H. Sanders to the Superior Court. In 1965 he was elected to the Anchorage City Council, and in 1967, he was elected Mayor of Anchorage.
In 1975, the Greater Anchorage Area Borough unified with the City of Anchorage and several smaller cities to become the Municipality of Anchorage. Sullivan, the city mayor, defeated Jack Roderick, the borough mayor to become mayor of the new city government. Sullivan fulfilled the maximum two terms mandated by the municipal charter, handing over the reins to Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles (politician)
Anthony Carroll Knowles is an American Democratic politician and businessman who served as the seventh Governor of Alaska from December 1994 to December 2002. Barred from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 and again for governor in...
on January 1, 1982.
In 1976, he vetoed an anti-discrimination bill extending protection to sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. This became a campaign issue in the 1978 mayoral race, where he successfully defended his seat against challenger Dave Rose. In 1979, he invited Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to visit Anchorage. On February 26, 1981, the pope visited the city.
Toward the end of the 1970s, he proposed what he called "Project 80s", a campaign of beautification and preservation of historic sites. After his lengthy tenure as mayor, Sullivan served as the senior vice president of Western Airlines
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver...
.
Legacy
The Sullivan ArenaSullivan Arena
The George M. Sullivan Arena is an arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The arena opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 8,700 for basketball, 6,251 for hockey...
in Anchorage, constructed in 1983 as a part of Project 80s, was named in his honor.
Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, located at the northern end of Spenard Road where it crosses Chester Creek, was named for Sullivan's wife.
Marc Marlow, an Anchorage electrical contractor
Electrical contractor
An electrical contractor is a business person or firm that performs specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems—a $130 billion industry in the United States....
turned real estate developer, began an ambitious urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project in the northeastern corner of downtown Anchorage. The centerpiece of the project was the rebuilding of the McKinley Tower, constructed in the early 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
and abandoned in 1984. Adjacent to that building, Marlow constructed an assisted living facility
Assisted living
Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living ; coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.Assistance may...
and named it the George M. Sullivan House.
Death
George M. Sullivan died from complications from lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on September 23, 2009. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, and their son, Harvey.