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George Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| 1st Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage | |
| In office September 16, 1975 – December 31, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Tony Knowles |
| 26th Mayor of the City of Anchorage | |
| In office October 9, 1967 – September 16, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Elmer E. Rasmuson |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of theAnchorage City Council | |
| In office 1965–1967 | |
| Member of theAlaska House of Representatives | |
| In office 1964–1965 | |
| Member of theFairbanks City Council | |
| In office 1955–1959 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Murray Sullivan (1922-03-31)March 31, 1922 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | September 23, 2009(2009-09-23) (aged 87) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Margaret Eagan Sullivan |
| Children | 9, includingDan andColleen |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
George Murray Sullivan (March 31, 1922 – September 23, 2009) was an American politician who served as the 26thmayor of the City of Anchorage from 1967 to 1975 and the 1stmayor of the Municipality of Anchorage from 1975 to 1981.
His father was Harvey Sullivan, aU.S. District Marshal who had followed theChilkoot Trail in 1898 to join theKlondike Gold Rush.[citation needed]
Sullivan was born inPortland, Oregon and raised inValdez, Alaska, then the location of the federal court for the Third Judicial District of theTerritory 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 theKennecott Mines; he was only 15, and the minimum age was 16.[citation needed]
After graduating from Valdez High School, Sullivan went on to join theUnited States Army duringWorld War II and served in theAleutian Islands.[citation needed]
After the war, he lived inNenana and worked as a deputy marshal. In 1952, the family moved toFairbanks, where Sullivan was employed as the manager of a freight company. He was elected to the city council and became active in theRepublican 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 theAlaska House of Representatives to fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Representative William H. Sanders to theAlaska Superior Court. In 1965 he was elected to theAnchorage City Council, and in 1967, he was elected mayor of Anchorage.[citation needed]
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 toTony Knowles on January 1, 1982.[citation needed]
In 1976, he vetoed ananti-discrimination bill extending protection tosexual orientation. This became a campaign issue in the 1978 mayoral race, where he successfully defended his seat against challenger Dave Rose. In 1979, he invitedPope John Paul II to visit Anchorage. On February 26, 1981, the pope visited the city.[citation needed]
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 ofWestern Airlines.[citation needed]
TheSullivan Arena in Anchorage, constructed in 1983 as a part of Project 80s, was named in his honor.[citation needed]
Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, located at the northern end ofSpenard Road where it crosses Chester Creek, was named for Sullivan's wife.
Marc Marlow, an Anchorageelectrical contractor turnedreal estate developer, began an ambitiousurban 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 anassisted living facility and named it the George M. Sullivan House.[citation needed]
He married Margaret Eagan Sullivan, the youngest daughter of Daniel and Isabelle Eagan of Fairbanks. Together, they had nine children, includingAnchorage MayorDan Sullivan, and daughterColleen Sullivan-Leonard, who served two terms in the Alaska House, 2017 through 2021.[1] Sullivan died from complications fromlung cancer on September 23, 2009.[citation needed] He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, and their son, Harvey (1996), and followed by their sons, Michael (2018) and George, Jr.(2020).[2]
| Preceded by | Mayor of Anchorage 1967–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Town/City of Anchorage(1920–75) |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipality of Anchorage(since 1975) | |||||
| Formerboroughs |
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| International | |
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| National | |
