Los Angeles County
Biographies
EDWARD J. SULLIVAN
SULLIVAN, EDWARD J., Real Estate Operator and Developer, Los Angeles and San Diego, Cal., was born at Limerick, Ireland, on May 26, 1873, the son of John Sullivan and Elizabeth Carey Sullivan. He is a descendant of an ancient and illustrious Celtic family, and traces his lineage back to the first Kings of Ireland, who reigned many centuries ago. The family is on record as having played an important role in the destinies of their native land long before its members emigrated from Limerick, to New York and New England. General John Sullivan, of Revolutionary fame, friend, aide and confidant of Washington was a member of this family and in commemoration of his devotion to the Republic in fighting the combined forces of England and her Indian allies, the State of New York has named Sullivan County for him, while various cities in New York and other States have honored his memory by naming streets for him. Other members of the family have been prominent in commercial, literary, legal and political life.
Mr. Sullivan, who has had a picturesque career as politician, diplomat and business man, was brought to New York from Ireland in boyhood. He received his preliminary education in the Christian Brothers’ and public schools of his native place, and later studied under a private tutor. With his father he engaged in general commercial pursuits for some time and later took up the study of commercial law with the intention of entering the legal profession. He gave this up, however, after having acquired a course in commercial law, and returned to the field of commerce. For several years thereafter he conducted an extensive and successful business in New York and New England.
While actively engaged in business, Mr. Sullivan, who had taken an active part in politics, devoted much of his spare time to writing special articles for newspapers and magazines, and to delivering lectures on social and political subjects. He had made a close study of the tariff question and, being one of the best informed men of his section on this subject, spoke frequently on it.
Before he had attained his majority Mr. Sullivan was active in behalf of the Republican party and in 1888, when Benjamin Harrison and Levi P. Morton were nominated for President and Vice President, respectively, he went on the stump for them and was one of the most ardent workers for their success. After the election President Harrison expressed his appreciation of Mr. Sullivan’s services, and thereafter there existed between the President and the younger man a strong friendship. During this campaign Mr. Sullivan contributed numerous magazine and newspaper articles on the questions at issue and spoke in several States in behalf of the ticket. His work won him the administration of that illustrious statesman, James G. Blaine.
From that time forward Mr. Sullivan has been active in Republican politics. He enjoyed the confidence of President McKinley and rendered him valuable services in his Presidential contest, contributing liberally of his own means to aid in his election. Mr. McKinley personally thanked him and offered him an appointment in the diplomatic service, which he declined. Mr. Sullivan has in his possession the Peace Flag which floated over the Temple of Music at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo when McKinley was assassinated and hopes to see it ultimately fly over the Palace of Peace at The Hague, as President McKinley was the first to proclaim universal peace among the nations. He also has autographed photos and other mementoes of the martyred President.
Mr. Sullivan believes he is the original Roosevelt man. In August, 1895, when Theodore Roosevelt was Police Commissioner of New York City he delivered an address predicting Roosevelt’s elevation to the Presidency of the United States. Later, in Roosevelt’s campaigns for Governor of New York, Vice President and President of the United States, Mr. Sullivan campaigned for him in various States, and in appreciation of his services Mr. Roosevelt tendered him a diplomatic post.
Mr. Sullivan had among his indorsers at that time many men of prominence, among them Levi P. Morton, former Vice President of the United States; Hon. B. F. Tracy, former Secretary of the Navy; Thomas C. Platt, United States Senator from New York; Stewart L. Woodford, former United States Minister to Spain; United States Senator Mark Hanna, B. B. Odell, Jr., Governor of New York; Seth Low, Mayor of New York City; John A. McCall, President of the New York Life Insurance Company; John D. Crimmins, banker; John Mitchell, President of the United Mine Workers of America, and numerous other men of position in commercial and public life. He first was stationed at Erzereum, Turkey, and later went to Trebizond, Turkey, where he earned the title of “the Commercial Diplomat” because of his aggressive work in the interest of American Commerce.
While in Turkey, Mr. Sullivan pleaded the cause of the Armenian people and secured from them some valuable concessions from the Ottoman government. He has been honored by them on various occasions.
When he resigned his position in 1906 his departure was made the occasion of a great popular demonstration on the part of the people, whose admiration he had won.
Following his resignations from the diplomatic service in 1906, Mr. Sullivan returned to New York City and there engaged in the real estate business, developing property in Long Island. He also owned property in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburg and other cities. In 1907 he transferred his activities to Southern California, locating first at Los Angeles. He shortly acquired valuable real estate holdings in both Los Angeles and San Diego, and opened extensive offices in both cities.
Mr. Sullivan is unusually active in affairs of San Diego and has been of particular service in the matter of its harbor development, for on his travels he made a special study of harbor conditions in all parts of the world and has at his finger ends accurate data on the harbors and commerce of the globe.
He has been one of the extensive real estate operators of Southern California, subdividing and developing large tracts of land in Los Angeles and San Diego, specializing in business and industrial property. In Los Angeles he became interested in exclusive residence property, while in San Diego he fathered the development of that section known as “Mission Beach,” which promises to become one of the important sections of that city.
Although comparatively new in Southern California, Mr. Sullivan has come to be known as one of its enthusiastic advocates, because of his extreme faith in its future growth. He is tireless in his efforts to advance the interests of the country and, being a capable writer, has greatly added to the literature on the subject.
Progressive in thought and action, Mr. Sullivan is at the same time thorough and usually carries to conclusion any work he undertakes. He has come to be regarded as among one of the most successful business men of that part of the country, where enterprising men from all sections of the United States are engaged in one of the greatest development campaigns in the history of the United States.
In addition to his political work, Mr. Sullivan has been prominent in various other ways. In 1888, during the historic strike and lockout at the Carnegie Steel works, Homestead, Pa., he acted as one of the mediators in bringing about an agreement between the conflicting parties. He also offered his services to the government during the Spanish-American War, but the conflict was of such short duration he was not called into action. President McKinley, however, thanked him for his offer. On another occasion, when the racial prejudice brought about an attack on the Jewish citizens of New York, Mr. Sullivan came to their defense in public addresses and newspaper articles and received the thanks of the leaders of the race for his work in their behalf.
Naturally proud of his lineage, ancestry and the glorious traditions and history of his motherland, he has been the steadfast, friend and champion of the Irish race, and the Irish leaders have recognized his devotion, and his moral and material support to their cause.
Mr. Sullivan, who is regarded as an authority on tariff and insurance, has been an extensive traveler, having visited the principal cities of Great Britain and Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Russia, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. In all of these countries he made an exhaustive study of social, economic and political conditions, was the guest of numerous Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade and high government officials and was brought into close association with the great leaders. During his travels in Mexico he formed very close friendships with Presidents Diaz and Madero. He was received in private audience by His Holiness, Pope Pius X, who accorded him recognition for his services in the cause of humanity and justice.
Mr. Sullivan has written some notable pamphlets and books, among them being: “Blaine as an American and Statesman,” “Protection Versus Free Trade,” “The Relative Rights of Capital and Labor,” “The Places I Visited and the People I Met,” “Rambles Through the British Isles,” “Here and There Through Europe,” “Ireland’s Right to Self-Government,” “The Destruction of Ireland’s Industries and Commerce by England,” “The Story of Our Economic Laws,” and “The Flag I Have Not Seen in Foreign Lands.”
Mr. Sullivan’s writings, as the titles indicate, cover a wide range of subjects, to many of which he has devoted a great amount of serious study. He is an able public speaker and lecturer on special topics and has had a great deal of experience on the public platform. He is especially in demand as a speaker on the tariff and insurance subjects.
With the purpose of acquiring a knowledge of the life insurance business he took a course of study in the Columbia University, New York, and had as tutor the late Charleton T. Lewis, Actuary for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York.
In politics, while Mr. Sullivan has always been a staunch supporter of the Republican Party, as his record indicates, with the changes made necessary by the progress of the country and altering economic conditions, he has endeavored to keep abreast of them, and though he still adheres to the basic principles of his original affiliation, he is an ardent supporter of that branch which is called “Progressive” and is a loyal friend and admirer of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, their friendship having dated from a time prior to Mr. Roosevelt’s election as Governor of New York State.
While a resident of New York, Mr. Sullivan was active in various national and local organizations of a social, literary or political nature, including the Catholic Club Society of the Genesee, the Army and Navy League, the Commercial Travelers’ Association, Tariff Club, Ninth Assembly District Republican Club, American Flag Association, American-Irish Historical Society and the Columbus Literary Society. He is also an honorary member of several clubs in Europe, that distinction having been conferred on his during his visits there. He still retains his membership in many of them.
Since locating in Southern California, Mr. Sullivan has been an active member of both the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 639, International
News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston,
Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Joyce
Rugeroni.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPIES