D. J. Sullivan

 

D. J. Sullivan, Superintendent of Public Schools, Alameda—Prominent among the educators of Alameda county is the above named gentleman, the most of whose life has been passed in the interest of education, many years of which have been in California.

 

Mr. Sullivan was born in the city of New York, December 4, 1852, where he was reared and educated, graduating at the grammar school in June, 1866.  He is the youngest of nine children of Michael and Lucy (Newton) Sullivan, the father a native of Massachusetts and the mother of England.  Mr. Sullivan was left an orphan at the age of ten years, his mother having died in 1854, and his father in 1862.  He came to California in company with an elder brother, by way of Panama, in 1866, passage on the steamers Henry Chancey and Golden Gate.  Two weeks after their arrival in San Francisco the brother was taken sick and died, and D. J. was then engaged in teaching for two years in the public schools of San Francisco.  Then he came to Alameda county, where he took a course of two years’ study at the State University at Berkeley.  After teaching in Santa Clara county for a time he returned to San Francisco, where he again taught in the day and evening school until 1880.  His health becoming impaired at this time, he was compelled to abandon the profession for a few months.  He next visited Marin county, remaining until September, 1882, at which time he returned to Alameda and took a position in the high school.  In May following he was elected Superintendent of Schools, a position he has since occupied with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of citizens of Alameda, inasmuch as he has been twice elected without opposition.  He is also principal of the Alameda high school and a member of the Board of Education, of which he is secretary.

 

Mr. Sullivan was married at Oakland Decmeber 3, 1877, to Miss Louisa Schimmelpfennig of East Oakland, daughter of Frederick Schimmelpfennig, a pioneer of 1850.  They have two children, viz: Edna A. and Allan E.

 

Politically Mr. Sullivan is a Republican, and socially he affiliates with the Odd Fellows, in which order he has passed all the chairs.  He also belongs to Brooklyn Lodge, No. 32, K. of P., to Oak Grove Lodge, No. 215, F. & A. M., and to Chapter, No. 70, R. A. M., of Alameda.  He is at present the Junior Warden of the blue lodge, and Captain in the Royal Arch Chapter.