The Sullivan Heritage - Gray Williams - Bog

In May, 1857, Algernon Sydney Sullivan and his wife, Mary Mildred, moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New York City to make a fresh start in life. He was 31 and she was 21. They had been married just a year and a half. They had very little money, since he had lost almost all his savings in the recession - then called a panic - that swept over the country the year before. They had virtually no friends or other connections in their new community.The Sullivans spent the rest of their lives in New York. Algernon Sydney became a highly successful lawyer and a much-respected public citizen. He founded the law firm Sullivan and Cromwell, still pre-eminent today. Mary Mildred became a leader in New York society, renowned for her many charitable activities. Although their endeavors helped them establish a lasting home in New York, both had their roots in the South, particularly in Virginia, and they always remained faithful to their Southern heritage. Their son, George Hammond Sullivan, also shared their affection for the South, and he became largely responsible for keeping their memories alive.Thus, when the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan Awards were established, their primary mission was to support higher education in the South, with special attention to the often neglected region of Appalachia. The Sullivan Foundation now provides financial grants to 31 Southern schools and colleges, and oversees the Sullivan Awards that are offered at 67 such institutions.The biographies in The Sullivan Heritage not only tell the story of the Sullivans against the background of the eventful times in which they lived, but also seek to explain their lasting impact on others. The idealism, personal magnetism, and strength of character of Algernon Sydney and Mary Mildred Sullivan endeared them to those who knew them during their lifetimes and provided the inspiration for the Sullivan Foundation and Sullivan Awards that are their lasting monuments.