Frederick Richard Sullivan (1905 – January 19, 1968) was an American politician who served as sheriff of

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County ( ) is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston ...

from 1939 to 1968.

Early life

Sullivan was born in 1905 in Charlestown. He graduated from

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a Magnet school, magnet Latin schools, Latin Grammar schools, grammar State school, state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635. It is the old ...

and attended

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

, where he was a member of the school's crew and won three championships in boxing. He graduated from Harvard in 1927 and worked for the

Boston & Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B&M ...

to pay for

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

. While attending business school, Sullivan coached the varsity crew. After earning his graduate degree, Sullivan worked for the Atlantic Precision Instrument Co. before going into the insurance business.

Political career

In 1933, Sullivan was elected to the

Boston School Committee The Boston School Committee serves as the school board for Boston Public Schools. Precursors In 1647, the Massachusetts General Court passed a law requiring the establishment of schools, it dictated that responsibility for the schools would be gr ...

. In 1936 and 1937 he served as committee chairman. In 1939, Suffolk County Sheriff John F. Dowd resigned while under criminal corruption investigation. Governor

Leverett Saltonstall Leverett Atholville Saltonstall (September 1, 1892June 17, 1979) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served three two-year terms as the List of Governors of Massachusetts, 55th Governor of Massachusetts, and for more th ...

appointed Sullivan to finish Dowd's term. He won a full term in 1940 by defeating city councilor and state senator John E. Kerrigan, state senator Edward C. Carroll, and former Boston city assessor Timothy W. Murphy in the Democratic primary. In 1943 he joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, where he earned as

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

for moving vital cargo while commanding a quartermaster group. He was reelected in 1944 while still serving oversees. His brother-in-law, Deputy Sheriff James J. Mellen served as acting sheriff until Sullivan's return in January 1946. In 1955, Sullivan was charged with negligence following the escape of Elmer "Trigger" Burke. He was acquitted and remained sheriff until his death on January 19, 1968.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Frederick R 1905 births 1968 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Boston School Committee members Harvard Business School alumni Harvard Crimson rowers Massachusetts Democrats Sheriffs of Suffolk County, Massachusetts Politicians from Boston 20th-century Massachusetts politicians