Michael Augustin Sullivan (August 13, 1879 – June 7, 1937) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the Massachusetts Land Court.

Early life

Sullivan was born on August 13, 1879, in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...

. He graduated from

Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...

in 1897,

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 ...

in 1901, and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1903.

Legal career

Sullivan was admitted to the bar in 1903 and practiced in Lawrence and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 1915 he was appointed District Attorney of

Essex County, Massachusetts Essex County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the stat ...

by Governor

David I. Walsh David Ignatius Walsh (November 11, 1872June 11, 1947) was an American politician from Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the state's 46th governor before winning election to several terms in the United States Senate, b ...

to fill the vacancy caused by Henry C. Atwill's election as

Massachusetts Attorney General The Massachusetts attorney general is an elected constitutionally defined executive officer of the Massachusetts government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder ...

. He was defeated

Louis Cox Louis Sherburne Cox (November 22, 1874 – May 12, 1961) was a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from November 10, 1937, to January 12, 1944. He was appointed by Governor Charles F. Hurley. Biography Born in Manchester, New Ha ...

58% to 37% in the special election to complete Atwill's term. Sullivan was a delegate to the 1917 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention and the

1928 Democratic National Convention The 1928 Democratic National Convention was held at Sam Houston Hall in Houston, Texas, June 26–28, 1928. The keynote speaker was Claude G. Bowers. The convention resulted in the nomination of Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York for ...

. In 1936, Sullivan was appointed to the Massachusetts Land Court by Governor

James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston between 1914 and 1955. Curley ran for mayor in every election for which he ...

. He remained on the bench until his death on June 7, 1937.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Michael A. 1879 births 1937 deaths District attorneys in Essex County, Massachusetts Harvard College alumni Harvard Law School alumni Massachusetts Democrats Judges of the Massachusetts Land Court Members of the 1917 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention Phillips Academy alumni Politicians from Lawrence, Massachusetts