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James Mark Sullivan

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James Mark Sullivan
United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
In office
September 23, 1913 – June 20, 1915
PresidentWoodrow Wilson
Preceded byWilliam W. Russell
Succeeded byWilliam W. Russell
Personal details
Born(1873-01-06)January 6, 1873
DiedAugust 15, 1935(1935-08-15) (aged 62)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.

James Mark Sullivan (January 6, 1873 – August 15, 1935)[1] was a lawyer and the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Santo Domingo under Woodrow Wilson. He was arrested in Dublin in 1916 for aiding the Irish rebellion.[2][3]

Biography

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He was born in Kerry, Ireland on January 6, 1873. He emigrated to the United States with his family when he was a boy and he became a lawyer and prize fight promoter there.[4][5] He married Ellen O'Mara in 1910.[6]

In March 1916, along with his wife,[7][6] he and Henry M. Fitzgibbon founded the Film Company of Ireland.[4] In 1919 his son caught typhoid and Ellen caught the disease and died. The film company ended the following year once the three films in production had been completed.[7]

He served during turbulent times in the history of the Dominican Republic and was recalled to Washington at least once because "his services have not been wholly satisfactory".[8] He was appointed August 12, 1913 and left the post on June 20, 1915.[1]

Sullivan was mistakenly reported as dead in August 1920 by several American newspapers, including the Hartford Courant, which published his obituary on the front page of its August 24 issue and eulogized him as "the diplomat of the tropics" and the man "who originated shirtsleeve statesmanship" for his work as the U.S. minister to the Dominican Republic.[9] Three days later, the Courant printed a correction and informed people that "The report this week originated in the 'New Haven Journal-Courier.'" [10] Fifteen years to the month later, the Courant gave the report of his actual death and eulogized him as being "recalled throughout Connecticut tonight as one of the most colorful figures ever a part of the state's history."[11]

He was a friend of Michael Collins.[12] He died in St. Petersburg, Florida on August 15, 1935.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b "James Mark Sullivan (1873-1935)". United States Department of State. Retrieved 22 August 2009. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Dominican Republic). Appointed: August 12, 1913. Presentation of Credentials: September 23, 1913. Termination of Mission: Left post June 20, 1915.
  2. ^ a b "James Sullivan, Ex-diplomat, Dead. New York Lawyer Served Two Years as Minister to Santo Domingo Under Wilson". New York Times. 17 August 1935. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  3. ^ Sedgwick, Hubert M (18 August 1935). "Sullivan Had Rapid Rise To Success". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  4. ^ a b Rockett, Kevin; Gibbons, Luke; Hill, John (21 January 2014). Cinema and Ireland. Routledge. ISBN 9781317928577.
  5. ^ Woodrow Wilson And The Progressive Era 1910-1917 by Arthur S. Link p.97
  6. ^ a b Johnson, Veronica (2 March 2021). "The Limerickwoman who was one of Ireland's film pioneers". RTE Brainstorm. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Ellen O'Mara Sullivan – Women Film Pioneers Project". wfpp.columbia.edu. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Santo Domingo and Hayti". The Independent. 13 July 1914. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Sullivan, 'Diplomat of Tropics," Is Dead", Hartford Courant, August 24, 1920, p1
  10. ^ "Report J. M. Sullivan Still Alive in Ireland", Hartford Courant, August 24, 1920, p4
  11. ^ "James M. Sullivan Dies in Florida", Hartford Courant, August 17, 1935, p1
  12. ^ Rockett, Kevin; Gibbons, Luke; Hill, John (21 January 2014). Cinema and Ireland. Routledge. ISBN 9781317928577.