Robert James Sullivan Jr. papers

Robert “Bobby” James Sullivan Jr. was born on November 18, 1937 in Harrisonburg, Virginia and was the eldest son of the late Robert J. Sullivan Sr. and Goldie Liskey Sullivan. He passed away on February 4, 2013. Sullivan graduated from Harrisonburg High School in 1956 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount St. Mary’s College in 1960 and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. He married Kathleen Marie Donovan on June 27, 1964.

Sullivan was the City Planner for the city of Harrisonburg from 1965-1991 during the years that saw Urban Redevelopment for parts of the city as well as growth through annexation. He also taught as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science for James Madison University from 1970-2006. See folder titled “Background Information, Robert J. Sullivan, Jr., August 1998” from the Personal Papers series for details of his life and career.

Known locally as the “unofficial historian” of Harrisonburg, Sullivan often spoke to groups about the history of Harrisonburg. He was responsible for creating walking tours of downtown Harrisonburg first with his JMU Political Science classes, and later with the larger community.

Sullivan was a life-long member of Blessed Sacrament parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the Rockingham Public Library Board and the Salvation Army Advisory Board for over thirty years. He was especially fond of the Harrisonburg High School athletic teams and was recognized as the Harrisonburg Blue Streaks biggest fan when he was inducted into the Harrisonburg High School Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 2008.