A native of Massachusetts, but a resident of Newport since his childhood, Mr. Sullivan has been engaged in the successful practice of law in this city for almost a quarter of a century. His professional standing is of the highest and, to an unusual degree, he enjoys the confidence of the community in general, a fact evidenced by his long continuous service as city solicitor, to which office he has been regularly reelected since the expiration of his first term dating back to 1910.
Jeremiah A. Sullivan was born at Fall River, Massachusetts, August 3, 1881, a son of the late Timothy and Catherine (Harrington) Sullivan. Both his parents, now deceased, were natives of County Cork, Ireland, from which they came to this country in their early youth. His father was a blacksmith and for thirty-five years and until his death was connected with the Newport Torpedo Station. Mr. Sullivan received his early education in St. Joseph’s Parochial School, Newport, and then took up the study of law at Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1905. Admitted to the Rhode Island bar in 1906, he established himself in the practice of law in Newport, and since then he has continued in this profession with marked success. At the early age of twenty-eight, in 1910, he was elected city solicitor of Newport. He has filled this responsible office so capably and so entirely to the satisfaction of his fellow-citizens that he has been reelected to the office and today (1931) still occupies it. His long record of continuous service in the same public office, is rather unusual but stands as proof of how greatly he enjoys the confidence of the community and how closely he has devoted himself to the public interests. During the World War Mr. Sullivan served as a four-minute speaker and also as government appeal agent under the Selective Service Act. In politics he is a staunch supporter of the Democratic party, in the work of which he has been prominently active for many years. For eighteen years he has been a member of the Democratic City Committee and for ten years of the Democratic State Central Committee. Fraternal affairs, too, have received much of his time and attention and he is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of Division No. 1, of which, he was president for five years; Newport Council, Knights of Columbus, of which he is a Past Grand Knight and District Deputy; Newport Lodge, No. 104, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Royal Arcanum; and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Mr. Sullivan is very fond of golf, in which sport he frequently indulges at the Wanumetonomy Golf Club, of which he is a past president. His religious affiliation is with St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church of Newport.
Mr. Sullivan married Lucinda Albro Manchester, a native of Providence. Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan make their home in Newport, and Mr. Sullivan’s offices are located in the City Hall Building.
Source: Carroll, Charles. Rhode Island: Three Centuries of Democracy, vol 3 of 4. New York: Lewis historical Pub. Co., 1932.