Charles P. Sullivan (February 3, 1886 – July 18, 1956) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life

Sullivan was born on February 3, 1886, in

Louisville, New York Louisville is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,145 at the 2010 census. The town is reportedly named after French king Louis XIV, but is pronounced as "Lewis-ville." The Town of Louisville is at the nor ...

, the son of Jeremiah and Mary Sullivan. His father was a farmer. Sullivan graduated from the Potsdam Normal School, after which he worked as a teacher for three years. He then went to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and attended the

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1913, after which he began practicing in New York City. Nine years later, he moved to

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the ...

and practiced law there. In 1922, Sullivan was elected to the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, representing the Queens County 4th District. He served in the Assembly in

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

. A year later, he was named counsel to the Queens County Clerk. In 1925, he was appointed a deputy assistant district attorney. Five years later, he became chief assistant prosecutor. In 1935, after District Attorney

Charles S. Colden Charles Senff Colden (June 3, 1885 – September 14, 1960) was an American lawyer and judge from New York. Life Colden was born on June 3, 1885, in Whitestone, New York, the son of David Colden and Harriet Brian. His father was a farmer who own ...

was appointed to the County Court, Governor

Herbert H. Lehman Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 194 ...

appointed Sullivan

Queens County District Attorney The District Attorney of Queens County is the elected district attorney for Queens County in New York State, coterminous with the New York City borough of Queens. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. ...

. He was then and elected and re-elected to the position several times. In 1936, a newspaper accused him of laxity in prosecuting a homicidal case, although Governor Lehman refused to supersede Sullivan as the paper demanded and he was re-elected to office in 1938. In the first six months of 1938, he led the city in percentage of felony convictions, with 88.32%. He was especially active in prosecuting gamblers in his later years. In 1951, he fell out of favor with James A. Roe, the leader of the Queens Democratic Party, and after failing to get the Democratic nomination for County Judge he formed an alliance with

Rudolph Halley Rudolph Halley (June 19, 1913 – November 19, 1956) was an attorney and politician from New York City. Early life and career Born in Harrison, New York and raised in the South Bronx, Halley graduated from Townsend Harris High School at age 14, ...

and unsuccessfully ran for re-election on the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

and independent ticket. Sullivan attended St. Andrew's

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

of Flushing. He was a member of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

and the

Fraternal Order of Eagles Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington, by a group of six theater owners including John Cort (the first president), brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry ...

. In 1918, he married Catherine O'Sullivan. Their children were Charles J., Honoria, and Lawrence. Sullivan died in

Flushing Hospital Flushing Hospital Medical Center (also known as Flushing Hospital) is one of the oldest hospitals in New York City. It survived a 1999 bankruptcy and subsequently affiliated first with the New York Presbyterian Hospital and then with the MediSys ...

on July 18, 1956. He was buried in Mount Saint Mary Cemetery in Flushing.

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Charles P. 1886 births 1956 deaths People from St. Lawrence County, New York State University of New York at Potsdam alumni New York Law School alumni 20th-century American lawyers Queens County (New York) District Attorneys People from Flushing, Queens Politicians from Queens, New York 20th-century American legislators Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Liberal Party of New York politicians Catholics from New York (state) Burials in New York (state)