Michael David Sullivan (December 2, 1938 – February 27, 2000)Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, "Justice Sullivan, 61, dead", ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' (February 28, 2000), p. 1A, 3A. was a justice of the

Supreme Court of Mississippi The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in the first constitution of the state following its admission as a State of the Union in 1817 and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appe ...

from 1984 until his death in 2000. Sullivan was appointed by Mississippi governor Bill Allain in 1984 and reelected. Leslie Southwick
Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996
18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997-1998). From 1975 until his Supreme Court appointment he was a chancery court judge. Born in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

, Sullivan received a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

, followed by a J.D. from

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, "and a master of law in judicial process from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

". In 1960, he enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, where he remained until 1963, stationed on the USS ''Mitscher''. Sullivan was serving as a chancery judge for the tenth district of Mississippi when he was named to the state supreme court on February 16, 1984. Sullivan married Nancy Ezelle Sullivan, with whom he had two children, David Paul and Rachel Michel. They divorced, and then he married Catherine Carter Sullivan, with whom he had two children, Margaret Elizabeth and Sarah Catherine. A portrait of him by Bill Wilson was commissioned for the Mississippi Supreme Court. Sullivan ran unopposed for reelection to the seat in the November 1984 election.Jack Ryan, "Voters Decide Tuesday", ''McComb Enterprise-Journal'' (November 4, 1984), p. 1. Sullivan died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

at his home in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Michael D. 1938 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American judges People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi University of Southern Mississippi alumni Tulane University Law School alumni Lawyers from Jackson, Mississippi Deaths from lung cancer in Mississippi Justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court