Reginald Noël Sullivan (December 25, 1890 – September 15, 1956) was a wealthy American concert singer,

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

, and

patron of the arts Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

, who is remembered for entertaining performers, artists and writers in his opulent residence on

Hyde Street Hyde Street is an iconic street in San Francisco, California. Hyde Street connects the Aquatic Park Historic District to Market Street Market Street may refer to: *Market Street, Cambridge, England *Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Aus ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. He befriended many African Americans, providing support for their welfare.

Early life and education

Born in San Francisco on 25 December 1890, Noël Sullivan was the son of Alice Phelan and Francis "Frank" J. Sullivan whose father, the Irish immigrant John Sullivan, had arrived in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1844. He was given the name Noël (French for Christmas) as he had been born on Christmas Day. He was the nephew of

James D. Phelan James Duval Phelan (April 20, 1861 – August 7, 1930) was an American politician, civic leader, and banker. He served as nonpartisan Mayor of San Francisco from 1897 to 1902. As mayor he advocated municipally run utilities and tried to protect ...

who was a banker and politician serving as mayor of San Francisco and Senator. Sullivan was brought up in an affluent, influential home, attending first St. Ignatius College and then

Santa Clara College Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mis ...

. Although not academically inclined, he was interested in music, developing his singing talents abroad and performing as an amateur singer. For a time, he had a home in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served with the American Field Service as an ambulance driver. During this period, he wrote a number of letters to his aunt, Mary Louise Phelan (1896–1930).

Adult life

Following serious problems with his father's health, in 1925 Sullivan returned to San Francisco to take care of him in the family home on 2323 Hyde Street. The house had initially been acquired by his mother for the Carmelite nuns who later moved to Santa Clara. He lived in the house for many years, frequently entertaining friends from the world of art and literature. He developed an excellent relationship with his household staff, most of whom were African Americans. These included his housekeeper, his cook, and his chauffeur. He later was a supporter of

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

. In the early 1930s, Noël supported the music scene in San Francisco, gaining a reputation as an adept amateur concert singer. As chairman of the California branch of the American League to Abolish Capital Punishment, he also campaigned vigorously for the abolition of

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. As a result of depressed markets in the 1930s, Sullivan increasingly experienced financial difficulties despite being an heir of his wealthy uncle, the politician

, who died in 1930. Sullivan had a 30-year-long romantic friendship with actor Ramon Novarro (1899–1968). At Senator Phelan's funeral, Sullivan accompanied Navorro, who sang, on the organ.

Richard Halliburton Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900 – Declared death in absentia, presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writing, travel writer and adventurer who swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowest toll in its hi ...

, a family friend, was in attendance. Sullivan maintained close relationships to his family. After the death of his married sister Gladys S. Doyle in 1933, he helped bring up her five children. As a result of his strong affection for his sister Ada, a Carmelite nun known as Agnes of Jesus, he provided support for the monasteries in Santa Clara,

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

while establishing an additional community in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

. From 1939, Sullivan lived in Hollow Hills Farms in Carmel Valley where he continued to entertain his artistic friends as well as participating in the

Carmel Bach Festival The Carmel Bach Festival (CBF) began in 1935 as a four-day series of concerts at the Sunset School Auditorium and the Carmel Mission Basilica. Over the years, it grew to a three-week series of concerts, recitals, master classes, lectures, and open ...

s. He also played the organ at the

Carmel Mission Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo, or Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Catholic mission churches in California. Located at the mouth of Carmel Valley, Californ ...

and headed the Carmel Music Society. Sullivan died of a heart attack in Carmel Valley on 15 September 1956.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Noel 1890 births 1956 deaths Singers from San Francisco American patrons of the arts 20th-century American singers 20th-century American philanthropists