Denver, History of Colorado, BIOS: SULLIVAN, James J. (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II


p. 378-379



JAMES J. SULLIVAN.

	James J. Sullivan, active in the practice of law in Denver, was 
born in County Kerry, Ireland, March 1, 1875. His father, the late John 
Sullivan, was also a native of that county and was descended from a 
long line of Kerry ancestry. He followed agricultural pursuits, in 
which he met with a moderate measure of success, and during the '70s 
and early '80s he was very active in the Land League movement of 
Ireland, in which country he passed away in 1883, at the age of forty-
six years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Lynch, was also 
descended from one of the old families of County Kerry, Ireland. By her 
marriage she became the mother of twelve children, six sons and six 
daughters. Coming to the new world, she spent her last days in Holyoke, 
Massachusetts, where she passed away July 26. 1912, at the age of 
seventy-three years. She brought her family to the new world in 1884.

	James J. Sullivan was at that time a little lad of nine years and 
he was the ninth in order of birth in his mother's family. He became a 
resident of Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he pursued his education in 
the public and high schools to the age of fourteen years and then 
started out in the business world to provide for his own livelihood, 
since which time he has depended upon his own resources and is indeed a 
self-made man. His first employment was in a paper mill at Holyoke, 
Massachusetts, where he began work at a wage of a few dollars per week. 
That he was faithful and efficient is shown in the fact that he was 
there employed for three years, and while he was a high school pupil he 
began preparation for a professional career by entering the law office 
of Hon. Christopher T. Callahan, who is now judge of the superior court 
of Massachusetts, under whose direction he continued his reading until 
admitted to the bar in October, 1896. He was graduated from high school 
in June of that year and a few months later was admitted to practice, 
holding the record in the United States in that connection, for there 
is perhaps no other high school graduate who has passed a bar 
examination in the same year. After his admission to practice he 
entered into partnership with his former preceptor, Judge Callahan, and 
their connection was continued with mutual pleasure and profit until 
January, 1901, when Mr. Sullivan determined to try his fortune in the 
west and started for Colorado, with Denver as his destination. He 
arrived in this city on the 27th of January, 1901, and immediately 
entered upon active practice, in which he was associated for a short 
period with the firm of Patterson, Richardson & Hawkins, a very 
prominent law firm of that period. He afterward entered upon the 
private practice of law, in which he has since continued, and notable 
success has come to him as the years have passed by. He is a strong 
advocate with the jury and concise in his appeals before the court. He 
bases his arguments upon a thorough knowledge of and familiarity with 
precedent and presents a cause upon its merits, never failing to 
recognize the main point at issue and never neglecting to give a 
thorough preparation. His reading has never been confined to the 
limitations of the questions at issue but has gone beyond and compassed 
every contingency, providing not alone for the expected but for the 
unexpected as well, which happens in the courts quite as frequently as 
out of them. In addition to his logical grasp of facts and principles 
of the law applicable to them he displays remarkable clearness of 
expression and an adequate and precise diction which enables him to 
make others understand not only the salient points of his argument but 
his every fine gradation of meaning. He has pleasant association with 
professional colleagues and contemporaries through his membership in 
the American Bar Association, the Colorado State Bar Association and 
the Denver Bar Association and he is also a member of the state bars of 
both Massachusetts and of California. Outside the strict path of his 
profession he has some important business interests, being a director 
of a number of Colorado corporations, and his knowledge of corporation 
law is comprehensive and exact.

	On the 15th of December, 1914, Mr. Sullivan was married in Raton, 
New Mexico, to Miss Lillian E. Burns, a native of Massachusetts and a 
daughter of David and Emma Burns, both of whom have passed away. Mr. 
Sullivan gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is 
an active supporter of its principles but has never sought or desired 
public office. He stands loyally for all those interests which are of 
civic worth and he has membership in the Democratic Club. Fraternally 
he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the 
Knights of Pythias. For the past ten years he has been state vice 
president of the American Irish Historical Society, with headquarters 
in New York. He is much interested in historic and scientific 
investigation and research and is a broad-minded man who reads widely 
and thinks deeply, while at the same time he most carefully manages his 
professional affairs, his devotion to his clients' Interests being 
proverbial.