Frank Sullivan Collection, bulk 1913 - 1976

Summary

Creator:
Saratoga Room Staff
Abstract:
The Frank Sullivan Collection reflects the life of author and humorist, Frank Sullivan, beginning with content on his ancestry, continuing through his professional life, and concluding with his death, remembrances, and the exhibits and programs celebrating his life. The collection consists of articles written by Sullivan, newspaper articles featuring Sullivan, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera.
Extent:
1 box
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This is an artificial collection brought together by the staff at the SSPL combining several donations from a variety of sources, most unknown. The collection includes copies of newspaper articles, articles written by Frank Sullivan, correspondence, photographs, ephemera, and Sullivan family genealogy. The contents of this collection are arranged first by subject, then chronologically.

Frank Sullivan donated his professional papers to Cornell University. They are available for viewing in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections of the Cornell University Library. He donated his personal papers to the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

Biographical / historical:

Frank Sullivan was born on September 22, 1892, in Saratoga Springs, New York, to Dennis and Katherine Shea Sullivan. He attended Cornell University and graduated in 1914, and began his writing career working for The Saratogian for $7 a week. Sullivan was drafted in 1917, and upon his discharge, he moved to New York City and began to flourish as a writer, working for both the Herald and the World. After the World folded, Sullivan returned to Saratoga Springs where he remained for the rest of his life.

As his career progressed, Sullivan wrote articles for a number of publications, including the New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and the Atlantic Monthly. In 1931, Sullivan joined the staff of the The New Yorker as a writer. His prominent features included his satire character, Mr. Arbuthnot, the Cliché Expert, and his annual Christmas poem “Greetings Friends!” Sullivan also wrote a few books, including The Life and Times of Martha Hepplethwaite (1926), The Night the Old Nostalgia Burned Down (1953), and the children’s book A Moose in the Hoose (1959).

Sullivan was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a collection of Saratoga’s humorists who met periodically at the Algonquin Hotel to share ideas and stories. On December 1, 1959, a dinner was held at the Worden honoring Sullivan. He received an honorary degree of doctor of humane letters by Skidmore College in 1967. In addition, he was honored at the Saratoga Springs Public Library for the addition of the community meeting rooms, and was named honorary chairman of the committee for library development. His memory has continued since his death, as the Saratoga Springs Public Library has hosted programs remembering Frank Sullivan, as well as developed an online exhibit.

Sullivan died February 19, 1976, at age 83, in Saratoga Springs hospital. He is buried in the St. Peter’s Cemetery in Saratoga.

To learn more, visit Frank Sullivan, The Sage of Saratoga, available on the Saratoga Room Digital Exhibits: https://digitalarchive.sspl.org/exhibits/show/sage

Access and use

Restrictions:

Items in this collection may be subject to Copyright Laws.

Terms of access:

Items may only be used in the Saratoga Room.

Location of this collection:
49 Henry Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
518-584-7860