Sullivan, Robert James Jr. Papers, ca. 1930-2013 *JMU Faculty Papers*

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

Title: Robert James Sullivan Jr. Papers, ca.1930-2013, bulk 1960-1999

Collection No.: SC 0003
Creator: Robert James Sullivan Jr.

Extent:12 boxes, 4 flat files; 8.53 cubic feet

Language: English

Abstract: The Robert James Sullivan Jr. Papers consist of professional and personal records and reports, and document Sullivan's time as City Planner of Harrisonburg from 1965-1991, his career in the Political Science Department at James Madison University, and work as the “unofficial historian” of Harrisonburg. Materials include city planning reports, newspaper articles, photographs, scrapbooks, and maps.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions: The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Robert James Sullivan Jr. Papers, ca.1930-2013, SC 0003, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Acquisition Information: The collection was donated by Kathleen Sullivan, wife of Robert James Sullivan Jr., in two separate donations in April 2014 and August 2015.
Other Formats Available: Materials within the Photographs and Slides series have been digitized and are available via JMU Scholarly Commons. See link below in the series listing.
Processing Information: When this collection was received from the donor, some materials had been wet and suffered from mold damage. Materials with excessive water damage or mold were photocopied and the originals discarded.

Bio/Historical Note:
Robert “Bobby” James Sullivan Jr. was born on November 18, 1937 in Harrisonburg, Virginia and was the eldest son of the late Robert J. Sullivan Sr. and Goldie Liskey Sullivan. He passed away on February 4, 2013. Sullivan graduated from Harrisonburg High School in 1956 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount St. Mary’s College in 1960 and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. He married Kathleen Marie Donovan on June 27, 1964.

Sullivan was the City Planner for the city of Harrisonburg from 1965-1991 during the years that saw Urban Redevelopment for parts of the city as well as growth through annexation. He also taught as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science for James Madison University from 1970-2006. See folder titled “Background Information, Robert J. Sullivan, Jr., August 1998” from the Personal Papers series for details of his life and career.

Known locally as the “unofficial historian” of Harrisonburg, Sullivan often spoke to groups about the history of Harrisonburg. He was responsible for creating walking tours of downtown Harrisonburg first with his JMU Political Science classes, and later with the larger community.

Sullivan was a life-long member of Blessed Sacrament parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the Rockingham Public Library Board and the Salvation Army Advisory Board for over thirty years. He was especially fond of the Harrisonburg High School athletic teams and was recognized as the Harrisonburg Blue Streaks biggest fan when he was inducted into the Harrisonburg High School Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 2008.

Scope and Content:
The Robert James Sullivan Jr. Papers consists of materials that Sullivan created and collected relating mostly to the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he served as the City Planner from 1965-1991. The collection contains documents related to city planning, the history and expansion of Harrisonburg, and urban renewal. Other materials document his time in the Political Science Department at James Madison University as well as the walking tours he led of downtown Harrisonburg. His personal papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, and other documents relating to his life and career. Also contained in the collection are a large number of photographs and slides that Sullivan took that capture the growth and changes in Harrisonburg over time. Images of note include a panoramic view of Harrisonburg ca. 1930, photos and slides that document urban renewal projects, and images of downtown Harrisonburg, VA from the 1960s-2000s.

Arrangement: This collection is arranged in the following seven series and subseries. All series and subseries arranged chronologically.

Series 1: Reports, 1946-1992, undated
Subseries 1.1: City Planning Commission Annual Reports, 1966-1981
Subseries 1.2: Urban Planning Grants, 1965-1966
Subseries 1.3: Miscellaneous City Planning Reports, 1946-1992, undated
Series 2: City of Harrisonburg, 1958-2012, undated
Subseries 2.1: City Planning, 1960-2012, undated
Subseries 2.2: Harrisonburg History, 1958-2008, undated
Series 3: Personal Papers, 1952-2013, undated
Series 4: Newspaper, 1945-2012, undated
Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1955-1966
Series 6: Maps, 1958-2003, undated
Series 7: Photographs and Slides, ca. 1930-2012, undated
Subseries 7.1: Photographs, ca. 1930-2012, undated
Subseries 7.2: Slides, ca. 1965-1988, undated

Related Material: SdArch no.2-3 : Oral history interview [sound recording] / Bob Sullivan ; interviewed by Amy Accles, forms part of Court Square, Harrisonburg, Virginia, an oral history project. Transcript also available in Special Collections and the general collection: F234.H31 A29 1990

The Harrisonburg, VA branch of the Massanutten Regional Library holds 36 scrapbooks created by Sullivan from the years 1965-2001. These scrapbooks are cataloged under the title “Harrisonburg Civic Scrapbook.”

Contents:

Series 1: Reports, 1946-1992, undated
Arranged into three subseries: City Planning Commission Annual Reports, 1966-1981, Urban Planning Grants, 1965-1966, and Miscellaneous Reports, 1946-1999. Arranged chronologically within each series.

Subseries 1.1: City Planning Commission Annual Reports, 1966-1981, contains a continuous run of annual reports for the City Planning Commission from 1965 through 1981. These annual reports include planning commission highlights and monthly summaries of activities. The 1965-1966 report notes that Robert J. Sullivan, Jr. took over the duties of Planning Director on October 1, 1965.

Subseries 1.2: Urban Planning Grants, 1965-1966, contains reports prepared under the contract for the Local Planning Section: Department of Conservation and Economic Development, State of Virginia. The preparation of these reports was funded in part through an urban planning grant from the Housing and Home Finance Agency. The reports contain analysis of various aspects of the city of Harrisonburg, including population statistics and information pertaining to residential neighborhoods and the downtown area. These Urban Planning Grants also include a 1966 comprehensive plan for development over the following twenty years as well as a summary report of that plan. These reports were office copies that belonged to Robert James Sullivan, Jr. and have his name written on the cover. Because of excessive mold on these reports, all items from this subseries have been photocopied and originals discarded.

Subseries 1.3: Miscellaneous City Planning Reports, 1946-1992, undated, contains various other reports that relate to city planning in Harrisonburg or city planning in general. Two reports relate to city planning in Norfolk, VA from the 1940s and 1950s and document urban renewal or “slum clearance” efforts there. Box 1 folder 27 contains an outline of the history of City Planning in Harrisonburg, beginning with the establishment of the Planning Commission in March, 1938. The report titled Harrisonburg: “The City with the Planned Future,” contains a detailed history of the founding and growth of Harrisonburg, including population statistics and documentation of land annexation as well a listing of the members of City Council from 1849-2006.