[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO AN ALASKAN PIONEER AND FATHER OF MODERN-DAY ANCHORAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 6, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an 
Alaskan Pioneer and father of modern-day Anchorage. Former long-term 
Anchorage Mayor George Murray Sullivan, 87, died September 23, 2009, 
surrounded by his family. A lifelong Alaskan, Sullivan was born on 
March 31, 1922, raised in Valdez, Alaska, where his father Harvey was 
the U.S. District Marshal and mother Viola was the first woman mayor in 
Alaska.
  Sullivan's life and leadership spanned the territorial days of Alaska 
through statehood. In the 1920s, the Sullivans lived in Valdez, a busy 
town in the first two decades of the 20th century that supported a 
bowling alley, several breweries, a dam and hydroelectric plant, the 
seat of the Territory of Alaska's Third Judicial District, a public 
library, hospital, and public school system. George had a wonderful 
life as a kid in Valdez, playing many sports, engaging in school 
activities, and helping at the family store.
  During World War II, Anchorage's population exploded from around 
8,000 to more than 43,000. In July, 1944, George was drafted into the 
U.S. Army for two years and was stationed at Adak in the Aleutian 
Islands. He married the love of his life, Margaret Eagan Sullivan, on 
December 30, 1947, and moved to Nenana. George was the U.S. deputy 
marshal and Margaret was the U.S. commissioner. Aptly, George would 
catch the criminals and Margaret would try them. In 1955, he was 
elected to the Fairbanks City Council. George took a job in management 
with Consolidated Freightways and in 1959 moved the family to 
Anchorage, where he lived for the next 50 years. From 1964 to 1965, 
George served in the Alaska Legislature, after being appointed by 
Governor Bill Egan to fill a vacancy, and soon after was elected to the 
Anchorage City Council. In 1967, he ran a successful race to become 
Anchorage mayor, a position he would hold for 15 years. In 1975, voters 
approved the unification of Anchorage's city and borough governments 
and elected George its mayor. The creation of the Municipality of 
Anchorage was an incredible undertaking. As mayor, George successful 
merged the duplicative departments, boards, and utilities into one 
government.
  Statehood in 1958 brought change but it was the oil boom that 
provided the resources for Anchorage to blossom into a modern day city. 
George and his administration had a vision of what Anchorage could 
become and were entrusted to direct the streaming State oil revenues 
toward improving and enhancing the city's quality of life for its 
residents. George helped secure State funding for the construction of 
the Egan Civic and Convention Center, Loussac Library, the Alaska 
Center for the Performing Arts, and the Sullivan Sports Arena. This 
moved Anchorage into being a modem and vibrant community.
  George finished as Mayor of Anchorage in 1982. For the past many 
years since, George has remained active in the community and state 
boards up until his illness in 2008. Through the years he was active on 
the Enstar board, AWWU, state PERS board, Anchorage Senior Center 
Endowment, TOTE Advisory Board, Military Advisory Board, Anchorage 
Wellness Court Alumni Group, Alaska Heart Association, Boys and Girls 
Clubs, and many more. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to 
make Anchorage a little better for those less fortunate or in need. He 
had a strong faith in the Roman Catholic Church and often assisted at 
Mass and in the church's organizations. He was a member of the Elks 
Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Pioneers of Alaska.
  George had an incredible love for the community and worked on many 
projects to enhance the quality of life for all who called Anchorage 
home. He was a true public servant and visionary who strived to make 
Anchorage a better community for future generations while he was mayor 
and during his retirement.
  George was a great Alaskan. George was my friend.

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