Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards at Washington and Lee

History  |  Selection Process  |  Past Recipients  |  Contacts

History of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards were established by the New York Southern Society in 1925 in memory of Mr. Sullivan, a prominent lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist in New York in the late 19th century. The Society and carefully selected colleges and universities jointly arrange for the issue of medallions which are to be perpetual reminders of Algernon Sydney Sullivan, the memory of whose life has been handed down with loving and grateful admiration as one that was a continuous expression of those high qualities which ennoble and beautify living and bind man to man in mutual love and helpfulness. Such lives must ever be encouraging and inspiring; they justify our highest ideals and hopes.

Algernon Sydney Sullivan, born in Indiana in 1826, rose to success in New York City as a respected lawyer and a man who "reached out both hands in constant helpfulness" to others. After his death in 1887, the Society sought to honor him and the award bearing his name was established in 1925 by a Sullivan Memorial Committee and the New York Southern Society, which Mr. Sullivan had served as its first president. The award seeks to perpetuate the excellence of character and humanitarian service of Algernon Sydney Sullivan by recognizing and honoring such qualities in others. It was first presented in June 1925 at the George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, Tennessee, now a part of Vanderbilt University.

Funded by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation and administered by the New York Southern Society the awards stem from the Society's wish to establish a permanent reminder of the "noblest human qualities as expressed and followed in the life of its first president, Algernon Sydney Sullivan; and to do so in a manner which will perpetuate the influence of such a man, not so much as an individual but as a type." The prestigious awards are given only by selected "representative institutions." After the New York Southern Society closed its doors, the awards were continued by the Sullivan Foundation and grew to include more and more institutions throughout the South. Washington and Lee University has been recognizing Sullivan Award winners since 1927.

Mary Mildred Sullivan, Algernon Sullivan's wife, a Virginian, was likewise a person imbued with humanitarian spirit. In 1940, the New York Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which Mrs. Sullivan had helped establish and which she had been the first president, created the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award. It honors persons who demonstrate the "spirit of helpfulness and an awareness of the beauty and value of the intangible elements of life." In 1949, the Southern Society agreed to administer the award and did so until the Society went out of existence in 1973.

Since 1973 the Sullivan Foundation, formalized in the late 1920s by Mary Mildred Sullivan and her son, George, has administered both the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards and the Mary Mildred Sullivan Awards.

Washington and Lee  presents the Algernon Sydney Sullivan award to the undergraduate senior man and woman, as determined by a vote of the faculty, who exhibit Sullivan's ideals of heart, mind, and conduct as evidenced by a spirit of love for and helpfulness to others, who "excel in high ideals of living, in fine spiritual qualities, and in generous and unselfish service to others.  When the institution makes the Student Award, it appoints the recipient as its representative to bear its standard before the world."  The standards of Washington and Lee may be judged by the character of the individuals to whom the award is made.

Selection Process

Only undergraduate seniors are eligible for this award. The Dean of Student Affairs announces the beginning of the nomination process in early April, including a description of the qualities sought. At the May undergraduate faculty meeting, the names of the nominees are presented along with a brief synopsis of the students' accomplishments and activities, prepared by the Dean of Student Affairs from the nominations and other sources. The faculty votes by secret ballot for one man and one woman. The man and woman receiving a majority of votes cast are given the award.

Award recipients from Washington and Lee
 

June 7, 1927
 Robert Wilbur Simmons, B.A.

June 5, 1928
 Robert Fernald Howe, B.A.

June 4, 1929
 Joseph WcWhorter Holt,  LL.B.,  B.S. (1925)

June 3, 1930
 Edward Spencer Graves,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 John Philip Lynch Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 9, 1931
 James Hardy Dillard,  M.A. (l876),  B.L. (1877)

 Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.,  LL.B.,  B.S. (l929)

June 7, 1932
 Henry Donald Campbell (Dean of the University and Professor of Geology),  M.A. (l882),  Ph.D. (1885)

 Hartwell Leigh Williams Jr.,  B.S.

June 6, 1933
 Carl Brannon Vickers,  B.A.,  LL.B. (1934)

June 5, 1934
 Amos Alonzo Bolen,  B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude,  J.D. (1937)

 Manning Holland Williams,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 7, 1935
 Richard Thomas Edwards,  LL.B.,  B.A. (1933)

June 12, 1936
 Robert Lee Brickhouse,  B.A. - magna cum laude

 William Schuhle Jr.,  M.A.,  B.A. (1935)

June 11, 1937
 Latham Burrows Weber,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, Certificate in Journalism

June 10, 1938
 Harry Melvin Philpott,  B.A. - cum laude

June 9, 1939
 William Warner Brown,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 Edgar Finley Shannon Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 7, 1940
 Henry Taylor Wickham,  B.A. (1868)

 Augustus Lea Booth,  B.A. - cum laude

 William McClain Read,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 6, 1941
 Allen Thomas Snyder,  LL.B.,  B.S. (1939)

May 26, 1942
 Thomas Alonzo Clark,  B.S. - cum laude

 Daniel Curtis Lewis Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

May 19, 1943
 Corneal Bernard Myers Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude,  J.D. (1948)

 William Joseph Noonan Jr.,  B.S. - cum laude

April 29, 1944
 William Bell Guthrie,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

1945 - No award

1946 - No award

June 6, 1947
 Jon Raymond Rugel,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude (1948)

June 4, 1948
 Herbert Petrie Mitchell,  B.A.

June 10, 1949
 Granville Sumner Ridley Bouldin,  B.S. - cum laude,  J.D. (1951)

June 9, 1950
 Gordon Kennedy Jr.,  B.S.

June 8, 1951
 Donald Mayo Fergusson,  B.A. - cum laude

June 6, 1952
 Joseph Halstead McGee Jr.,  LL.B.,  B.A. (1950)

June 5, 1953
 William Melville Bailey,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude,  J.D. (1955)

June 4, 1954
 William Clifford Guthrie Jr.,  LL.B. - Order of the Coif, magna cum laude

 Katherine Jordan Moody

 Re-awarded to: William Melville Bailey,  B.S. (1953),  J.D. (1955)

June 5, 1955
 Watson Allen Bowes Jr.,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 8, 1956
 Sidmon Joel Kaplan,  B.A.

June 7, 1957
 Robert Day Miller,  B.A.

June 6, 1958
 William Richard Goodman Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

 John Gill Holland Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

June 5, 1959
 Samuel Henderson Adams Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 3, 1960
 Sandy Cole Marks Jr.,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 2, 1961
 John Malcolm Brownlee Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

June 8, 1962
 Raymond Robert Robrecht Jr.,  J.D. - cum laude,  B.A. (1959)

June 7, 1963
 Robert Meade Christian Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 5, 1964
 Paul Rodman Cockshutt Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

June 4, 1965
 Christopher McCallum Kell,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 3, 1966
 Charles Ganahl Walker III,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 2, 1967
 Robert Allen Brenner,  B.A.

June 7, 1968
 Jack William Chaffin,  B.S.

June 6, 1969
 John Ellsworth Passavant III,  B.S.

June 5, 1970
 Marvin Charles Henberg,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 4, 1971
 John Malcolm McCardell Jr.,  B.A. - cum laude

June 1, 1972
 Robert Eugene Munson Jr. (awarded posthumously),  Class of 1969

May 31, 1973
 Richard Homer Graham,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

May 30, 1974
 Floyd Wallace Lewis Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

May 29, 1975
 William Hathaway Sturges,  B.A. - cum laude

June 3, 1976
 Thomas Parker Hudgins Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

May 26, 1977
 Edward Terrell Atwood III,  B.S.

June 1, 1978
 Richard Wellhouse Stein,  B.A. - cum laude

June 7, 1979
 Harry Franklin Hoke III,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 5, 1980
 Jay Judah Blumberg,  B.A. - cum laude

June 4, 1981
 Robert Harold Willis Jr.,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 3, 1982
 James Franklin Williams,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 2, 1983
 John Christopher Vlahoplus,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

May 3l, 1984
 Tori Cliffon Anthony Richardson,  B.A. - cum laude

June 6, 1985
 Christopher Hale Williams,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 5, 1986
 John-Paul Bouffard,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 4, 1987
 Steven Frederick Pockrass,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 2, 1988
 John Michael Gorlowski,  B.S. - cum laude

June 1, 1989
 Marion McBride Herring,  B.S. - magna cum laude

June 7, 1990
 George Wesley Boyd,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

 Nancy Louise Hickam,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude,

June 6, 1991
 Willard Loring Dumas III,  B.A.

 Mary Regina Seeger Hampson,  B.A. - magna cum laude

June 4, 1992
 Sarah Elizabeth Briggs,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

 John Thomas Cox III,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 3, 1993
 Mary Jo Geyer,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 Philip Edward Spears,  B.A.

June 2, 1994
 Angie Lauren Carrington,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

 Patrick Francis McDermott,  B.A.

June 1, 1995
 Francie Lynn Cohen,  B.A.

 Joshua Andrew Cook,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 6, 1996
 Nova Ann Clarke,  B.A.

 S R Evans III,  B.A. & B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

May 8, 1997
 Elizabeth Hampton Cox,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 Anthony Joseph Mazzarelli,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 4, 1998
 Matthew Michael Graves,  B.A. - cum laude

 Mary Josephine Mahoney,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 3, 1999
 Jason Hahn,  B.A. - magna cum laude

 Sara McCrone,  B.A. & B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 1, 2000
 Renita Cherise Perkins,  B.S.

 Steven Charles Straub,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 7, 2001
 Jeffery Kenneth Cook,  B.A.

 Jennifer Ruth Strawbridge,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 6, 2002
 Stacy Lyn McLoughlin,  B.A. - magna cum laude

 Matthew Richard Petrusek,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 5, 2003
 Robert Earl Benson,  B.S. - magna cum laude

 Carroll Armour Thompson,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 3, 2004
 Austin Injae Kim,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 Joanna Traffley Perini,  B.A. - magna cum laude

June 2, 2005
 Tran Gia Kim, B.A.

 Jeremiah Daniel McWilliams,  B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 1, 2006
 Julian Ainsworth Ledford,  B.A. - magna cum laude

 Jessica Catherine Lloyd,  B.S. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

June 7, 2007
 Meghan Dana Joss, B.S. - magna cum laude

 Samuel Amasa Wilmoth, B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude

June 5, 2008
 Dane Ethan Boston, B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

 Alice Shih, B.A. - Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude

Contacts

At Washington and Lee University: 
Dr. Dawn Watkins, Dean of Student Affairs (nominations)
telephone: 540.458.8751
facsimile: 540.458.8155
   or 
Mr. Scott Dittman, University Registrar (comments or corrections on biography links)
telephone: 540.458.8455
facsimile: 540.458.8045

At the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation:
Dr. Allan E. Strand
520 College Hill Road
P. O. Box 2286
Oxford, Mississippi 38655
phone: 662.236.6335
facsimile: 662.236.0090