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Cornelius Joseph “Neil” Sullivan was
born Jun 28, 1930 in Newport, RI the fourth child of John Francis and Catherine
Gillies Sullivan. As a youngster, he enjoyed beaching, surfing, sailing and
tennis at this beautiful seaside city, and those activities became lifelong
favorites.
During World War II, Neil developed a strong desire to serve his country in the
military. His first military organization was his high school Junior Reserve
Officer Training Corps unit. He was a member of the drill team and became Cadet
Captain. Other high school activities included playing on the boys’ basketball
team, serving as class treasurer, and chairing the social committee. In his
senior year, he received an alternate appointment to West Point and successfully
completed all the entrance requirements, but the principal appointee went to
West Point, and Neil went to the University of Rhode Island. While there he
retook his congressman’s competitive exam for an academy appointment, placed
first, received a principal appointment and entered West Point with the class of
1954.
Beast Barracks and plebe year were difficult for Neil, who did not readily
conform to the system and its associated traditions. Nevertheless, with the help
of others, he moved on and became an above average cadet in both military
aptitude and academics. An Army career looked promising; however, a serious knee
injury left him somewhat gimpy, so he chose the Air Force and entered pilot
training after graduation.
After earning his pilot wings, Neil was assigned to the Military Air Transport
Service (MATS) in Charleston, SC as a transport pilot. Within eighteen months he
became a globally-qualified aircraft commander. In 1957, shortly after the
Soviets launched their Sputnik satellite, Neil was contacted by the Air Force
and asked to undertake graduate engineering studies. He accepted and was
assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology for two years, where he earned
a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Through a combination of experience
and examination, he also became a registered professional engineer in the State
of Ohio. His next assignment was to the Rome Air Development Center (RADC),
where he worked on the development of ground-based space defense systems. He
also continued his flying duties with RADC’s Flight Test Division, verifying the
concept and design of evolving military systems. Off duty Neil was active in
church activities, where he met a young lady named Lorraine who had similar
values and interests. Soon thereafter his bachelor days were over. For the next
three years, Neil continued his engineering and test pilot duties while his
spouse remained at home caring for the children with which they were being
blessed.
In 1964, NASA was seeking engineers to staff the new Manned Spacecraft Center
that was under construction in Houston, TX. The Space Agency offered Neil a
position there and the opportunity to work on the manned space program with the
eventual goal of landing a man on the moon. The offer was accepted and Neil
resigned from active duty and was simultaneously commissioned in the active Air
Force Reserves to fly with the Houston Air Force reserve unit. It was a
continuation of his dual role of engineering and flying. His civilian
engineering assignment was to manage the development of ground data systems used
by operational personnel to control manned spacecraft. Neil was recognized for
his contributions to the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle programs with several
superior performance awards and a distinguished service award. His Air Force
Reserve duties included flying disaster relief missions along the Gulf Coast,
airlifting soldiers to American cities to quell riots protesting the
assassinations and social injustices of the late sixties, as well as
transoceanic flights to Europe and the Far East in support of the Cold War and
the Vietnam conflict. Next, Neil was assigned as plans officer for the Central
Reserve Region. This role lead to his promotion to lieutenant colonel but made
him ineligible to remain on flying status. Shortly thereafter, Neil retired from
the active reserves and was placed in the ready reserves.
After the 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, the Sullivan Family
was transferred to Colorado Springs, where Neil managed unmanned military
satellite programs. While in Colorado, Neil and Lorraine had the satisfaction of
seeing their fifth and final child graduate from college. It was a long-term
goal accomplished. The parents provided, and the children performed.
Neil’s lifetime memberships in the West Point Association of Graduates, the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Military Officers
Association of America mirror his professional career as an officer and
engineer. Neil served his country and his family well and enjoyed doing so.
Be Thou at Peace |
