Joseph B. and Margaret E. Sullivan Law Scholarship

Joseph R. Sullivan was born on June 20, 1880, in O’Neil, Nebraska. He received his Bachelor of Art degree from Creighton University and was valedictorian of his class in 1904. He received his LL.B. degree from Creighton and began his law practice in Laramie in 1910 and continued until the day of his death. For almost half a century he was engaged in the practice of law in Laramie, Wyoming, and during that period he rose from a struggling young lawyer to a position of leadership among the members of the Bar of the State of Wyoming. He was a member of the Albany County and Wyoming Bar Associations and served as president of each. During his career he engaged in the general practice of law and served many clients. He was courteous, earnest, had a desire for justice and was highly respected by the Bench, the Bar and the public. He accepted his responsibilities and performed his duties with diligence. He was active in the community life and participated in the social, religious and civic affairs of his community. He had a friendly and sympathetic attitude and a sense of humor. He was a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1913 to 1915 and 1917 to 1919. He served as County Commissioner, County Attorney, City Attorney and Municipal Court judge. In 1957 he was awarded the Lions Club-Daily Boomerang Award for outstanding community service, the citation being as follows: “For forty-seven years of active participation in Laramie civic affairs you have been chosen as the outstanding citizen of the year.”