The CU Denver English Dept. mourns the passing of Emeritus Professor Mary Rose Sullivan. Professor Sullivan was a distinguished scholar of Victorian literature and a beloved member of the University of Colorado Denver Faculty. Professor Sullivan joined CU Denver after earning her PhD from Boston University and pursued expertise on Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, publishing various and contributing greatly to her field. She was a dedicated educator, having been admired for her intellect, generosity, and lifelong commitment to education. Prior to her academic career, she served in the U.S. Navy obtaining the rank of Captain and serving with distinction. She shared a historic distinction with her sister, Captain Elinor Sullivan, becoming the first sisters to serve in any Navy around the world. She lived a fulfilling life, living to the highest ideals as an academic and servicemember, and she will be dearly missed.
Below are memoriams from faculty and former student who had the privilege of knowing her:
Mary Rose Sullivan taught us to read and write critically and inspired us to learn.
She was one of the best professors I had in college; I would not have made it through my first year at UCD without her.
She was always accessible for office hours and generous with her time and helping us to understand literature and assignments. (Also, I remember our final tests were graded and available the next day… with numerous comments. Impressive.)
Mary Rose was my mentor, teacher, and friend. She was a great lady, and I will surely miss her presence in this world.
--Elaine Beemer, Former Student
We celebrate the life of Mary Rose Sullivan, one of the founding members of the UC Denver English Department.
Dr. Sullivan, a specialist in Victorian literature, was beloved by her students and as a mentor of young faculty members.
--Colleen Donnelly, Department of English
It is a pleasure to write a note in remembrance of Mary Rose Sullivan. I met her in 1986 and worked with her in the English Department until her retirement and her return to her beloved Boston, MA. Mary Rose was a Victorianist and taught the British novel, that of women authors from Jane Austen to George Eliot and beyond, but she favored the Brownings and maintained a scholarly interest in the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Both in the classroom and as a colleague, she was kind and considerate, always helpful and always willing to shoulder more than her fair share. But, having come to academia from a successful career in the military—she was a Captain in the U.S. Navy—she also maintained a no-nonsense efficiency and an ability to cut through the occasional meandering and repetitive departmental discussion. She will be missed.
--Bradford Mudge, Department of English
