Francis O'Sullivan
Francis O'Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| File:Capt. O'Sullivan 1944 Oak Ridge (15290932778).jpg O'Sullivan at Oak Ridge in 1944 | |
| Born | December 2, 1911 Lake Providence, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2003 (aged 91) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | United States Army Corps of Engineers Manhattan District |
| Awards | Howland Wood Memorial Award (1972) |
| Spouse(s) | Marie Rieschl |
| Children | Terry, Robert, and Marcia |
Francis "Frank" O'Sullivan (December 2, 1911 – June 4, 2003) was an American Army Corps of Engineers officer and Texas numismatist. He served with the Manhattan District during World War II, designed the unit's shoulder-sleeve insignia, and later retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel.
Early life and education
O'Sullivan was born on December 2, 1911, in Lake Providence, Louisiana, and grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he completed his early education. Local coverage in The Vicksburg Evening Post in late 1929 described him as a popular figure within the community.[1] He attended St. Aloysius College, graduating with the class of 1929, before moving to San Antonio, Texas, to attend St. Mary's University.[2][3]
During the 1929–1930 academic year, O'Sullivan was a student at St. Mary's and worked as a reporter on the editorial staff of the university's student-run newspaper, The Rattler, which listed him as a member of the class of 1933.[4] He maintained a strong academic record, earning placement on the university's honor roll, including achieving high honors in February 1930.[5][6]
A March 1930 story in The Rattler referred to him as "the genial gentleman from Mississippi" and noted that he had acquired the nickname "Vicksboig Viper," a phonetic play on his hometown and regional accent.[7] In September 1930, O'Sullivan returned to St. Mary's University for his sophomore year.[2]
Military career
O'Sullivan began his wartime career as a civilian employee of the United States Army Corps of Engineers before enlisting in the U.S. Army. After graduating from the engineering school at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, he was assigned to military camouflage operations, which included flying over installations near New Orleans, Louisiana, to evaluate their concealment from aerial observation. In late 1942, he was transferred to the Manhattan District, the Corps of Engineers segment tasked with managing the construction phase of the Manhattan Project.[3]
By early 1943, O'Sullivan held the rank of lieutenant and relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife, Marie Rieschl O'Sullivan.[9][10] He was stationed at the Clinton Engineering Works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he was placed in charge of coordinating construction contractors on-site under a "Q" security clearance.[3] While serving with the Manhattan District, O'Sullivan drafted the design for its official shoulder-sleeve insignia, which was formally approved in 1945.[11]
His wartime assignments included temporary duty at the Hanford Engineering Works in Washington and atomic research facilitation at the University of Chicago. During an assignment to Chicago, he was temporarily detained at a local airport by military police for traveling in civilian clothing while carrying military credentials, though he was released upon presenting his classified orders.[3]
Following the D-Day invasion in June 1944, O'Sullivan deployed to Germany to assist in identifying facilities and personnel involved with the Axis powers' nuclear programs. Following the cessation of hostilities and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, he was dispatched to Japan to evaluate the physical destruction and radiation effects, visiting the affected sites shortly after the detonations occurred.[3]
A June 1946 Manhattan District directory recorded his permanent address in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and noted his highest wartime rank within the district as captain.[12] O'Sullivan later retired from the United States Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel, settling permanently in San Antonio, Texas.[3]
Numismatics
O'Sullivan joined the American Numismatic Association (ANA) in 1962 and became an active member of the Texas Numismatic Association (TNA) and several regional coin clubs in the San Antonio area. In 1964, he served as the general chairman of the Greater San Antonio Coin Convention and received the first annual Kalvert K. Tidwell Literary Award for the best article published in the TNA News.[3][13]
As a competitive exhibitor, he participated in regional and national conventions, including the ANA's 1965 convention in Houston. At the 1965 TNA convention, he delivered a presentation on classical depictions of women on ancient coinage.[3]
In 1970, the TNA established the Frank O'Sullivan Classical Numismatic Award to recognize the best ancient-numismatic exhibit at its annual conventions. The award focused on material spanning from the dawn of coinage through the end of the Byzantine Empire. The inaugural award was presented at the 1970 convention in Houston to Wilson Baker for his exhibit titled Classical Numismatics.[14][15]
At the ANA's 81st annual convention in New Orleans in 1972, O'Sullivan won the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-of-Show Exhibit for his display titled Great Rarities in Ancient Bronze.[3]
Convention organization and medal designs
O'Sullivan served as the general chairman of the 10th annual TNA convention, held in San Antonio from June 17 to 19, 1968. He designed a commemorative set of three medals for the event, which marked the 250th anniversary of San Antonio and the 150th anniversary of the historical San Antonio Mint.[16][17] The 1968 convention featured a mobile printing demonstration of U.S. currency by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing alongside a high-denomination currency display known as the "Billion Dollar Exhibit".[17]
In 1985, O'Sullivan served as chairman of the medal committee for the ANA's 7th Midwinter Convention in San Antonio. He designed the convention's commemorative medal, which depicted the historical Garza Mint established in 1818 during Spanish colonial rule. The medal was struck by the Medallic Art Company.[18]
Collecting history
O'Sullivan's collecting focus initially centered on ancient coins, inspired by his military deployments to Europe and North Africa. Over several decades, he built a specialized library on ancient history and numismatics and became recognized for his expertise in coin attribution. His collection of Roman portrait bronzes was noted as one of the most comprehensive assemblages of its type.[13]
The Roman portrait bronze collection was dispersed in a February 1986 auction managed by Joel L. Malter.[19] O'Sullivan was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 1990.[13] In his later life, he shifted his focus to gold coinage, attempting to assemble a collection representing every historical issuing authority that had struck gold coins across ancient, medieval, and modern eras. This gold collection was sold posthumously at a Goldberg auction in 2011.[13]
Personal life
O'Sullivan married Marie Rieschl (1915–2009) and had three children: Terry, Robert, and Marcia.[10] He died on June 4, 2003, in San Antonio, Texas, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.[10]
References
- ↑ "Here from College". The Vicksburg Evening Post. December 24, 1929. p. 2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Francis O'Sullivan Leaving for College". The Vicksburg Evening Post. September 11, 1930. p. 3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Smith, Pete (October 2018). "The Secret Life of Frank O'Sullivan". The Numismatist. Vol. 131 no. 10. pp. 39–41.
- ↑ "Editorial Staff". The Rattler. XI (11). March 14, 1930. p. 2.
- ↑ "Mid-Semester Grades Issued Students". The Rattler. XI (5). December 10, 1929. p. 1.
- ↑ "Honor Roll". The Rattler. XI (9). February 12, 1930. p. 1.
- ↑ "Freshman Fodder". The Rattler. XII (12). March 28, 1930. p. 4.
- ↑ "Manhattan Project Patch". American Museum of Science and Energy.
- ↑ "Knoxville's Newcomers Brought Here Because of Government Projects". The Knoxville Journal. February 7, 1943. p. 17.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Marie Rieschl O'Sullivan". Find a Grave.
- ↑ "Zava Cited Military Personnel At Oak Ridge". Victoria Dispatch. 41 (30). August 31, 1945. p. 1.
- ↑ "Office Directory, Manhattan District, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 30 June 1946". National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "The Lt. Col. Ret. Frank O'Sullivan Collection of World Gold Coins". Pre-Long Beach Sale: Ancient and World Coins and Currency. Ira and Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles. 2011. Search this book on
- ↑ "Two Special Awards for TNA Exhibitors". TNA News. Vol. XI no. 3. March 1970. p. 8.
- ↑ ""4 Islands Ho" Best-In-Show". TNA News. Vol. XI no. 9. September 1970. p. 21.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedAlmanzar's1977 - ↑ 17.0 17.1 Metzger, Bob (October 1993). "Remembering a Past Convention (an introduction)". TNA News. Vol. XXXIII no. 5. pp. 11–14.
- ↑ "Convention Badge Depicts Colonial Texas Mint". The Numismatist. Vol. 98 no. 2. February 1985. p. 291.
- ↑ Kroh, Dennis (February–March 1987). "NY International Convention Draws Large Crowds". The Celator. Vol. 1 no. 1. p. V.
Category:1911 births Category:2003 deaths Category:People from Lake Providence, Louisiana Category:People from San Antonio, Texas Category:People from Vicksburg, Mississippi Category:Manhattan Project people Category:United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:American numismatists Category:Howland Wood Memorial Award winners
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