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247:'s birth control clinics, leading to protests. (Sanger herself was not arrested, but she accompanied her doctors and nurses to the police station). On May 11, 1929, Sullivan was demoted from director of the Women's Bureau and made assistant to the new director. She said she believed it was unrelated. The New York City Federation of
228:
In April 1926 she was made head of the Women's Bureau at the department (the first time a woman headed such a department in the U.S.) and elevated to the rank of lieutenant, the first woman to achieve this rank in the NYPD. In this position she supervised 75 other women. By 1929 this number had grown
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Sullivan took the exam to join the police in March 1911 with hundreds of others. She was confused by many of the questions, but soon found out she had gotten the fifth highest score on the test, and was offered a job. When she joined the force on June 2, 1911 at the West 47th Street station it was as
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However, Sullivan continued her good work with the department. On April 15, 1925 she was inducted into the NYPD's Honor Legion for her work in obtaining evidence in the Harry Fenton murder case the previous year, from the murderer's wife. At the time she was the only woman to receive that award.
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Of particular interest are scripts and papers relating to writer and producer
Phillips H. Lord's programs, including Gang Busters (1937–53), which featured crime stories based on FBI files, and Policewoman (1946–47), which was based on the life of New York City policewoman Mary
116:. She was also the first woman to make lieutenant, the second woman to achieve the rank of first grade detective, and the first woman inducted into the NYPD Honor Legion. She had a 35-year career with the NYPD, the last 20 of which was as director of the bureau of policewomen.
208:
In 1918 she also co-founded city's
Policewoman's Endowment Association in an effort to lobby the department for better treatment of its women employees, such as equal pay. Over many years she served as its President, and in that position took complaints to the
179:, Louis Rosenberg, and Jacob Seidenshner. Sullivan learned key details about the men's habits, and tailed the women when she wasn't with them. All three men were caught via wiretaps enabled by Sullivan's work. That work brought an end to the then-notorious
175:" Rosie Harris pleaded for his release. The police had Sullivan go undercover to befriend Rosie and work her for information. She adopted the role of a boarding house keeper. Eventually she met the wives of other suspects
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a "police matron". Her duties often involved processing women prisoners. Although matrons were not considered part of the police ranks, they were required to take a civil service examination to get their positions.
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She married a businessman named
Timothy D. Sullivan in 1904. In 1905 she had a baby daughter but her husband suddenly died, leaving her a young widow with an infant. For a time she had a job as a salesgirl at the
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was attended by 139 police officers and a total of 700 people. She was survived by three of her brothers, her daughter, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was buried at
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On March 20, 1918, she was made a detective in the department's
Homicide Squad, the first women in the department. She had much success in this department, solving many murder cases.
151:
department store, where she had some success but also befriended the store detective. That woman pointed out to
Sullivan that there were now positions on the police force for women.
265:
By her retirement in April 1946, she was only one of three women to reach first grade detective in the NYPD, and worked with famous NYPD detectives such as Arthur Carey and
254:
In 1931 it was announced
Sullivan and her policewomen would be working on a new initiative against "fortune tellers, palmists, mediums, clairvoyants" with the assistance of
139:
Her father was a grocer but many family members were on the police force, including her brothers and an uncle as well as three cousins. She also had a cousin who worked for
251:
complained to the department about the appointment of a man to head the department. Sullivan's demotion did not last long, she was quietly reinstated a few months later.
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319:(Spring 1946 – June 1947) broadcast a 15 minute radio drama about her career titled "Police Woman", Sullivan herself narrated. In the stories Sullivan was played by
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641:"Detective Ranks Opened to Women – Mary A. Sullivan, First to Gain Lieutenancy, Began as Matron, Performed Dangerous Missions, Heads 75 Policewomen"
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after a "brief illness". At time of her death (at age 71) she lived on West
Twelfth street, still in Greenwich Village. Her funeral at
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Her daughter Grace Marie Lagay carried on the family legacy as a detective – she trained as a police officer and later worked as a
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to 125, but
Sullivan pleaded for the department to hire more. (By contrast there were 18,000 men on the police force at the time).
1007:"Policewoman to Head Drive on Soothsayers; Mulrooney Names Mrs. Sullivan to Act With Magicians' Group in Exposing Fortune Tellers"
136:. She was named for a Catholic nun named Sister Mary Agnes, a good friend of her mother's. She had six brothers and one sister.
269:. Notwithstanding the temporary demotion in 1929, she was director of the Policewoman's Bureau for 20 years from 1926 to 1946.
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456:"Mary A. Sullivan, Police Detective; Former Director of Women's Bureau, Who Served for 35 Years on Force, Is Dead"
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neighborhood of New York City, the daughter of John J. and
Johanna Gayne Sullivan, both immigrants from
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Sullivan quickly made a name for herself in the department via her involvement in the
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On
October 2, 1926, she was made a first grade detective by then Police Commissioner
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1261:(2nd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 156–158, 190.
390:"Mrs. Sullivan's Funeral; Ex-Head of Policewomen's Unit Mourned by Members of Force"
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1123:"Recorded Sound Section – Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division"
359:
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1291:
Women in Blue : 16 Brave Officers, Forensics Experts, Police Chiefs, and More
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Sullivan had another career setback when, in April 1929 she led a raid of one of
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in New York City for 35 years. She was the first woman homicide detective in the
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353:
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320:
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The NYPD's First Fifty Years: Politicians, Police Commissioners, and Patrolmen
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and as a consultant to a detective agency run by her mother after retirement.
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337:#67 (December 1947) dramatized her career in "Lady Detective" in this issue.
262:. Sullivan had dealt with fraud of this nature in several cases previously.
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Pistols and Petticoats: 175 Years of Lady Detectives in Fact and Fiction
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236:. She was only the second woman to attain that rank (the first was
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where as a detective she investigated illicit activities in "
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which was optioned as a motion picture but never produced.
923:"Women Police Head Demoted by Whalen in Birth Clinic Raid"
617:
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356:– of Chicago, possibly the first policewoman in the U.S.
1225:. Lincoln, Nebraska: Potomac Books. pp. 132, 151.
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108:(1878 or 1879 – September 11, 1950) was a pioneering
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She was born and raised on Gansevoort Street in the
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My Double Life: The Story of a New York Policewoman
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852:"Highlights in the Life of a New York Policewoman"
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1294:. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. pp. 55–68.
748:"Director of Policewomen Marks 30 Years on Force"
16:New York City Police detective (1878/1879 – 1950)
272:In 1938 she published an autobiography entitled
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1206:. Vol. 18, no. 1. pp. 80–89.
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1353:True Comics #67 containing "Lady Detective"
518:"Lady House Detective Cops Unique Position"
194:From 1913 to 1918 Sullivan was assigned to
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1176:. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc.
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793:NYPD Policewomen's Endowment Association
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1323:. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 238.
1219:Whalen, Bernard; Whalen, Jon (2014).
890:"Woman Detective Raised To 1st Grade"
775:
526:. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. p. 20
7:
850:Lavrova, Nadia (December 20, 1925).
564:"35 Years on Force, Woman to Retire"
362:– another early woman NYPD detective
1049:"Woman Detective Scorns Theatrics"
799:from the original on June 27, 2020
789:"The History of Women in the NYPD"
368:– early policewoman in Los Angeles
14:
1088:from the original on 27 June 2020
686:"More Policewomen Urged for City"
1389:American people of Irish descent
465:. September 12, 1950. p. 28
399:. September 15, 1950. p. 25
284:She died September 11, 1950, at
167:. The police initially arrested
1084:. Thrilling Detective website.
350:– early policewoman in Portland
114:New York City Police Department
79:New York City Police Department
1394:American women police officers
932:. May 12, 1929. pp. 1, 15
695:. January 27, 1929. p. 19
650:. October 24, 1926. p. 13
516:Meegan, Jean (July 30, 1946).
1:
1384:People from Greenwich Village
899:. October 3, 1926. p. 21
323:and the show was produced by
260:Society of American Magicians
1288:Mullenbach, Cheryl (2016).
1016:. July 18, 1931. p. 15
573:. April 3, 1946. p. 26
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1058:. June 8, 1950. p. 27
974:. May 25, 1929. p. 19
857:The San Francisco Examiner
1379:People from New York City
1355:via ComicBookPlus website
1312:– via Google Books.
965:"For Woman in Police Job"
757:. June 3, 1941. p. 9
28:
1155:Whalen & Whalen 2014
818:Whalen & Whalen 2014
1255:Segrave, Kerry (2014).
1170:Sullivan, Mary (1938).
211:New York State Assembly
1258:Policewomen: A History
286:St. Vincent's Hospital
191:
171:in the case, and his "
1317:Janik, Erika (2016).
523:Intelligencer Journal
189:
165:Rosenthal murder case
149:Siegel-Cooper Company
1198:"Ghostbuster Girls!"
1082:"Lady Crimefighters"
366:Alice Stebbins Wells
290:St. Bernard's Church
234:George V. McLaughlin
202:" and other crimes.
44:1878 or 1879
1131:Library of Congress
953:, pp. 156–158.
106:Mary Agnes Sullivan
23:Mary Agnes Sullivan
1055:The New York Times
1013:The New York Times
971:The New York Times
929:The New York Times
896:The New York Times
754:The New York Times
692:The New York Times
647:The New York Times
570:The New York Times
462:The New York Times
396:The New York Times
192:
90:homicide detective
52:September 11, 1950
1112:, pp. 55–56.
716:, pp. 59–61.
671:, pp. 60–61.
609:, pp. 10–11.
327:and sponsored by
317:ABC Radio Network
181:Lenox Avenue Gang
126:Greenwich Village
103:
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99:Grace Marie Lagay
67:Years active
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311:In popular media
294:Calvary Cemetery
280:Death and legacy
256:Julien Proskauer
238:Isabella Goodwin
190:Sullivan in 1909
35:Sullivan in 1911
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1330:978-0807039380
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1301:978-1613734223
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1268:978-0786477050
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1232:978-1612346564
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1203:Junior Skeptic
1194:Loxton, Daniel
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1157:, p. 151.
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177:Harry Horowitz
169:Frank Cirofici
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85:Known for
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1281:Google Books
1279:– via
1257:
1244:. Retrieved
1221:
1201:
1184:– via
1172:
1164:Bibliography
1150:
1141:
1134:. Retrieved
1126:
1117:
1090:. Retrieved
1060:. Retrieved
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1042:
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1018:. Retrieved
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988:
976:. Retrieved
969:
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951:Segrave 2014
946:
934:. Retrieved
927:
901:. Retrieved
894:
868:– via
862:. Retrieved
860:. p. 8K
855:
813:
801:. Retrieved
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759:. Retrieved
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697:. Retrieved
690:
664:
652:. Retrieved
645:
602:
575:. Retrieved
568:
534:– via
528:. Retrieved
521:
486:, p. 3.
479:
467:. Retrieved
460:
425:, p. 4.
401:. Retrieved
394:
360:Mary Shanley
348:Lola Baldwin
302:
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88:First woman
1369:1950 deaths
499:Loxton 2013
354:Marie Owens
335:True Comics
321:Betty Garde
219:Long Island
200:clip joints
110:policewoman
1363:Categories
776:Janik 2016
373:References
120:Early life
57:Occupation
1339:920817633
1310:920683298
1277:879792055
1241:980700069
1212:1063-9330
1143:Sullivan.
1020:March 28,
761:March 10,
654:March 28,
469:March 10,
403:March 10,
130:Killarney
70:1911–1946
1374:Skeptics
1246:June 27,
1136:June 27,
1086:Archived
864:June 27,
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342:See also
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298:Queens
215:Albany
196:Harlem
1335:OCLC
1325:ISBN
1306:OCLC
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1273:OCLC
1263:ISBN
1248:2020
1237:OCLC
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1178:OCLC
1138:2020
1094:2020
1064:2017
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905:2017
866:2020
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763:2017
701:2017
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579:2020
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173:moll
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