News and Events - Paul
Sullivan '66, Retired Exxon Mobil Corporation Attorney,
Establishes Business Scholarship
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Barbara
and Paul Sullivan |
Paul Sullivan '66 believes in sticking with what works.
So when the retired Exxon Mobil Corporation attorney
discovered how the Paul E. Sullivan Business Scholarship he
established had benefited financially needy University of Maine
students, he decided to increase his commitment to help more young
people.
It was from the recipients themselves that he learned about
the difference that the award - created in 2001 with matching
funds from Exxon Mobil - made in their lives.
"I've gotten some very beautiful letters from students who
said they may not have had the opportunity to attend UMaine
without it," says the Dallas resident.
"Others said they would have had to drop out. One recipient
waited to write me the year after receiving the scholarship to
send me the grades. Hearing from these students is tangible
evidence of success. So when you see that something's working and
you have the ability to increase it and you've got a company with
a matching gift program, all of that comes together and tells me
it would be awfully silly not to continue."
Administrators also write thank-you letters to benefactors,
says John Mahon, dean of the business school.
"But the letter that really carries weight is from the
student."
A Massachusetts native, Paul majored in accounting at
UMaine and worked hard at his academics. He was inducted into the
Sophomore Owls Society and the Senior Skull Society, honors groups
whose members also are selected for their leadership, integrity,
and service to the University.
But he was determined to shine in other areas, too, and he
quickly joined the cheerleading team, the yearbook staff and Phi
Kappa Sigma where he was elected treasurer in his senior year.
"I got involved in activities and I had a lot of good
friends and great experiences," he says. "There was a feeling of
intimacy here and the professors were extremely friendly and
helpful. Everything just seemed to click."
Paul credits the University with giving him a first rate
education, as well as the tools to take advantage of it, and also
for paving the way for a successful career as vice president and
general tax counsel at Exxon Mobil.
"UMaine taught me discipline and showed me how to focus,
how to study, and how to work on the right things in the right
way," he says. "I found out how to divide my time between outside
activities and staying current in the classroom. My UMaine
experience helped point me in the right direction for the rest of
my life."
After graduating from Boston College Law School, Paul began
his illustrious career, serving in a number of positions of
increasing responsibility at Exxon Mobil before being named vice
president and general tax counsel, overseeing a department of 185
tax lawyers and accountants in the United States and about 600
people worldwide. When he retired earlier this year, he was
responsible for the worldwide tax activities of the corporation
and its subsidiaries, including the payment of approximately $100
billion of taxes worldwide in 2006, as well as for tax planning,
audit, appeals and litigation in the tax arena.
Paul's involvement with UMaine continued in a way he never
would have imagined. After his son Michael heard about the
wonderful experiences his father had at UMaine, he decided to
follow in his footsteps and attend the flagship University.
"It was the right place for him, too," says Paul.
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(From left) Daughter-in-law Beth and son Michael Sullivan
'92, Barbara and Paul Sullivan, daughter Kelley Runyan and
husband Tom. Standing in front are grandsons Matthew, left,
and Connor. Absent are younger grandchildren Ellie, Charlie,
Caroline and Brigette.
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Michael Sullivan graduated from UMaine in 1992 and is a
successful technology entrepreneur in the Boston area.
Paul and his wife Barbara also have a daughter, Kelley, as
well as six grandchildren.
Proud of his achievements and grateful for his thriving
career, Paul never forgot where it all began.
"I kept thinking back to my years at UMaine and I really
felt what I had become was because of my experience there," he
says. "I wanted to give back to the citizens and residents of the
state of Maine."
His scholarship is doing just that -- providing Maine
business students with access to first rate academic programs and
the opportunity to be involved in the exciting growth of the
business school.
Calling the scholarship "an enormous gift that goes on and
on," Dean Mahon points out that generous supporters like Paul
often become role models for students who remember the help they
received and then decide down the road to return the favor.
"You have essentially a cross-generational gift. One
generation steps forward and helps another and then that
generation steps up and helps the next generation. It really is
amazing the multiplicity that these gifts have over time."
Paul says he has enjoyed his nearly 40 years with Exxon
Mobil. He is particularly proud of The National Math and Science
Initiative, a program sponsored by the Exxon Mobil Corporation to
encourage new generations to pursue careers involving math and
science so the U.S. can compete successfully in the global
community of the 21st century.
"The future of this country depends on strong science and
math curricula," he says.
Paul also is concerned with the future of UMaine. He has
agreed to help build support for Campaign Maine by joining the
National Campaign Leadership Council, composed of nearly 100
distinguished alumni and friends from a broad range of
professional fields, geographic locations and graduating classes.
Through their membership on the Council, these individuals signal
their commitment to ensuring a new vision for the University.
"I want to see more graduates of UMaine and more of the
state's business people give the support that the University
deserves," says Paul. "The citizens and residents of the state
should be proud of the University and its accomplishments."
He recalls noticing as a student the inscription above the
Fogler Library entrance: Pride in the Past, Faith in the Future.
"Those words made an impression on me," he says. "With a
little faith and a lot of funding we can secure a feeling of pride
in the University for future generations."
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