Boston, MA – William A. Sullivan, 73, one of the nation’s foremost and most prolific ophthalmic consultants died Monday at Massachusetts General Hospital of complications of Pancreatic Cancer.
Mr. Sullivan founded Executive Development Center, Inc. in 1975 and went on to consult more than five percent of all ophthalmologists in the U.S. in 48 of the 50 states. Mr. Sullivan is widely recognized by many of the most successful ophthalmologists in America for setting forth principles and rules that allowed them to deliver quality care and increase practice profitability and effectiveness. His teaching and consulting were based upon his report “Characteristics of Exceptional Ophthalmologists” which, for the first time, identified and explained exceptional practice behaviors.
Mr. Sullivan also researched the determinants of managerial and organizational effectiveness. His focus was to identify critical factors that differentiate high performance from average performance.
Organizations where Mr. Sullivan designed and presented management and/or organizational development programs include US Steel Corporation; Scott Paper Company; Merck, Sharp, & Dohme; and Bausch and Lomb.
Prior to founding EDC, Mr. Sullivan was president of Arlington Management Center and was associated with Sterling Institute and Procter and Gamble.
Mr. Sullivan was honored last month by ophthalmologists from around the country at a tribute held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. In conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
The oldest of five boys, Mr. Sullivan was born in Boston and attended local public and parochial schools. After moving to Newton in 1942, Bill was accepted at Roxbury Latin School, where he graduated in 1950. He became a voracious reader, with many interests including public events, history, aviation, music, photography, and all things electronic. He utilized the earliest version of what is now known as videotaping as a teaching tool for ophthalmologists as well as patient education tapes on such procedures as Cataract Surgery. Mr. Sullivan was also the first-ever exhibitor at the annual meeting of the American academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) to use a live computer and EDC is the longest continually exhibiting firm at the AAO.
Mr. Sullivan received his A.B. Degree in Economics from Harvard University in 1954. He had hoped to serve as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. However, due to his eyesight he did not qualify for pilot training and instead served four years as a navigator and electronics Counter Measures (ECM) expert with the Strategic Air Command based in Maine attaining the rank of Captain.
He was a former member of the Harvard Club of Boston, the Harvard Club of New York, the Harvard Faculty Club, and the Wellesley Country Club.
Though diagnosed with always fatal pancreatic cancer in March 2004, Mr. Sullivan remained active in his company until last month, visiting clients, consulting and teaching. EDC will continue to operate as it has for more than 30 years.
Mr. Sullivan is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Patricia A. Houser Sullivan of Dover. Four children, William A. of Cambridge, VT, Robert H. of Brookline, John M. of Austin ,TX, and Suzanne H. Riedel of Dover. He is also survived by four brothers, Robert L. of Stoughton, Richard F. of Cambridge, Lawrence E. of San Jose, and Gerald L. of Boston, and six grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be said for Mr. Sullivan on Thursday May 19, 2005 at 11:00 am, in St. John the Evangelist Church, 9 Glen Road, Wellesley. A public visitation will be observed on Thursday morning prior to mass from 9:30-10:30 am at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley.
The family has indicated that either flowers or donations to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701-4688 or 1-800-ACS-2345