last three decades, John has served as Deputy
General Counsel in the Department of Defense
and Deputy Secretary of Commerce (during
George W. Bush’s presidency), as the chair of
an advisory committee on U.S. relations with
Iraq (during Barack Obama’s presidency),
and now as Deputy Secretary of State with,
as mentioned before, a brief time as Acting
Secretary of State. These years of service were
punctuated by long stretches at Mayer Brown, a
D.C. law firm. “I have bounced back and forth
from the public sector to the private sector,”
said John. “I went from private practice into
government, different government jobs in
different cabinet departments, back to private
practice, but ultimately always heading back
into government service.”
For John, government service is about
working as part of a team and putting the
people of the United States above his own
personal interests and accolades. “It’s not about
individual accomplishment or achieving office,”
he said. “It’s about putting the people of the
United States first, to borrow President Trump’s
policy mantra. I mean that in the sense of
doing right by the American people...it’s about
standing up for them and never forgetting that
you’re working for the people and not for your
own career aggrandizement…It’s about staying
humble and true to core Xaverian values.”
It’s those Xaverian values that keep John
coming back and giving back to his alma
mater. Though the truth is, he says, “I get
more out of coming back than I give. Coming
back and seeing how things are going at
800 Clapboardtree Street and seeing former
teachers, it recharges me to go back to
Washington, back to my job and my family.”
Keeping it all in perspective is important
to John. “Humility is an indispensable virtue,”
he said. “Some of the biggest mistakes I’ve
seen people make, whether that’s the President
of the United States or just someone in their
personal lives, including my own, come from
a lack of humility. Humility was the thing that
most influenced me in my preparation for
being Deputy Secretary of State, being humble
enough to admit what I don’t know and to ask
questions, without presuming to know the
answers, and to ask for help. I think it provides
a good grounding for whatever one chooses to
do in life.” And “grounded” is a good way to
describe John.
He doesn’t see himself in a position of
power only a few steps away from the President,
Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., Headmaster, with John Sullivan ’77
Xaverian Memories...
Walking into what used to be the old library here at
Xaverian, up on the second floor, and seeing Brother Joe
Gerard sitting at his desk. I remember bringing him draft
papers that I was working on or a college application
essay for his review. He would take my dry prose and
enliven it, as only he could, and express his surprise and
shock at the grammatical errors I’d made. I can hear him
saying, ‘Sonny, good God, I thought I’d taught you better
than that…’ When I think of Xaverian, I think of great
teachers like Brother Joe.
— John Sullivan ’77
the leader of the free world. He views himself
as a man who fills a position in government,
a government that is one small aspect of what
makes America what it is. “The United States
is so much bigger than the federal government
or the current administration. It’s our cultural
influence around the world. It’s what we’ve done
as a people. It’s our example as a country that
has constantly sought to improve itself. I am
thrilled to have a position where I can, in some
small way, participate in decisions that may
have an effect on our country and our status in
the world. But I’m under no illusions about the
significance of what I do. I occupy an office and
work for a cabinet secretary, trying to help him
implement his and the President’s vision for U.S.
foreign policy. Being witness to that and doing
what little I can to support the implementation
of our foreign policy and defend our values is a
source of great satisfaction for me.”
“It’s easy to understand why Pompeo called
John, ‘a true patriot, leader, and public servant,’’’
said Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., Headmaster.
“He is a wonderful example of what it means to
be a strong Xaverian man and we are proud to
count him as an alumnus and a member of our
vibrant community.”
Summer 2018 Xaverian Magazine 3