Ross Sullivan: Timeline of primary sources

[ophion1031]

Didn't Mrs. Bailey type in her letter about Ross being mentally ill?

[Paul_Averly]

Morf, can you remind me what the source was for the idea of Ross having schizophrenia?

How did we find that out?? I can't even remember now. Anybody know off hand? If not,I will go back and look

Katz? Or Jon upon initial contact.

Schizophrenia usually kicks in after high school. Allen, who knew Ross in HS, didn't mention any mental problems from that time.

[JeffP]

Morf, can you remind me what the source was for the idea of Ross having schizophrenia?

How did we find that out?? I can't even remember now. Anybody know off hand? If not,I will go back and look

It was Ross' brother Jonathon who told us he was schizophrenic. It was when he told us that Ross was harmless. It was very early. It may have been the first contact with him.

[marie]

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for putting it together!

One thing that jumps out at me is when the "lover's lane" killings started- after the death of his father.... trigger?

I have been, for my curiousity's sake, and ease, been looking into their time in Binghamton. I found this article about good ole dad. Thought his history was interesting (September 21, 1957- Binghamton Press----EDIT- SHOULD BE SEPT 22, 1956)

hrsully.jpg

And now for Binghamton's dirty little secret....

Our Asylum. Proficient in electrochock- even to this day, hydrotherapy (long gone), and my favorite- lobotomies! Currently they are testing more localized lobotomies then the ones of yesteryear, and of course now electroshock is done under sedation. But yup, a pretty castle on a hillside was an institute of torture. I know Ross was at about the age of onset for schitzophrenia, it is typically in the twenties, but 16 or younger is well documented. Average stay could be a lifetime, but for many it was your 72 hour holds to several months.

So you are probably asking what does this have to do with the family other than coincidence? I have a listing in Polk that the mom Harriet may have stayed around after the father moved west in a rental apartment. I have ruled out the other known Harriet Sullivan in the area, and will be checking a bit more Friday. Do we really know much of anything about her? It has her listed as a teacher, and I know she didn't vest in NYS as the pensions are public info. Of course it could be they wanted their sons' to finish a sports season or semester.

Or maybe there was an inkling something was wrong.

-m

[JeffP]

Great find Marie.

I found other articles related to Harold, but never this one.

Ya, I suspect something may have been up with the mother. Her death has never been explained. Did she kill herself? Did she have cancer? She dies, father returns to New York and gives up being a pastor and children go to live in foster care. Something happened.

That's especially interesting about Harold's work after WW2. I guess the "poverty" of the family may have been by choice. Maybe working for the Y was more prestigious back then. The Knights of the Round Table program he began in New York had several notable children involved. Including the sons of the mayor and the son of baseball great Jackie Robinson.

I'm reading up on schizophrenia and i've read that it's almost always hereditary and more likely to come from mothers side. The doctor from Napa State Hospital, Dr. Jon Karllson, whom morf highlighted earlier, specialized in/researched this very topic.

[marie]

Ya, I suspect something may have been up with the mother. Her death has never been explained. Did she kill herself? Did she have cancer? She dies, father returns to New York and gives up being a pastor and children go to live in foster care. Something happened.

Death Certificate for Harriet (mom) is on order, sent out money and form last Monday. I've hear LA has good turnaround, you'll all see it shortly after I do, hopefully soon!

I've tried tracking both parents and there are so many unknowns. When did they marry? Why was Ross born in Syracuse (though I did find a hint in a Polk that the father was back in Milford, CT ~late 30s with his family, and assumingly with Harriet. He was living in a rental house with some of his sibs. In the 1942 edition it says "removed to Rochester NY" after his name. Don't know how Ross ended up born in Syracuse, Rochester should have had an acceptable hospital. The plot thickens.

And ya, the whole WW2 thing is really what I thought was intriguing. I also have an address at Princeton for him in 1947 Polk- rental 68 Mercer, R302. Now there is only one Mercer rental facility associated with Princeton, but could have been torn down.

-m

[Mr lowe]

If Harold r Sullivan had a brother.. And he had sons would they have the same DNA as Ross

[doranchak]

Morf, can you remind me what the source was for the idea of Ross having schizophrenia?

How did we find that out?? I can't even remember now. Anybody know off hand? If not,I will go back and look

I found where you said his brothers confirmed it: viewtopic.php?p=19332#p19332

How did they confirm it? Directly with you or via the PI?

[morf13]

Morf, can you remind me what the source was for the idea of Ross having schizophrenia?

How did we find that out?? I can't even remember now. Anybody know off hand? If not,I will go back and look

I found where you said his brothers confirmed it: viewtopic.php?p=19332#p19332

How did they confirm it? Directly with you or via the PI?

It's been so long,I have to dig back and find it. I think it may have been Tahoe who 1st emailed Ross's Brother, and he may have responded saying Ross had schizophrenia,but then he quickly cut off contact

[Tahoe27]

Yes, I communicated with Jon back in February of 2014. He was the one who told me Ross was schizophrenic and didn't know him to be violent.