John Marcus O'Sullivan (18 February 1881 – 9 February 1948) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Education from 1926 to 1932 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from 1924 to 1926. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1923 to 1943.[1]

John M. O'Sullivan
Minister for Education
In office
28 January 1926 – 9 March 1932
Preceded byEoin MacNeill
Succeeded byThomas Derrig
Parliamentary Secretary
1924–1926Finance
Teachta Dála
In office
July 1937 – June 1943
ConstituencyKerry North
In office
August 1923 – July 1937
ConstituencyKerry
Personal details
Born(1881-02-18)18 February 1881
Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland
Died9 February 1948(1948-02-09) (aged 66)
Dublin, Ireland
Political party
SpouseAgnes Crotty
Children4
Education
Alma mater

O'Sullivan was born in Killarney, County Kerry, in 1881, the second son of M. O'Sullivan, a merchant.[2] He was educated at St Brendan's College, Killarney, Clongowes Wood College, and later at University College Dublin (UCD), University of Bonn and Heidelberg University, where he was awarded a PhD. He was appointed to the Chair of Modern History at UCD in 1910.[3]

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1923 as a Cumann na nGaedheal TD for the Kerry North constituency.[4] He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from 1924 to 1926. He was appointed to the Cabinet in 1926, serving under W. T. Cosgrave as Minister for Education. In 1926, a report from the Second National Programme Conference was presented to him as the Minister for Education. He accepted all proposals stated in the report to be recommended as a national curriculum. His major ministerial achievement was the Vocational Education Act 1930.[2][3] He served on the Irish delegation to the League of Nations, in 1924 and from 1928 to 1930. He was re-elected at every election until 1943 when he lost his Dáil seat.[4] He subsequently retired from politics.

He was married to Agnes Crotty, and they had 4 children, two sons and two daughters.[2] O'Sullivan died on 9 February 1948, at his home in Rathgar, Dublin.

References

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  1. ^ "John Marcus O'Sullivan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Maume, Patrick. "O'Sullivan, John Marcus". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b "John Marcus O'Sullivan". University College Dublin Archives. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  4. ^ a b "John Marcus O'Sullivan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
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Political offices
New office Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
1924–1926
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Education
1926–1932
Succeeded by