Eva “Ginger” Sullivan, J.D., Former First Lady of Morehouse School of Medicine and Beloved Advocate for Public Health and the Arts, Passes Away at 92

Eva “Ginger” Sullivan, J.D., a noted attorney, global health and civil rights advocate, and champion of the arts, passed away on June 15, 2026, at her home in Atlanta. She was 92 years old.

From 1975 to 1989, and again from 1993 to 2002, Mrs. Sullivan was the beloved first lady of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, where her husband, Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., served as founding dean and first president. In 1976, she founded The Friends of Morehouse School of Medicine, Inc., and served as its first president, leading efforts to raise scholarship funds for MSM students.

A native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Mrs. Sullivan attended Northeastern University in Boston and the Woodrow Wilson School of Law in Atlanta. She began her career as a cardiovascular researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and was a committed advocate for civil rights, having attended the 1963 March on Washington.

The Sullivans moved to Washington, D.C. when Dr. Sullivan served in the cabinet of President George H. W. Bush as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1989-1993). During this time, Mrs. Sullivan served on the White House Fellows Selection Panel and led efforts to bring healthier food options to federal agency cafeterias.

Throughout her remarkable career, Mrs. Sullivan traveled the world as a tireless advocate for public health, serving as a national spokesperson for breast cancer awareness and early detection.

She was a co-sponsor of the annual Sullivan 5-K Run/Walk for Health and Fitness, benefiting Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and shared with her husband a love of travel that took them to more than 60 countries.

A devoted patron of the arts, Mrs. Sullivan served on the boards of the High Museum of Art, the Alliance Theatre, and True Colors Theatre in Atlanta, as well as Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. She was also a board member of the Arthritis Foundation of Georgia and a passionate supporter of Medical Education for South African Blacks (MESAB) and Africare.

Mrs. Sullivan’s legacy of service, compassion, and dedication to public health and the arts will be deeply missed by all who knew her.