Richard Sullivan, former MSU historian and administration member, who is remembered by friends and co-workers for his sense of humor and dedication to the university, died on Thursday. He was 84.

Sullivan's oldest daughter, Elizabeth Hogg, said her father had suffered from a lung condition.

She said her father was proud to be a part of MSU.

"He really believed not only in the university itself but the whole idea of a land-grant college," Hogg said.

Sullivan came to MSU in 1954, and for 34 years, he held several academic and administrative positions, including professor of history, chairman of the Department of History, and in 1970, dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

He served as dean until he returned to teaching in 1979. He was named acting associate provost for a year in 1982, and he retired in 1988.

As a historian, Sullivan's specialty was the medieval period. Among his many published works were "Heirs of the Roman Empire" and "A Short History of Western Civilization." Friends and co-workers said Sullivan was a remarkable individual who was "warm, kind and approachable," said Patrick McConeghy, acting dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

McConeghy said Sullivan was supportive of him when he was a young student at MSU.

"He instilled a kind of pride of discipline in young scholars and was a great mentor from both his scholarly academic work and as a humanist," he said.

Roger Funk, professor emeritus for the Department of Art and Art History, served as Sullivan's assistant dean for three years in the '70s. He said Sullivan was focused on fostering the relationships and interactions between faculty and students.

"He really saw the university as a community of learners with both faculty and students learning together," Funk said.

Sullivan was a man who had faith in people and showed he believed in them, Funk said.

"He was a very quiet chap who had a good sense of humor and a ready smile," Funk said. "He was certainly a very fine scholar and a terrific administrator."

Sullivan, who made his home in East Lansing, had extensive knowledge of dealing with budgets and was a natural problem solver, Funk said.

Frank Rutledge, professor and chairman for the Department of Theatre, said he admired Sullivan because he was a "super dean" who was honest, fair, objective and encouraging.

"He will be a great loss," Rutledge said. "He was a great servant to MSU."

Sullivan is survived by his wife, Vivian, three daughters - Elizabeth Hogg, Katherine Lewis and Mary Newell - and four grandchildren.

Arrangements for a university memorial service are pending.

The memorial Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas, 955 Alton Road. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.