Some Achieve Greatness: An Introduction to Chlois Theory
by: Massena1
written: 01/06/2006

Introduction
What if Lois Lane, famous ace reporter for the Daily Planet, helpmate, co-worker and eventual spouse of Clark Kent/Superman, actually grew up with the name Chloe Sullivan? Well, then we have been unknowingly watching the story of young Lois Lane on "Smallville" since the Pilot. Wouldn't that be an amazing story twist? Fans who think so are Chloisers because they hope Chloe is the iconic Lois Lane.
As Chlois believer Chris explains the idea, "Lois Lane is who she really is and always has been... Chloe Sullivan is just a name she was born with. It's no different than Clark Kent being born Kal-El... its just a name he once had, not who he really is nor who he is meant to be."
During the first season, "Smallville" fans began speculating that Clark's teenage blonde reporter friend, Chloe Sullivan, would turn out to be the iconic Lois Lane. "Smallville" executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar have been questioned about the idea several times over the years and they have always denied it. The most recent denial came in a pre-season 4 interview discussing the planned introduction to "Smallville" of the character Lois Lane to be played by actress Erica Durance. Executive producer, Al Gough, told an interviewer from devotedtosmallville.com that "Lois Lane is her (ed. Chloe's) cousin. Well, I have been saying this for two years now. It is true, Lois Lane is Chloe's cousin. Chloe doesn't morph into Lois."
Despite the producers' denials and the introduction to "Smallville" of said character named Lois Lane, the Chlois theory continues to be discussed and debated. In an ironic twist, the theory seems to be thriving more in Season 5 than ever before as many longtime "Smallville" fans have converted to the Chlois theory for the first time post introduction of Erica Durance's Lois Lane. Currently, the most popular Chlois theory is that for some as yet unknown reason, the character played by Allison Mack, will adopt "Lois Lane" as a pen name for her work at the Daily Planet.
An Overview of Chlois Within The Show
The foundation for the theory is that there are events on the show that the character called Chloe Sullivan is the young Lois Lane lacking only the name. The big events are:
Season 1
-
Clark Never Could Out Grow Her
In Metamorphosis (102), Chloe fears that Clark is growing distant and asks Clark if he is outgrowing her as a friend. Clark replies, "Chloe, I could never outgrow you. Other than vertically. "
-
Searching For Your Soul mate
In Cool (105), Clark looks at Chloe and tells her, "Everybody's searching for their soul mate, Chloe. It's not a sign of weakness."
In the Season 2 premiere, Vortex (201), the soul mate theme is picked up again. While searching for Jonathan Kent, Chloe and Clark stop for a moment to talk about their relationship. Clark apologizes for leaving Chloe at the dance to go rescue Lana Lang. Chloe and Clark agree to give up on dating each other and remain "just friends." Chloe walks over to two trees that are connected at the root which could symbolize the deep connection of soul mates. Chloe leans against one tree which has the words "Live for that Day" carved into it, the other tree has a carving of a figure that looks like an alien labeled with the words "Soul Mate." Wedged between these two trees is a red suitcase.
In the previous episode, Tempest (122), Lana comments to Clark that she thinks he looks good in red and later, Chloe asks Clark why he decided against wearing a red tie to which Clark replies "instinct told me it was the wrong way to go." A longer discussion of Lana Lang being associated with Clark in red while Chloe is associated with Clark in blue can be found here. Given this exchange, the suitcase could represent Clark's crush on Lana Lang as his emotional baggage coming between Clark and Chloe's romantic relationship which would continue the subtext of their last exchange. Also of note, Chloe is wearing a red top with a blue jean skirt. These colors combined with her blonde (yellow) hair represent Superman's traditional colors and Clark's wardrobe palette on the show.
Modern comics have introduced the idea that Lois Lane and Clark Kent are soul mates that would find each other even in other dimensions.
*credit for recognizing the images on the Soul Mate Tree goes to Chiriru (Chloiser) with thanks to TWOP posters, jwm (non-Chloiser) and scout (Chloiser) for suggesting the possible symbolism of the tree and the suitcase.
-
Chloe's First Professional Byline & "Superboy"

In her first professional newspaper article, Chloe names Eric Summers "Superboy" in Leech (112) when he assumes Clark's powers. In Arrival (501), Chloe asks Clark to go "into SuperClark mode." Lois Lane traditionally invents the name "Superman".
Also in Leech, Chloe tells Clark, "When you start throwing people 30 feet into the air, I'll write nice things about you." In the comics and the movies, Lois Lane principally covers Superman stories.
- An Instant Spark?
In Obscura (120), Clark tells Lana that the first day he met Chloe, he took her to his barn loft and she kissed him because she said she knew he had been thinking about kissing her the whole day and she wanted to get that out of the way so they could be friends. Clark tells Lana it was his first kiss and she says it's nice that it was with someone he still cares about. In the Modern Age comics, after the reboot in 1986, Clark commented about meeting Lois for the first time: "She's ... I don't know ... not as beautiful as a movie star, but she has ... a quality. Something I've never seen in any other woman. Almost a fire in those big, dark eyes. For just a moment it seemed as if something passed between us. A spark."
-
Worth The Wait

In the final scene of Crush after Chloe and Clark have agreed to date, they go to Whitney's father's funeral and Chloe witnesses Clark and Lana gazing at each other. The song, "Time after Time" plays over the scene over shots of Chloe, Clark and Lana with these lyrics: "Sometimes you picture me, I'm walking too far ahead, You're calling to me, I can't hear
What you've said, Then you say "go slow", I fall behind. The second hand unwinds. If you're lost you can look and you will find me time after time, if you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time."
In Obscura, when Clark ask Chloe out to their formal dance, he apologizes for taking so long to ask her. She replies, "It's okay...it was worth the wait." Their formal date is going wonderfully until their kiss on the dance floor is interrupted by a natural disaster. During Season 2, Chloe ends her letter in Fever (216) described above with the words "..hoping one day you'll fly back to me because I think you're worth the wait." In Devoted (404), when Clark discusses Chloe's coming on to him, he says he doesn't feel that way about her, "At least not right now." Each season, Chloe and Clark have shared at least one kiss and usually a few near kisses/teases.
When Lois and Clark married on Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, he was still a virgin. Once they got together, they had this memorable exchange:
Clark: Oh, but we waited so much longer than two weeks.
Lois: So, it was worth it then? The wait, I mean?
Clark: Lois, it was perfect . . .
Season 2
-
Chloe's Own Personal Superhero
In
Rush (214), Chloe gets infected by an alien parasite in the Kawatche caves and
cuts loose. Clark ends up revealing his secret to Chloe and she replies, "My
own personal superhero. I always knew there was something special about you,
Clark Kent." Chloe tells Clark he's not just a hero, but a "superhero" in
Arrival. In Mortal (502), Chloe tells Clark, "Great. I
finally land my own superhero and this is what I get." In Lexmas (509), she again calls Clark, "my
hero."
- Naman's Mate
Also in Rush, Chloe climbs up the cave wall and Chloe is shown with the symbol of Naman's destined future mate lit over her shoulder.
- I'm Not Who You Think I Am
In Fever, Chloe reads a letter written on pink paper to an unconscious Clark (and to the audience of course) that starts off: "I have a secret. I am not who you think I am. In fact, my disguise is so thin, I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me. I am the girl of your dreams mascarading as your best friend."
The rest of the letter is as follows, "Sometimes I want to rip off this facade like I did at the Spring Formal, but I can't because you'll get scared and you'll run away again. So I decided that it's better to live with a lie than expose my true feelings. My dad told me there are two types of girls. The ones you grow out of and the ones you grow into. I really hope I'm the latter. I may not be the one you love today, but I'll let you go for now, hoping one day you'll fly back to me because I think you're worth the wait."
- Romantic Rivalry with Lana Lang

A rivalry between Chloe Sullivan and Lana Lang over Clark Kent's affection has been a main aspect to the show. Much like the "Dawson or Pacey?" and "Noel or Ben?" shipper debates that spanned years on other popular WB programs, the "Lana or Chloe?" question has existed on "Smallville" since Season 1. The rivalry has thus far always gone in Lana Lang's favor, but Chlois would allow Chloe to be the ultimate choice and validate the YEARS spent on this romantic rivalry saga. If Chloe doesn't get the guy in the end, then this long enduring storyline would seem pointless. In the comics, the long running rivalry exists between Lois Lane and Lana Lang over Clark Kent's affection; a lot of it happening in the Silver Age which is a known draw for Smallville (e.g.: Pete knowing, Clark and Lex in Smallville, the entire Superboy concept came forth in the Silver Age). The question of "Lana or Lois?" was answered somewhat when Clark and Lois married, yet the triangle continues even now as Lana Lang remains interested in her former sweetheart. It is the love triangle that goes on FOREVER.
Season 3
- Chloe's Pseudonym = Lois Lane

In Delete (311), Chloe suggests to her editor Max Taylor* that she use the pseudonym of "Lois Lane" to publish one of her articles because she is blacklisted by Lionel Luthor. Chloe says her cousin wouldn't care because she isn't interested in journalism at all.
*An interesting side note is that the official Smallville WB website (which is considered canon by Al Gough and Miles Millar), published an obituary for this character as George "Max" Taylor. George Taylor was the editor of the Daily Star, the newspaper Lois and Clark wrote for in the original comics back in the 1930's before the creation of the Daily Planet and before the radio drama popularized a new character (at the time) called Perry White. Chlois would create a nice bit of continuity with the comics in that George Taylor will again be Lois Lane's first editor.
- Bleached Blonde Pulitzer Wannabe
In Covenant (320), FBI Agent Frank Loeder who was being paid off by Lionel Luthor describes Chloe as a "bleached blond Pulitzer wannabe." Isn't it an odd reference that Chloe isn't a natural blonde? It lends itself nicely to wonder about Chloe as a famous brunette Pulitzer-winning journalist. This is the second reference to Chloe and Pulitzers. In Redux (206), Chloe was challenged about her attraction for sensational stories by Principal Reynolds, and when she seemed to take it as a criticism, he added, "But many a Pulitzer has sprung from the seeds of wild theories. Just make sure you can back them up. That'll be the difference between writing trash for The Inquisitor and reporting for The Daily Planet." Of course, now Chloe is working her way up the career ladder at the Daily Planet, just like Lois Lane has in all versions of the Superman story.
Season 4
- The Nellie Bly Connection

Lois Lane was partially modeled after Nellie Bly, who was the first and most famous female undercover journalist in the world. Superman #49 (Nov.-Dec. 1947) features a story called, "Lois Lane, Globe Trotter" in which Lois Lane tries to copy Nellie Bly's famous trip around the world. In Gone (402), Chloe's uncle, Sam Lane, uses the alias, Nellie Bly, for Chloe in his appointment book. Clark realizes it is a codename for Chloe and he tells ED's Lois, that "Nellie Bly was Chloe's hero."
In a deleted scene from Spell (408), which can be seen on the Season 4 DVDs, Clark and ED's Lois give Chloe a typewriter for her birthday which they say they chose because it is the same model that Nellie Bly used and they figured "two great reporters should have the same typewriter." The ugly houndstooth coat that Chloe wears in Scare (410) and Krypto (414) is similar to a houndstooth outfit that Nellie Bly wore in photographs.
Interestingly, Nellie Bly was a pen name for a woman born Elizabeth Cochran. It was her editor who convinced her to use a pen name.
- Reaching Out for Chloe
In Spell, Clark is surrounded by Chloe, Lois and Lana. Thought all three are possessed by witches, Clark tries to reach out to Chloe alone for help.
*A side note: Chloe, Lois and Lana, all wake up from their possession underneath the CaveLady symbol. The symbol is right above Chloe and Lois who lie beside each other with Lana apart from them.
- Trust
In Unsafe (411), Martha tells Clark, "Marriage is sacred, Clark. It’s about two
people who trust each other and are willing to go through life together no
matter how difficult it gets. I thought we had taught you that!" In an
interview with Smallville Magazine, Annette O'Toole said she discussed this
important mother-son scene with the producers and it was rewritten by the
executive producers, Al Gough and Miles Millar.
The description of marriage to be principally about trust is interesting since "trust" is a chief theme in the Chloe-Clark relationship just as "secrets and lies" is associated with the Lana-Clark relationship. Trust between Lois and Superman has been a big topic in the comics through the ages and was reiterated as a major part of their bond in Birthright.
In Blank (419), the audience sees how well Chloe can handle Clark's secret. She shows great empathy when she tells him she understands why he never trusted her with his secret. She tries to protect him throughout the episode and ultimately they are both saved by trusting in each other.
Chloe: You had a clean slate to start all over with, and you made all the same choices… except for one.
Clark: What’d I do?
Chloe: You trusted me.
- Cinderella & Chlois

Lois Lane has long been portrayed as the Cinderella of the Superman myth. Lois Lane actually became Cinderella in a Lois Lane comic during the Silver Age. In Jeph Loeb's (Smallville writer & show runner from season two through season four) graphic novel Superman for All Seasons, Lois makes the comment that she used to dream about princes & white knights and that those dreams don't come true; of course then Superman arrived on the scene. In Superman, the Movie, Lois Lane waits for Superman on her terrace and when he is late, she sulks, "Cinderella bites the dust, story of my life." Of course, then he shows up. On Lois & Clark, the New Adventures of Superman, when Superman arrives to meet Lois, he says "I hear you've been looking for me" and Lois replies, "All my life."
On Smallville, the Cinderella references have been applied to Chloe. Chloe has always dreamed of being with Clark Kent romantically. In Tempest, after inviting her to a dance, Clark tells Chloe that he can't drive her to the dance and that it is blowing his "Prince Charming vibe." Chloe jokingly replies that Cinderella was never really her role model. At the dance, a kiss between Clark and Chloe is interrupted by an announcement of a tornado and Clark leaves Chloe to rescue Lana. Chloe is left to wait at the dance alone.
In Calling while Lana makes preparations to go to Lex's lavish wedding party, Chloe, who is not invited, says, "Don't worry. It's not like I'm holding out for my fairy godmother to bring me my glass slippers." When Clark shows up, Chloe senses that he and Lana are now romantically involved, she says, "Well, we better get going. I have ashes to sweep and wicked stepsisters to undermine." On the show, Lana and now ED's Lois, have been portrayed as Chloe's "sisters." In Rosetta (217), Chloe compliments Lana by claiming her as a sister for a family tree project. Since ED's Lois' arrival, she has played big sister to Chloe; Allison Mack, who portrays Chloe, confirmed this was intentional in an interview in 2004 with AMO.

In Season 4, two episodes ended with Chloe being hurt by watching as Clark showed attention to her "sisters." In Facade (403), when ED's character goes up to toss Clark's wet hair after dunking him in a booth, Avril Lavigne's song "Happy Ending" states "So much for my happy ending." as we see Chloe's sad expression while watching this exchange. In Spirit (418), Clark nominates Chloe to be Prom Queen, but he does not go with her to the dance. Instead, he shows up at the last minute with ED's Lois who is being possessed by the spirit of Dawn, another girl who was nominated for Prom Queen. We watch as Chloe wins Prom Queen, but she does not get to enjoy it because the spirit leaps from ED's character to Chloe. At the end, Clark hands Chloe back her crown, but he does not ask her to dance. Instead, he offers to dance with Chloe's pseudo sisters, Lois and Lana. Chloe never dances with anyone at the Prom. She is left waiting yet again for her Prince to come and for her happy ending. Poor Cinderella, er, I mean Chloe.
In addition to dreaming of being with Clark Kent romantically, Chloe dreams of becoming a star reporter at the Daily Planet. In Thirst when Chloe tells the editor, Pauline Kahn, that working there is her dream, Kahn tells her "We all have to wake up sometime." However, Chloe does not take "no" for an answer and through persistence, Chloe earns a job at the bottom rung of the Daily Planet career ladder to start her long climb up. Seeing Chloe get to the apex of the Daily Planet would be a Cinderella story in which the heroine proves that "dreams really do come true" if you earn your own happy ending.
- Destiny
In Spirit (418), ED's character tells Chloe that a year from that point will feel like a "lifetime ago" and that Chloe is "DESTINED to be a hot shot reporter at the Daily Planet. Do you really picture Clark Kent keeping up with you?" In all versions of the Superman myth, Lois Lane is a hot shot reporter at the Daily Planet and Clark Kent, as her co-worker, keeps up with her. The word "destiny" and its variations, has been used on the show 64 times so far and never in an ironic sense. Therefore, the audience should be able to rely upon this line to expect that Chloe will become a hot shot reporter at the Daily Planet.
- Chloe Can Be Whoever She Wants
In
Spirit, a possessed Chloe tells Clark, "there’s a whole life after high
school, and I can be whoever I want." This line is similar to when Chloe told
Lionel Luthor in Whisper (310), "I'll be whatever I want."
- Forever (421)
The end shots of Forever with Lana, Clark and Chloe walking down a path. Chloe and Clark are in Superman colors. Chloe's yellow blonde hair and red jacket coordinate with Clark's blue jacket and red back pack to complete the Superman color scheme of red, blue and yellow. Lana is in a brown coat. Chloe has caught up to Clark and Lana and she has taken Clark's arm. Chloe is on Clark's right side (his right hand woman) and they walk in step with each other while Lana is out of step with them.
- Chloe's Cousin Actually Has No Interest in Journalism
In Commencement (422), when Clark suggests journalism to Lois as a career, she replies "Kill me first" and rejects it. This character has been exposed to journalism by her cousin, yet despite this exposure, she continues to show no interest in the profession. Lois Lane has always been presented as a dedicated journalist who would bleed printer's ink.
On "Smallville", being a reporter is often referred to as "who" Chloe is. As Perry White said, "I am a journalist. It's in my blood."
Traditionally, Lois Lane begins her journalism career at a very young age. She is always more experienced in journalism than Clark Kent. In the comics, Lois Lane is the youngest reporter at the Daily Planet. On "Smallville" Chloe Sullivan has begun her journalism career at a very young age. Chloe is more experienced in journalism than Clark Kent. Chloe Sullivan was the youngest writer at the Daily Planet.
- The Epicenter
The episode Commencement featured Clark and Chloe's graduation from high school and the meteor shower. The word "Commencement" does refer to a graduation ceremony, but it also refers to the beginning of something. Since the script talked about destiny when Lex held the stone for which he had searched the globe and when Clark saved the little boy from a meteor, it isn't hard to see that the episode is about Clark and Lex beginning their future roles.
In the last act of the episode, Lex forces Chloe to go with him to the Kawatche caves where the walls tell the legend of three characters: a hero who falls from the sky to Earth, his true love and the friend who is like a brother to him but who becomes his enemy. Unbeknownst to Lex and Chloe, Clark is in the caves as the same time in an inner chamber. In this scene, their actions and roles mimic those of the characters on the walls as Clark is working on saving everyone, Chloe is helping Clark and protecting him from Lex, and Lex has gone over the edge because of his thirst for knowledge. During Chloe and Lex's conversation the figure of Naman (the man from space) remains between them.
When they enter, Chloe asks Lex why he took them to the caves.
Lex replies that "It is the epicenter."
Chloe asks "Of what?"
The question goes unanswered. An epicenter is the core of something. The core of the legend of Superman is there on the walls of that cave. Lex's choice of word also calls attention to the characters' physical location and their relationship to each other. At the time that Lex, Chloe and Clark are in the caves, the Kents are together as their home is being destroyed, Lois is lying alone in a field after playing decoy for Chloe, Lana is trying to escape meteors after being helped out of Smallville by Lex and Lionel is lying alone in a bed at Luthor Mansion where Lex left him after he had an attack. Does the physical placement of the characters in this finale foretell their destinies? If so, then Chloe, Lex and Clark being together is very Chloisy since Lex, Lois and Clark will be very involved in each others' lives in the future. And Chloe following Clark thru the portal to the Arctic where Clark will enter the FOS (a major part of his future) for the first time would be very Chloisy. Note that this is the second time that Chloe, Clark and Lex have been in the caves at the same time, the first being in Rush when Chloe was shot standing beside the drawings of Naman, his lady love and Sageeth.
-
She Knows Him Better Than Anyone
In Commencement, Lex suggests that Chloe knows Clark better than anyone and Chloe agrees. In Superman II when everyone is looking for Superman, Jimmy Olsen says that Lois should know where Superman is because she knows him better than anyone and Lois agrees, "Yeah, better than anyone."
Season 5
-
Traveling Companion
Along with the journey imagery in the last shots of Forever already discussed, in Arrival, Chloe tells Clark "I know you run faster than a speeding bullet, Clark. Take me along for the ride." Beyond the association with a future Superman line, the exchange has travel imagery which goes with with a hero's life as a journey. Chloe offers to go along on Clark's journey. In the Superman myth, Lois Lane accompanies him on his life's journey.
-
The Talk

Like Lois Lane in Superman II, Chloe visits the FOS with Clark Kent in Arrival. Both visits lead to The Talk. In Superman II, Clark and Lois watch a tv news report that aliens have caused mass destruction in Superman's absence. In Arrival, Clark and Chloe watch a tv news report that meteors have caused mass destruction in Clark's absence. Clark begins The Talk by asking "How long have you known?"
Clark and Chloe finish The Talk in this manner:
CHLOE: Smallville needs you more than I do Clark. Go. (Clark hesitates) Go!
Clark super speeds away. Chloe is impressed.
CHLOE: Whoa.From the Lois & Clark Season 3 premiere script ...We Have A Lot To Talk About by John McNamera:
When Lois finds out that Clark is Superman, they have The Talk. Clark asks Lois, "How long have you known?" This is the end of that scene:LOIS
Go. (he hesitates) GO!
He whirls and becomes SUPERMAN. She can't help but be dazzled --
LOIS (CONT'D)
Whoa.
-
Chloe Working Her Way Up The Career Ladder at the Daily Planet
In every version of the Superman story, Lois is always a senior journalist to Clark Kent. She is always already working at the Daily Planet when Clark Kent is hired. In the comics, Lois was the youngest writer at the Daily Planet.
On Smallville, Chloe was the youngest writer at the Daily Planet. In Thirst (505) after getting a job at Daily Planet, a Chloe voiceover proclaimed, "She never did print the article, but I don't care. I got in on the ground floor of my dream. Okay, so it's actually the basement. But, it's Daily Planet! The paper of record for kings, presidents and prime ministers; not to mention future super heroes. The way I look at it, I had no place to go, but up, up, and away."
In Solitude (508), Lionel (or possibly Jor-El if he was possessing Lionel's body) visits Chloe at the Daily Planet and tells her, "I am certain that, sooner rather than later, you're going to be working upstairs under the Tiffany lamps. A big story certainly would accelerate the process."
- Attuned To Her
In the comics, Lois activates Clark's super hearing. He may not even know she is calling him and she may only be whispering, but he will hear her.
It happens so much that Lois has wondered if Superman can read her mind. On Lois and Clark and in the Superman movies, Lois wondered if Superman could read her mind. On Smallville, Chloe is the only one we've seen trigger Clark's super hearing. She sets it off in Whisper the very first time Clark becomes aware of the power when Clark hears Chloe talking to Lionel over the din of all the other noise in the school hallway. Chloe seems to trigger Clark's super hearing again in Blank, Arrival, Thirst and Splinter.

In all other cases, Clark has been shown to have to focus to use this power. This distinction between triggering the power and focusing on using it was especially evident in Thirst and Splinter. In Thirst, Clark was searching for Lana in a noisy party and stopped when his superhearing alerted him to Chloe's groans. In Splinter, an agitated Clark stops in mid-sentence with Lana to say that Chloe is coming, while later in the same episode, Clark has to focus on using his superhearing to find Lana.
- Miss "Did I Mention My Book's About to be Published?"

In Lexmas (509), Lex has either a dream or a vision about the future (which one is left ambiguous.) In Lex's vision, every character on the show is either addressed or referenced by name EXCEPT for Chloe. When Lex and his son greet Chloe and Clark in a Christmas tree lot, Lex and his son call only Clark by name. In that scene, Clark addresses Chloe as Miss "Did I mention my book's about to be published?" In this same scene, Clark says that he has just become a full fledged reporter at the Daily Planet. In this episode, Erica Durance's character is absent from Lex's vision of the future.
And those are just the bigger connections between Chloe and the iconic Lois Lane. There are actually many more connections in the show. There are also visual aspects (blocking and color palette) to the show that support the rightness of Chlois. Not to mention that fun trivial facts like Lois and Clark live at 1938 Sullivan Lane and the letters to form "Lois Lane" can be found within the words "Chloe Sullivan." All this Chlois talk makes you want to go watch the episodes again, doesn't it? A Chlois twist would create a rewatchability interest in old episodes since it would change the significance of virtually every Chloe scene since the pilot.
This was written by Massena1.
Credits to dynamic duo,
SVMedia,
TWIZ,
wikipedia, Chiriru,
jmw, scout, & ms.sullivan for their contributions






