143897_14_20_features 20-27 4/5/14 1:41 PM Page 14
TIM SULLIVAN ’81 HELPING US TO FIND OURSELVES IN OUR ANCESTORS | BY BRENDA UNDERWOOD
ABOVE: Sullivan family: from left, Hilary (Scott’s wife), daughter Blaire, Scott ’78, Taylor ’15, Christine ’82, Steve (Dad), Betty Jane (Mom), Steve ’76, Martha (Steve’s wife), Lindsey ’13, Tim ’81, Thomas ’16, and Jane (Tim’s wife).
14
H
O T C H K I S S
M
A G A Z I N E
The last few years have seen a great interest in tracing our ancestry, in knowing from whom we are descended and putting names to the branches of our family tree, a phenomenon brought about by shows such as Who Do You Think You Are?, a British television series encouraged to cross the Atlantic. Among those involved in the effort to bring the show to the U.S. was Tim Sullivan ’81, the president and CEO of Ancestry.com. It was a logical step given the website’s database at that time of four billion searchable genealogic records and the potential audience among its one million subscribers. Who Do You Think You Are? made its U.S. debut on NBC in 2010 with Ancestry.com facilitating the research and helping with financing. Since then, the show has traced the ancestry of dozens of well-known celebrities such as actresses Susan Sarandon and Gwyneth Paltrow, filmmaker Spike Lee, and singer-songwriter Lionel Ritchie. In 2012, the show was nominated for an Emmy Award; this fall marked its fourth season with TLC. Meanwhile, Ancestry.com, the engine that powers genealogical searches, has grown impressively and now has a database with 11 billion searchable genealogical records and several million subscribers. The site’s database includes family history records from 40 countries reaching back to the late 1300s. These are records to which everyone has access, not just celebrities, and the only prerequisite is to want to know who you are and from whom you are descended. “Everyone has a history waiting to be discovered,” said Sullivan, “and every story has surprises that can be pretty amazing and emotional.” “Members join Ancestry.com for many reasons — to explore roots, discover their eth-