Evening star., 1947-01-15
1t. Gen. Daniel |. Sultan Dies;
Former District & Commissioner
Three-Time Winner
Of DSM Commanded
Burmu-Indio Troops

W SNs SSutlss0It0C0
Burmo-l -lndio Troops
Lit. Gen. Daniel I. Sultan, 81, in
spector general of the Army ano
former Engineer Commissioner Of
the District, died last night at Wal
ter Reed Hospital.
The War Department announced
that death resulted from an acute
heart condition. Gen: Sultan hao
been i'll for several weeks.
The first officer to win the Dis
tinguished Service Medal three
times, Gen. Sultan added to his out
standing Army career as Army
ground forces commander in the
Burma-India theater during World
War II. He had been inspector
general of the Army since he re-
turned to the United States in 1945.
Gen. Sultan took command in
Burma and India when Gen. Joseph
w. Stilwell's China-Burma- India
theater was broken up. He estab-
lished and operated land, river, pipe
and air line communications cred
tied with greatly increasing the flow
of supplies to China.
Won DSM Three Times.
Gen. George c. Marshall, then
chief of staff, awarded him his third
Distinguished Service Medal, re-
marking that it was the first time
the decoration ever had been be-
slowed three times on an Army
officer.
Gen. Sultan, who was an all
America football center at West
Point, was described in his year
book as a square, low tower"
Square-shouldered, 5 feet II inches
tall and weighing 172 pounds, while
at West Point, he was known in the
Army as "hard-boiled, but fair"
Though War Department records
list the generals name as Daniel
he was better known as Dan, and
While Engineer Commissioner in
variably signed his name that way.
District Purchasing Officer Roland
M. Brennan, one of Gen. Sultan's
close friends here, said the general
once told him he was chr1stened
with the name of Dan.
During his term as Engineer Com
missioner for the District from 1884
to 1898, Gen. Sultan, who was then
a colonel, played a vigorous role in
the city's development. Expansion
of the highway system took much
of his attention, and it was largely
due to his insistance that such in
novations as the Scott and Thomas
Circles underpasses came came into
being.
Other projects started or COM
pleted during his term included the
Sousa Bridge, the rebuilt Chain
Bridge, Woodrow Wilson and Ana
costa High Schools, Georgetown and
Petworth Libraries and a score OF
elementary and junior high schools.
Pushed Many Projects.
Other capital improvements which
Gen. Sultan pushed when he was or
duty here include the Glenn Dale
tuberculosis Sanitarium and the
District sewage treatment plant al
Blue Plains He also was instru-
mental in construction of the Cal
vert Street Bridge and the under.
passes at Fourteenth street anc
Maine avenue and at K street ano
Potomac parkway.
The present Judiciary Square de-
velopment came to maturity during
Gen. Sultan's tour of duty as Eng1-
neer Commissioner, and he displayed
considerable interest in completion
of the new buildings for the Juvenile
and Police Courts. He also had a
hand in erection of the new Munich
pal Center Building and the Rec
order of Deeds Building.
During an interview with The
Star here November 9, 1945, Gen
Sultan listed these projects as most
needed" in the Districts postwar de.
velopment plan: Removal OF al
temporary buildings, development oi
East Capitol street in line with the
Park and Planning Commission's
long-range plans; construction OF the
projected Washington Baltimore
parkway, construction of Dupont
Circle underpass and K street by
pass to connect with Macarthur
boulevard.
Served on Many Boards.
Besides his duties as Engineer
Commissioner, Gen. Sultan also
served as an ex offlcio member Of
the National Capital Park ane
Planning Commission, chairman o.
the Zoning Commission and mem
ber of the Public Utilities Commits
sion. Remembered for his diplo.
macy, he held the reputation Of be-
ing able to send special pleader'
away happy with mo" answer.
Born in Oxford, Miss, he wa!
graduated from West Point in 19O'
and was assigned as second lieu
tenant in the Engineer Corps.
Mrs. Sultan, the former Mis-
Florence Braden, saw her future
husband for the first time at &
football game at West Point. The
impression she carried away wa:
that he was the most mud-bespat-
tered individual she had ever seen
She did not meet him until he went
back to the academy as an instruc-
tor in mathematics in 1915. Theil
marriage followed.
He was made captain In 1914
a major in 1917 and lieutenant
colonel in 1880. He was a graduate
of the Engineer School and an honor
graduate of the Command General
Staff School, Fort Leavenworth
Kans., as well as the Army War Col
lege here.
Surveyed Canal Plans.
The general was in charge OF q
Nicaragua canal survey from 1923
to 1881, for which he received the
Oak Leaf Cluster, representing the
second award of the Distinguished
Service Medal.
The first DSM was awarded dur
ing World War I when he served
on the War Department general