Mission Statement
The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame exists to honor and recognize, and to extol and publicize the achievements of those Rhode Island men and women who have, in the words of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame induction citation, “made significant contributions to their community, state, and/or nation.” It is also our mission to tell the story of Rhode Island History via interactive technology using the biographies of our inductees, noting their collective impact upon every phase of Rhode Island’s development.
Dr.Patrick T. Conley
President of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
Dr.Patrick T. Conley
President of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
57th Annual Induction Ceremony
The Class of 2022 Honorees
James “Jimmy” Burchfield
North Providence restaurateur and an internationally prominent professional boxing judge and promoter who founded Classic Entertainment Sports, a global enterprise. He is also known for his humanitarian efforts.
Inducted by Mayor J. Michael Levesque (Director)
Robert Burke
A prominent Providence gourmet restauranteur (Pot Au Feu) who established the Independence Trail Educational Foundation, an organization that teaches local history to the public via a 2.5 mile “Independence Trail” winding through the center of Providence.
Inducted by Cindy Laughlin (Director)
Arnold Buffum Chace, Jr.
A leading Providence businessman and developer. He is a major philanthropist and community activist who is descended from 19th century reformers Arnold Buffum and Elizabeth Buffum Chace and carries on their tradition of civic improvement.
Inducted by Patrick T. Conley, Jr. (Director)
Wilfred Chief “Eagle Heart” Greene
As “Wild Willie” Greene, this South Providence legend was the world’s 7th ranked middleweight boxer and a superb all-around athlete. In later life, he became chief of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe and an incessant crusader for Native American rights.
Inducted by Dr. Patrick T. Conley (President, and 1995 Inductee)
Speaker John Harwood
A resident of Pawtucket and a former Rhode Island student-athlete of the year and member of the University of Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame. He is a prominent attorney and was Speaker of the House from 1993 to 2003 where he was responsible for numerous state economic initiatives and the recipient of several humanitarian awards.
Inducted by Dr. Patrick T. Conley (President, and 1995 Inductee)
Roberta Mudge Humble
A professor emeritus of English at CCRI, is best known for her preservation work with Rhode Island’s eighteen historic armories. She is currently president of Westerly Armory Restoration, Inc. and the creator of numerous books and games dealing with Rhode Island History.
Inducted by Dr. Debra Mulligan (Director)
Dr. Edward Iannuccilli
A resident of Bristol and a former practicing physician who has chaired numerous health care boards and committees including the Board of Trustees of Rhode Island Hospital. He is the author of numerous medical essays and also several books on his local Italian-American heritage.
Inducted by Brigadier General James D’Agostino (Director)
Mark Patinkin
A prolific Providence Journal reporter who has specialized in writing insightful essays about remarkable Rhode Islanders for over four decades. His stories on global issues have earned several journalistic awards, including “Columnist of the Year” for Gatehouse Media, now part of the Gannett Publishing empire.
Inducted by Dr. Scott Molloy (Director and 2009 Inductee)
Stanley Weiss
A prominent Providence civic leader, businessman and developer known as one of the nation’s most prominent collectors of fine American antiques and a leading expert on that topic.
Inducted by Daniel Harrington (Director)
