1445 Wampanoag Trail, Suite 203, East Providence, RI 02915-1019 | (401) 433-0044 | info@riheritagehalloffame.com
December 15 is the anniversary of our Bill of Rights. On that date in 1791 Virginia’s ratification of Articles I through X of our Constitution incorporated them permanently into our nation’s basic law. Americans, of course, did not invent individual liberty or write the first document to guarantee it. The basis of human freedom can
By Dr. Patrick T, Conley In the 4th Century, Western Civilization operated under the calendar promulgated by Julius Casesar (the Julian Calendar). The first day of the year was March 25 and December, as indicated by its name, was the twenty month. A nine-month period of human gestation from New Year’s Day (March 25) onward
By Ken Dooley J. William Middendorf has worn many hats, including Secretary of the Navy, United States Ambassador to the Netherlands, United States Ambassador to the Organization of the American States, United States Ambassador to the European Union, head of a CIA transition team, and advisor to Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy
By Dr. Patrick T. Conley On March 14, 1913, West Warwick became Rhode Island’s thirty-ninth and final town when the General Assembly set it off from the parent town of Warwick. The prime mover in creating that separation was attorney Patrick Henry Quinn. The Heritage Harbor Foundation, established in 2015 to fund, observe, and celebrate
By Dr. Patrick T. Conley When Dr. Wheatland died in 1934 at the age of sixty-six, his obituary in the Newport Daily News newspaper led off by noting, “The life of the late Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland should be an inspiration to every boy, white or colored, who believes he has no chance to succeed.”
By Russell J. DeSimone George T. Downing has been overlooked in historical accounts of the mid-and late-nineteenth century. He was a central figure in Rhode Island history with a legacy as important as the famed Providence attorney Thomas Wilson Dorr, who led a short-lived rebellion in Rhode Island in 1842. Downing was a highly successful
Ray Dwyer was an outstanding athlete, teacher, coach and nationally recognized sports official throughout his long, accomplished life in Rhode Island. Born in the Rumford section of East Providence on July 21, 1923, Ray was the son of Edward M. and Mary F. (nee Mather) Dwyer. His track prowess began as a student at LaSalle
If you read the Sports section of West Bay newspapers, you most likely saw Pete Fontaine’s byline. Pete was synonymous with sports. Honored by his peers on numerous occasions, including the 6th State Group of Writing Excellence and Words Unlimited, (an organization for sports writers and announcers), Pete also had his own local radio program featuring his
Brigadier General Michael T. Byrnes, U.S. Army Ret, born on February 10, 1940, passed away after a long illness on January 9, 2023. A native of Bristol, he was a son of the late Thomas H. and Constance G. (Campanella) Byrnes, Jr. Michael’s father was a state representative, Bristol town administrator and a founder of
Lincoln C. (“Linc”) was elected governor of the State of Rhode Island in 1994, making him the first Rhode Island governor to serve a four-year term. As a former U.S. Attorney, he was elected based on his pledge to govern with honesty and integrity, to restore Rhode Islanders’ faith in their elected leaders, and to
The Rhode Island Law Enforcement community lost a true champion, when North Kingstown’s John J. “Jack” Leyden passed away on March 3, 2021, at the age of 89. Born in the Smith Hill section of Providence on July 3, 1931, Jack was the son of Thomas and Katherine (McGovern) Leyden, along with brothers Thomas and
Ted Fuller was born in Pawtucket on June 4, 1935. He began his career working for his father who ran a small Rhode Island chain, “Donut Kettle.” He parlayed this after-school job into a successful career in the food service industry. After graduating from St. Raphael Academy in 1952 and a stint at Bryant College, he