By Ken Dooley
Dr. Patrick T. Conley is a distinguished essayist with an elegant style and a rare ability to communicate complex ideas to a broad public. He is the author of thirty-three books, most of which focus directly on Rhode Island history. In his latest volume, Rhode Running: Random Rhode Island Reflections, he writes about a wide range of subjects, from Anti-Irish Catholic Bigotry in the Dorr Rebellion to Rhode Island’s great Black leaders and its five Native American Tribes. In the preface, he promises to give recognition to Rhode Island’s Black Communities and Native American tribes for their numerous contributions to the state. Boy, does he deliver! He begins with a notable essay on LaSalle Academy, his alma mater, marking the school’s 150th anniversary. I graduated from La Salle six years before Pat Conley, but I learned a lot of new information. People usually associate the Irish in Rhode Island with Catholicism, but Dr. Conley correctly points out that many of the early Irish in Rhode Island were Protestant. He also describes the rags-to-riches scenarios in which people like Joseph Banigan opened the largest rubber shoe factory in the world, William and Thomas Gilbane founded a huge building company, and James Hanley became the region’s most prominent brewer. The Irish community also produced George M. Cohan, an actor, dancer, and composer who became America’s most successful entertainer. No one can explain the history of the Dorr Rebellion better than this author. He explains everything you need to know about this critical chapter of Rhode Island history, including its impact on the execution of John Gordon, an innocent Irish immigrant. Dr. Conley relates the story of Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland, Newport’s first African American medical doctor. He became a leading expert on the use of X-rays to treat patients. Dr. Conley also explains the significant contributions of other Black leaders, including John C. Minkins, Dr. Kenneth R. Walker, and Judge Walter R. Stone. Five Indian tribes occupied Rhode Island, and Dr. Conley explains the contributions of each.
Rhode Island’s leadership in the Independence Movement is examined in detail. He explains how Stephen Hopkins and Silas Downer defied Parliament by publishing articles that influenced the Framers of the Constitution. On June 9, 1772, Rhode Islanders struck the first blow for freedom when they sank the Gaspee. Dr. Conley makes a strong case for why Virginia and Massachusetts should share the spotlight with Rhode Island in creating a new nation.
In a delightful change of pace, Dr. Conley describes Rhode Island’s Pioneering baseball tradition. Starting with the Providence Grays of the National League, which won the World Series in 1884. Hugh Duffy of Cranston hit 440 in 1894 while playing for the Boston Beaneaters, the highest batting average ever recorded. A young pitcher played on the Providence Grays early in the twentieth century. His name was Babe Ruth. He also recognizes the Cooney family of Cranston, which produced three major leaguers – James, James Jr., and John.
Several essays examine the roles that Dr. Conley and his wife, Gail, played in preserving the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and founding the Heritage Harbor Foundation and the Rhode Island Publication Society. Sadly, Dr. Conley claims that this will be his final anthology. He has stepped down from the presidency of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and vows to put his feet up and stop writing. We can only hope that his retirement will be short-lived, and he will continue to inform and entertain us with his excellent writing.
Rhode Running: Random Rhode Island Reflections can be ordered at
Ken Dooley is a writer, screenwriter, playwright, and board member of the Heritage Harbor Foundation.