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Edward H. Flannery was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 20, 1912, to John Flannery, a police officer, and Elizabeth (Mulvey) Flannery. He attended Holy Name School and LaSalle Academy. In preparation for the priesthood, he studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at St.
Barbara A. Papitto was born in Providence on April 4, 1951, to Emile and Flora (Dandeneau) Auger. The youngest of five siblings, she grew up in the Wanskuck neighborhood of Providence with her four brothers. Her parents worked in local mills and factories, earning only minimum wage. Yet, even on the tightest budgets, her mother,
Sara M. Algeo was President of the Rhode Island College Equal Suffrage League; Founder and Chair of the Rhode Island Woman Suffrage Party; Member of Rhode Island Woman Suffrage Association; Rhode Island Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee of the New England Woman Suffrage Association; Chair of the Rhode Island Woman’s Americanization Committee;
Robert J. Black of Providence was widely recognized as the State of Rhode Island’s greatest distance runner of all-time. He was a two-time National (NCAA) cross-country champion, and was named All-American in several categories as a runner for the then Rhode Island State College, now URI. He is the only person ever to win four
Dr. Lucius A. Whipple was former President of the Rhode Island College of Education for twelve years, and had a distinguished thirty-seven year career in the field of education, mostly associated with the training of students and teachers. He served for four years in the Rhode Island Department of Education and another four years as
Dr. Joseph Conte was a renowned music director who had a long and eventful career as a concertmaster, conductor, bandmaster, violinist, and teacher. He was concertmaster of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for twenty-one years. Conte was the founder and conducted The Young People’s Symphony of Rhode Island for sixteen years. He also served as
Growing up, he just wanted to become a drummer. However, a new journey to reclaim a post-industrial valley, reveal its history, clean up its river, and build an understanding of events that changed the course of America was about to unfold. Bob built an organization and organized communities to bring back the Blackstone Valley from
John Nicholas Brown, 1900-1979, was a former assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air, senior fellow at Brown University and a director of the Smithsonian Institution. He directed the search and recovery of the works of art stolen by the Nazis for which he was decorated by the French and Belgian governments.
Dr. Mary Thorp was an educator, lecturer, and author, and became a First Distinguished Professor at Rhode Island College. She began her teaching career in Hopkington, then taught in Westerly, and served as Principal in Jamestown. A former director of Henry Barnard School and President of the Rhode Island Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association. She
Ernest Calverley of Pawtucket was a three-time All-American basketball star at the University of Rhode Island who played under the legendary Coach Frank W. Keaney. The sure-shot Calverley led the Ram’s to glory at Madison Square Garden in 1946 when URI lost the championship game by a single point. Calverley, however, won the tournament’s MVP
The late Harry M. Callahan, 1912-1999, formerly of Atlanta, Georgia and Providence, was generally regarded as one of America’s greatest photographers and photo essayists of the 20th-century, who was one of the most celebrated educators of his time, teaching for fifteen years at the Rhode Island School of Design, and whose influence on his profession
Prudence Crandall was born in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, the daughter of Pardon Crandall, a Quaker farmer and Esther Carpenter, both of whom were descended from prominent old-line South County families. When Prudence was ten she moved to a farm in nearby Canterbury, Connecticut, but returned to Rhode Island from 1825 to 1830 as a student
Mary Emma Woolley, noted educator, women’s suffrage supporter, college president, feminist, and peace activist, was the first graduate of the Women’s College at Brown University (later called Pembroke) in 1894. E. Benjamin Andrews, innovative president of Brown University, had persuaded Woolley to become the first woman student at Brown. She earned her degree under the
Born in 1797, the youngest of the three surviving children of Nicholas Brown II and Ann Carter, daughter of John Carter, the noted Providence printer, John Carter Brown was raised in a family tradition of public leadership and philanthropy. While at Brown University, he joined an undergraduate society to provide needy students with free books.
When Noreen Stonor Drexel accepted her Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Salve Regina in 1999, she made a confession: She had never been to school. And she meant never. As a girl at her family’s ancestral estate of Stonor Park in Oxfordshire, England, she had jumped on a horse and ridden away whenever she
The late Reverend Robert C. Newbold, 1920-2008, of Providence was a former Professor, Dean, Vice-Rector and Rector of Our Lady of Providence Preparatory Seminary and was former Executive Secretary of the Committee on Athletics for the Rhode Island Secondary School’s Principals association, retiring after 26 years in the profession. He guided the State’s Interscholastic League
Bill Belisle, of Manville, RI, had a distinguished career as Head Coach of the eminently successful Mt. St. Charles Academy hockey program resulting in 418 victories and 13 consecutive State Championships. His teams have been voted as national schoolboy champions. He has been the recipient of countless awards, citations, and recognition to include the U.S.
Dr. Eleanor McMahon, 1929-2002, was the Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education and former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rhode Island College. A Brown University Alumni Trustee, she has been the recipient of five honorary doctoral degrees and is the author of twenty treatises on education. Beginning her distinguished career as a
Bradford P. Boss, whose career at A.T. Cross was primarily in sales and marketing, served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Costa Inc (Formerly Known As A.T. Cross Company) from 1960 until April 1993. He continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until November 14,1999, then becoming Chairman Emeritus. He
Catherine Robinson, an outspoken champion of civil rights, approached that goal through practical application of better race relations. She was Assistant Director of the University of Rhode Island Extension Division Service until her mandatory retirement.
Robert “Bob” Bennett was born in Providence on August 8, 1919 to George E. and Margaret T. (Martin) Bennett; however, he grew up in Cranston and graduated from Cranston High School in 1937. Always involved in sports, Bob was an all-state football and track star at Cranston High School. He studied at the University of
Dr. Charles Chapin was an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of public health and epidemiology who served as Providence’s Superintendent of Health from 1884 to 1932. His book, The Sources and Modes of Infection, published in 1910, influenced physicians and public health officials across the United States and Europe by establishing public health standards.
Louis A. Cimini, a former resident of North Providence, legendary La Salle Academy coach and teacher, he also served as a football and baseball official as well as the Director of Recreation for North Providence. Cimini was an outstanding athlete in his own right and was inducted into six Halls of Fame and received a
Harriet Ware was born on July 12, 1799, in Paxton, Massachusetts, a small town just northwest of Worcester and about thirteen miles northeast of the town of Ware, settled by her ancestors. Little is known about her formative years. The brief sketch of her life by her benefactor, the Reverend Francis Wayland, president of Brown
Ernest S. Frerichs is a man of three careers and a graduate of three New England universities: Brown, Harvard, and Boston. Born in Staten Island and educated in the public schools of New York City, Dr. Frerichs served with the U.S. Army in Europe during WW II. His careers have included that of clergyman at
David Howell had a distinguished legal and academic career that extended from the Confederation era through the Early National period. He was born in Morristown, New Jersey, on January 1, 1747, the son of Aaron and Sarah Howell. He received his early education at Hopewell Academy in Hopewell, New Jersey, a Baptist school established by
Mark Antony Dewolfe Howe, 1864-1960, was born on August 23, 1864 into one of Bristol’s leading families. Mark was his father’s seventeenth of eighteen children by three wives. After his prolific father and namesake became Episcopal bishop of central Pennsylvania, Mark enrolled at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where his father was chairman of the
Vincent E. Cullen, a native of Cranston, became a highly successful Director of Athletics and basketball coach for 29 years at Community College of Rhode Island and organizer of school’s first basketball team. Vin Cullen served as its’ first and only top athletic administrator whose teams won more than 500 games, a record for collegiate
Frosty Drew attended Moses Brown School, and as a Brown University graduate, began his career as a writer. He soon became actively involved in major efforts to preserve and protect the natural environmental heritage of RI. He particularly worked to sustain Ninigret Park in Charlestown, where the Frosty Drew Nature Center is located, and was
John E. Moran, 1913-1997, served as President and Co-founder of McLaughin & Moran Distributors, which was a recognized leader in its’ field for over fifty years. An outstanding all-state athlete out of LaSalle Academy, he starred for Manhattan College in football and baseball. For the next fifty years, with time out for U.S. Naval service,
Diane Coutu, a native of West Warwick, was named a Rhode Scholar at Oxford after graduating with honors at Yale University. She was the winner of the Rotary International Fellowship, an Oxford University Graduate, and interned as Yale’s Griswold Scholar. At the age of 27, she was appointed to the Rand Corporation in California, where
Legal mind, industrialist, and investment banker, Charles C. Tillinghast served as the chairman of Trans World Airlines (T.W.A.). Born in 1911 in Saxtons River, Vermont, he was the son of Charles C. and Adelaide (Shaw) Tillinghast. He graduated from the Horace Mann School in the Riverdale section of Bronx, New York in 1928, and then
Ivan W. Fuqua won a gold medal in Los Angeles at the 1932 Summer Olympics. He went on to become one of the most successful track coaches in Ivy League history at Brown University. During his 26-year career at Brown, he guided the outdoor track team to five New England championships and three regional crowns.
Dr. James P. Adams, 1895-1969, educator, college administrator, and civic leader, was born in Michigan, but was on the faculty of Brown University from 1921 to 1944, serving the last twelve years as vice president. He also taught economics and became chairman of that academic department at age thirty-three, setting a Brown record for the
The late Dr. Doris M. Holloway Abels, formerly of North Kingstown accomplished educator, performing artist and advocate of the arts founded her own school of dance and helped to establish the Trinity Reperatory Company. The versatile Dr. Abels was also a long-time choreographer at Theater By the Sea and was a mental health counselor and
Joseph Banigan (1839- 1898) and his parents were part of a wave of Irish Catholic refugees who fled the Potato Famine in Ireland. Arriving in Rhode Island in 1847, he attended school for one year before becoming a full-time worker at age nine. Over the next fifty years he employed the “pluck and luck” characteristics of
Dr. Ramon Guiteras, founder of the American Urological Association, surgeon, statesman, and sportsman, was the most prominent Rhode Islander of Latin American heritage at the turn of the 20th century. He was born in Bristol, Rhode Island, on August 17, 1858, to Ramon and Elizabeth Manchester (Wardwell) Guiteras. His grandfather sailed from Spain to Cuba,
Benjamin Waterhouse was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on March 4, 1754. He was a physician, co-founder, and professor of Harvard Medical School. He is known for being the first doctor to test the smallpox vaccine in the United States, which he carried out on his own family. Waterhouse was born into a Quaker family,
Wilfred I. Duphiney, Rhode Island’s most prolific and most viewed portraitist of the Twentieth Century, was born in the mill village of Central Falls on May 18, 1884. His public-school education led to his enrollment in the Rhode Island School of Design, where he eventually graduated to the faculty and taught at this prestigious art
David L. Angell was best known for producing Emmy Award winning shows Cheers,” “Wings” and “Frasier.”Born on April 10, 1946 in Providence, David Angell was the youngest of three children of Mae Cooney Angell and Henry Angell. David attended Providence College, where he studied English literature. Following his graduation from PC, David enlisted in the
The late Dr. Eric Denhoff, 1913-1982, a native of Providence and co-founder of the famed Meeting Street School for children with disabilities and developmental delays. He volunteered his services as Meeting Street’s medical director for 35 years, until his death in 1982.He was internationally recognized as a pioneer in the early detection of and treatment
Lieutenant General John Phillips of East Providence and Washington, D.C., had a distinguished career in the United States Marine Corps, covering thirty-five years with tours of duty in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was highly-decorated with numerous awards, citations, and key leadership positions, and received the Navy Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the
J. Cushman Anthony, 1904-2000, was known as “Mr. Boy Scout” in Rhode Island. He was also known as “Gus”, as he dedicated a lifetime to the youth of our community and gave of himself in aiding the elderly. He spent fifty-three years with the Narragansett Boy Scouts Council of America, starting in 1915 as a
Cardinal John Dearden, 1907-1988, became Archbishop of Detroit, Michigan, ministering a flock of 1,200,000 Catholics. Born John Dearden in Valley Falls, he began his education at The Holy Trinity School in Central Falls. Ordained a priest in Rome by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani in 1932, he served as Bishop of Pittsburgh, and has authored national
Born in Tennent, Monmouth County, New Jersey on July 20, 1890, Carl Raymond Woodward graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in 1914 and a Master of Arts in 1919. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1926 in agricultural economics, rural education, and rural sociology, and served in various capacities at
Robert Gaudreau, a member of the U.S. Hockey Team at the 1968 Olympics at Grenoble, France and a local schoolboy stand-out at Hope High School in Providence, where he made All-State. Later at Brown, he was selected twice to the All-American Hockey Team as a defenseman.
Dr. Raymond T. Jackson, originally of Providence, is an accomplished concert pianist and graduate of the Julliard School of Music. Noted for bringing the music of African-American composers to the concert stage. He has compiled a three-volume anthology containing works by two dozen African-American composers dating back to the early 1800s. He has held positions
Walter Juszcyk graduated from West Warwick High School in the class of 1937. He left his mark on the school having been class president for three years, Journal Honor Roll Boy, All-State in baseball, and football captain of the Wizards. He rated with the best pitchers ever coached by Jack McCarthy. In 1936, West Warwick
Doyle, Sarah Elizabeth, 1830-1922 Sarah Elizabeth Doyle (1830 -1922) was a lifelong resident of Rhode Island who participated in the social reform ferment that engulfed the state during the Gilded Age. Despite the conservative political nature of local thinking, she successfully pioneered educational opportunities for women at the highest level. She entered Providence High School during
State and national eminence in the medical profession came to Dr. John W. Keefe of Providence, Rhode Island, through his exceptional skill as a surgeon and his many notable and humane achievements in a career in which his service in his chosen profession was distinguished for nearly half a century. He was a founder of
World-class master’s athlete, coach, sports administrator, and indefatigable worker for the performing arts in Rhode Island, Billie Ann Burrill’s talents have known no bounds. While she was director of the Health and Physical Education Department at Rhode Island College, her drive and enthusiasm enabled the school’s Performing Arts Series to become the finest in the
Ambrose Kennedy was a rarity in early twentieth century Rhode Island politics—a devout Irish Catholic Republican politician of high standing. Kennedy was not only a five-term Republican congressman, but he was also a lawyer, an educator, an accomplished orator, speaker of the Rhode Island House, and a biographer. He became one of the most prominent
Lederberg, Victoria, — 1937- Lederberg was a psychology professor and state legislator before becoming a state Supreme Court judge in 1993. Lederberg earned her bachelors and masters at doctoral degrees Brown University. She served as Providence Municipal Court judge and was professor of psychology at Rhode Island College. She served as state representative from 1975-1983
Dr. T. Steven Tegu, a native of Greece who has lived in Providence and been a longtime professor of languages at Rhode Island College. He is a former finalist for the prestigious Jefferson Award, given annually for public service benefiting local communities. He was a former President of the International Institute of Providence, and recipient
Karl R. Rittmann of Warwick, RI, whose outstanding artistic talents produced hundreds of famous portraits, features for newspapers, book illustrations, and colorful landscapes on display throughout the state and across the nation. He taught art in the Warwick School System for twenty-one years and served ten more years as Vice Principal of Veterans’s Memorial High
Richard J. Reynolds was, for thirty-two years, the schoolboy sports editor for the Providence Journal-Bulletin and one of Rhode Island’s greatest ambassadors of goodwill. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University, where he was a Wayland Scholar and later a sports information director. He was single-handedly responsible for the highly successful People-to-People
Mr. Morris J.W. Gaebe is a trustee emeritus, chancellor emeritus at Johnson & Wales University. Under his leadership, the fledgling college transformed into the world-renowned institution it is today. As President of Johnson & Wales College, Gaebe was named “Rhode Island Business Educator of the Year” in 1978. He was a member of the Permanent
Aloysius Patrick Begley (1905-1978) was born July 19, 1905, one of four brothers and two sisters, to Thomas J. and Bernadette (Murphy) Begley of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. After his primary education, he entered the Lindsay Collegiate Institute in Lindsay, Ontario, and then was transferred to Providence College in 1927 as a pre-ecclesiastic student, before his
Janet Moreau (Stone) was the first native of Rhode Island to win a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games. She won it at the 1952 Olympic Games as a member of the relay team that set an Olympic record in the event of 45.9 seconds. At age 24, she was the oldest relay team member,
The late Helen Metcalf Danforth, 1887-1984, formerly of Providence, served as President of the Corporation of the Rhode Island School of Design from 1931-1947. She also served as a member of the RISD education committee until 1965, when she was elected Chairman Emeratia. During her term of office she is credited with guiding RISD from
Two-term governor of Rhode Island, Bruce Sundlun was a complex, forthright servant of the people. Federal prosecutor, B-17 bomber pilot, CEO of the Outlet Company, to name just a few of his many accomplishments, Governor Sundlun was the quintessential Renaissance man. Bruce Sundlun was born on January 19, 1920, the first child of Jan Zelda
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914 Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), the best known and most influential naval officer of the late 19th century, ironically was born at West Point, the son of Dennis Hart Mahan, a professor of military engineering and dean of faculty at the U.S. Military Academy. Admiral Mahan was a
Carroll, Charles, 1876-1936 Dr. Charles Carroll, Rhode Island’s foremost historian of his era, was born in Providence to newspaper printer William Carroll and Mary (Sheehan) Carroll. He was educated in the Providence public schools and at Brown University where he excelled in mathematics, edited the Brown Daily Herald, captained the debate team, and served as
Jim Healey was a two-sport all-state athlete in high school and the sparkplug of a South Providence sandlot baseball team that won five age-graded championships from 1953 to 1957. He was a member of the IBAA baseball team and the 1957 state CYO champion St. Michael’s team, both of which were captained by Patrick T.
Alexander Meiklejohn, 1872-1964, Alexander Meiklejohn was a most unusual man, a dissenter in the mode of Roger Williams! He came to Rhode Island in 1880, when he was eight years old, the youngest son of a Scottish working class family. After a brief stay in Warwick, Alexander moved with his family to Pawtucket where he
John Nazarian is an accomplished musician and long-time professor and President Emeritus of Rhode Island College. At the time of his retirement in 2008, he was associated with Rhode Island College for 58 continuous years as student, teacher, and administrator. Born in Pawtucket on September 6, 1932, a son of immigrants and one of eleven
Vice Admiral Hayward of Newport served 70 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring in 1995. As a World War II naval aviator, he helped develop one of the two atomic bombs that was dropped on Japan in the closing days of the war. Later, he was a pioneer in the development of nuclear propulsion,
Governor J. Joseph Garrahy, 1930-2012, was a native of Narragansett, who served four terms as Governor of the state following a distinguished career in public service which began in 1962. One of Rhode Island’s most popular leaders, Governor Garrahy returned to the private sector in 1985, serving as a highly successful business executive and well
Dr. Vincent Turco, 1916-1999, was one of the world’s foremost authorities on treatment of clubfoot. He served as Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT, and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University and the University of Connecticut Medical Schools. He was a visiting professor and guest lecturer to 13 countries, as
Florence Kerins Murray, 1916-2004,was a high-ranking officer in the Women’s Army Corps, Rhode Island’s first female state senator (and was reelected four times), female judge and member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Dr. Leon Cooper, a physicist at Brown University, won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1972, with two other U.S. scientists. Their discovery illustrated how extremely low temperatures make metal superconductive. He is the Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Science at Brown, and Director of the Institute for Brain and Neural Systems.
George Pulliam, 1923-1956, is regarded by some as Rhode Island’s greatest all-around schoolboy athlete. At Cranston High, he won All-State honors twice in football and hockey and once in baseball, where he played at every position but catcher. For his extraordinary efforts he was nicknamed “The Cranston Crusher.” He was the fullback and star of
The President Takes the Bus During his nine-year tenure as president of Brown University, from 1989 to 1997, on many occasions when Vartan Gregorian needed to get to Boston’s Logan airport, he took the bus. Gregorian was making a point. Brown’s faculty members and students traveled by bus, so he should, too. “I took the
Gordon S. Wood of Providence is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Alva O. Way University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University. As historian and scholar of international renown, he taught for 31 years and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost historians of the American founding and has held numerous fellowships and has
Theodore Barrows Stowell (1847-1916), a prominent Rhode Island educator, served as president of Bryant & Stratton Commercial College (now Bryant University) for nearly four decades. A native of Connecticut and descended from one of New England’s earliest settlers, Stowell was drawn to the profession of teaching, and upon graduation from the Connecticut State Normal School,
James Burrill Angell had a remarkably diverse career– Brown University graduate, professor of languages, newspaper editor, university president, and diplomat. He is best known as the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan where he aspired to provide an ‘uncommon education for the common man.’ Born on January 7, 1829, in Scituate, Rhode Island, Angell
John M. Sapinsley’s personal traits such as curiosity, courage, critical thinking, and kindness led him on an extraordinary life journey as a successful U.S. Navy veteran, businessman, professor, mentor, philanthropist, champion gofer, and most importantly, a loving husband to Senator Lila Sapinsely (a 2004 RI Heritage Hall of Fame Inductee), a father of four accomplished
The story of Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales and the founding of Johnson & Wales University is truly an American success story. Given the times in which they lived, and the difficulty women faced in any professional endeavor in the early twentieth century, their story is nothing short of remarkable. In 1914, Gertrude
Garnett, Norma Ann, 1930- Norma Ann (Bergquist) Garnett, Doctor Education, an innovative educator, has been a luminary in foreign language education since 1964. Dr. Garnett has instructed thousands of students and mentored hundreds of teachers, while receiving many prestigious local and national honors. She received one of Rhode Island’s first Milken Educator Awards. She was
Dr. Robert J. McKenna, 1931-2012, a native of Providence, was Mayor of the City of Newport, as well as having been a Professor of Politics and Assistant to the President of Salve Regina University. He engaged in more than three decades of public service as both a State Senator and Representative, aide to the late
Congressman Ronald Machtley , president of Bryant University, is not a native Rhode Islander, but he has enriched his adopted state through his leadership for nearly four decades. Ron was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on July 13, 1948, but like Hall of Fame inductees, Admirals Stephen Luce, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and William S. Sims, the
General John Bruce Blount was a career U.S. Army Officer who, according to available records, was the only native-born, three-star general in Rhode Island history. Known by his middle name, Bruce, he was raised in Kingston, RI, and was a 1950 graduate of RI State College (now URI), where he excelled in both baseball and
Chief Justice Joseph Weisberger, 1920-2012, spent 56 years in the Rhode Island Judiciary and at the time of his retirement, was Supreme Court Justice of Rhode Island. He previously served the state as a Presiding Justice of the Superior Court and as a Senator and Minority Leader. Chief Justice Weisberger was instrumental in establishing am
Charles “Rip” Engle rates with Tuss McLaughry as one of Brown’s most successful and famous football coaches. Engle was an assistant at Brown to Skip Stahley before becoming head coach in 1944. He immediately installed his version of the explosive Wing-T offense and achieved something the first year that no Brown football team had been
William J. Rowe, an Olympic hammer-throwing star, was one of the outstanding all-around weight throwers in the nation in the 1930s. He was the national A.A.U. Champion in the hammer and competed in the Berlin Olympics in 1936, where he finished fifth in the hammer with a throw of 169 feet, 6” inches, the best
The late Hubert C. “Ted” Hersey of Middletown was an internationally recognized science teacher at St. George’s school, chairman of the school’s science and computer departments and renowned teacher of physics. Hersey was also a highly successful coach of cross-country and track & field. His prominence in teaching earned him a 1992 Presidential Award for
Nicholas Brown II, 1769-1841, Providence businessman and philanthropist, was the son and heir of of Nicholas Brown, one of the five famous Brown brothers of late eighteenth-century Providence. In 1796 he formed the highly successful mercantile-industrial partnership Brown & Ives, which made a fortune in the China trade. When the name of Rhode Island College
Therese Antone was born in Central Falls, the third of seven children raised by Florence Smith Antone and George Antone, a cobbler. After graduation from Cumberland High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Salve Regina University, a master’s from Villanova University, and a Doctor of Education degree from Harvard University. She also completed the
Hay, John, 1838-1905 John Milton Hay was an Illinois native with deep Rhode Island roots that prompted him to select Brown as his college. Providence was the early home of his mother, Helen Leonard, whose father, Rev. David Leonard was in the Brown Class of 1792. At Brown, Hay was described as having “a retentive
Lucy R. Tootell was an American schoolteacher, historian, and politician who served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing District 52 from 1973 until 1977. Following the family tradition of public service, her father, Roy Willard Rawlings, was the Republican Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Her brother, Rob Roy Rawlings, was
The story of Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales and the founding of Johnson & Wales University is truly an American success story. Given the times in which they lived, and the difficulty women faced in any professional endeavor in the early twentieth century, their story is nothing short of remarkable. In 1914, Gertrude
Dr. Aronson, of Rehoboth, MA, is an internationally acclaimed medical educator and researcher, founding Dean of the Brown University Medical School, co-founder of Hospice Care of Rhode Island and the Interfaith Health Care Ministries, prolific author and editor of the Rhode Island Medical Journal, and a person key to the establishment of diagnostic laboratory test
The late Frederick M. McKinnon, a native of Pawtucket, was considered the father of youth soccer in Rhode Island. He was an elementary school teacher in the Pawtucket School System for thirty years, and Acting Director and Supervisor of the Pawtucket Recreation Department for 34 years. He is widely recognized for his contributions to youth
James W. Norman of South Kingstown, was a multi-award winning Sports Information Director at the University of Rhode Island and a radio voice of the Rams for twenty-eight years. He has served as President of Word Unlimited, the Providence Gridiron Club, and the URI Ram’s Club. He is a member of the Universities Athletic Hall
John McLaughlin has been widely recognized for his civic service and contributions to many causes, including disadvantaged youth, and assisting underprivileged children. He was named R.I. “Big Brother of the Year” in 1982 and a recipient of the R.I. March of Dimes Award. A prominent businessman, he retired from McLaughlin & Moran, the highly successful
Alexander Dimartino, 1907-2001, served as Chairman of the Rhode Island Water Resources Board and President of the Narragansett Preservation and Improvement Association. He was responsible for the construction of many bridges over Route 95 and for the Washington Bridge. He actively engaged in Brown University alumni activities for many years, and was a native of
Joe Paterno, 1926-2012, was one of the winningest coaches in the nation. He never had a losing season during his tenure as Head Coach of head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. A Brooklyn native, he attended Brown University where he played football both as the quarterback and a cornerback.
John Spellman, 1899-1966, won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling in the light heavyweight division (192 pounds) at the 1924 Paris Games. Spellman was a Brown University student-athlete and captain of the 1924 Brown Wrestling Team. John’s older brother Bob, and his younger brother, Frank, were also Brown captains and competed on New England championship
John Hazen White, Sr. , 1914-2001,of Barrington, was a prominent businessman whose Cranston-based “TACO, Inc.” is among the country’s most successful manufacturing companies. He has defended Rhode Islanders by enlightening them to the cost of Government and the consequences of legislative decisions through his innovative “Red Alert” efforts, while bearing all costs associated with the
Tristam Burges, 1770-1853, was chief justice, leading member of the bar, U.S. Congressman (1825-1835), leader of the Whig Party and professor of oratory at Brown University. After a distinguished career in law, politics, and education, Burges retired to his estate “Watchemoket Farm,” then in Seekonk, Massachusetts, but since 1862 within the bounds of East Providence.
Doyle, Daniel E., 1949- Daniel Doyle is a graduate of Bates College, where he was co-captain of the varsity basketball team, and of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University. Dan holds two honorary doctoral degrees – one from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and the second from the University of Rhode
John H. Stiness was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 8, 1840, the son of Philip Bessom Stiness and Mary (Marsh) Stiness. He was descended from English ancestors who came to this country and settled in Marblehead, Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War. His father was one of the founders of the New England Screw
John Bates Clark was born in Providence on January 26, 1847, the son of merchant John H. Clark and Charlotte Huntington. In his early youth, his family moved to Minneapolis where his father engaged in the business of selling farm machinery. Clark came east in the early 1860s to attend Providence High School and Brown
Frank Caprio was a lawyer, politician, judge, and philanthropist born in Providence, Rhode Island, on Nov. 24, 1936. He served as chief judge of the municipal court of Providence, Rhode Island, and chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. His judicial work was televised on the program Caught in Providence and
Mr. Hassett, of East Greenwich, was one of Rhode Island’s all-time basketball greats, two-time all-stater, schoolboy All-American, and most valuable player for LaSalle Academy. He later starred for Providence College, becoming the third highest scorer in Friars history. He was twice-named All-New England and as an All-American, played for the NBA’s World Champion Seattle Supersonics.
Dr. Mary C. Mulvey, a nationally recognized expert in the problems of the elderly and concerns of gerontology who now makes Rhode Island her home, has been a pioneer advocate for older adults and successful in enacting legislation to establish a State Agency on Aging. She served as its’ administrator until returning to the Providence
Mr. Arlan Coolidge, a Providence resident, was an internationally renowned violinist and a graduate of Brown University. He and served as Chairman of Brown’s Department of Music for thirty-one years, served as Executive Director of the Arts Rhode Island, and as Chairman of several Governor’s Commissions on fine arts. He was also involved with the
Katharine Gibbs, 1863-1934, was the founder of the famed schools of business which bears her name. A resident of Edgewood area of Providence, she revolutionized stenography in 1911 with tenacity and vision that brought her to the forefront of American education. Today, thousands of Katherine Gibbs graduates, representing generations of Americans, owe their success to
David Gavitt was born in Westerly, Rhode Island on October 26, 1937. He attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where he played on the varsity basketball team. After graduation from Dartmouth he coached two years as an assistant basketball coach at Worcester Academy before joining the coaching staff at Providence College under Joe Mullaney in
Admiral William S. Sims modernized gunnery and professionalism in the late 19th and early 20th century U.S. Navy, placing him among the most influential figures of the modern Navy. During World War I, he commanded all United States Naval forces operating in Europe. He also served twice as president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode
Lois Testa (Lynch), a member of the U.S. Women’s Track and Field Team, played as a shot putter in the 1956 Melbourne Games. She is one of the pioneers of women’s athletics in Rhode Island. At Pawtucket East High School, the versatile Testa starred in swimming, basketball, and badminton. In Track and Field, she competed
Most inductees to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame are chosen because of their impact upon their state, or even the nation. Some, however, have such a pervasive and beneficial impact on their community or region that their life and work demand induction. Carlton Brownell is such a person. His impact upon Little Compton
Dr. Solomon Drowne, 1753-1834, a noted physician, graduated from Brown in 1773 with Senator Theodore Foster (1752-1828). He returned to Rhode Island from his far-flung travels in 1801 to settle in Foster. His estate, called Mount Hygeia, after the Greek goddess of health, became the setting for many botanical experiments and the formulation of several
Edward J. McElroy, a former social studies teacher in Warwick, rose through union ranks to become national president of the 1.3 million member American Federation of Teachers (AFL). Ed started his labor career in the 1960s lobbying for passage of the Michaelson Act, which provided Rhode Island educators with the right to collective bargaining. He
Burleigh, Sydney Richmond, 1853-1931 Sydney Richmond Burleigh, a man with roots in Little Compton, Rhode Island, studied art with Jean-Paul Laurens in Paris for two years from 1878 to 1880. Upon his return, he became one of the founders and one of the first exhibitors at the newly-formed Providence Art Club. He taught at the
Benjamin Ide Wheeler (1854-1927), joins James Burrill Angell as a significant contribution from the Ocean State to the world of university administration. Angell, born in Foster, Rhode Island, was the editor of the Providence Journal before becoming president of the University of Vermont and serving thirty-eight years as the president of the University of Michigan
Mrs. Langdon-Kelly, of Little Compton, was affectionately known to all as “Poggy”. She, along with Dr. Eric Denhoff, founded Rhode Island’s famed Meeting Street School, a world renowned institution providing early education as well as medical intervention for special needs children. Her contributions to community service are legion, and at the age of 93, she
Admiral Thomas R. Weschler, USN, a native of Erie, PA, and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was highly decorated as a veteran of World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He retired in 1975 after 34 years of duty, and later served as the Director of the Center for Continuing Education. He
Thomas Eccleston was a famed Rhode Island educational administrator, teacher, and coach, whose Burrillville teams won several state titles in baseball, football, and hockey. He continued on as a hockey coach, becoming what was believed to be the oldest high school coach in the United States. A former Principal and Superintendent in Burrillville, he was
Dr. John Knauss, 1925-2015, was among the world’s foremost oceanographers. He served as Dean of the University of Rhode Island’s famed Graduate School of Oceanography and Vice President for Marine Affairs. A key participant in the creation of the United States highly successful Sea Grant Program, this Saunderstown, RI, resident served as Chairman of the
Frank Maznicki, 1920-2013, was a former all-sports star at Westerly High School who gained football fame with the Boston College Eagles and the Chicago Bears. He became highly successful as a high school football and baseball coach.
Rev. Vincent C. Dore was born in New Haven, Connecticut on January 31, 1900, the oldest of eight children born to John and Catherine (McMahon) Dore. He attended parochial school during his grammar school years but attended public high school until his senior year when he attended Aquinas College High School and then entered the
Ralph A. Warburton was was an All-State hockey selection at LaSalle Academy in 1941, and went on to star at Dartmouth College where he captained the Big Green’s national championship team of 1947. Warburton was a member of the American Hockey Association team chosen to play in the 1948 Winter Olympics. George Pulliam was a
Ezra Stiles (1727-1795) was born in North Haven, Connecticut, the son of Isaac Stiles, a Yale-educated Congregational minister, and Kezia Taylor, who died five days after his birth. Ezra entered Yale himself at age fifteen and graduated at nineteen in 1746. Three years later, he joined the ministry. As a young man, he also studied
Former Rhode Island Representative from South Kingstown. Leona A. Kelley was born in Providence on August 15, 1919. She attended Classical High School and the University of Rhode Island graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1941. Her political career began in the 1950s as a social worker. After taking time off to raise
Dr. Barbara Roberts, an eminent cardiologist with a private practice, is truly a legend in Rhode Island. She was the first woman to be accepted into the Gorlin cardiology fellowship program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard University Medical School Teaching Hospital, and the first woman to practice adult cardiology in Rhode Island.
Professor Maury Klein, a resident of Saunderstown, has published sixteen major books in a legendary forty-four year career at the University of Rhode Island. His works, almost all national in scope, examined the industrialization of America and the Captains of Industry who spearheaded that technological revolution. Among his output are several publications that dissect the
Bernard Thomas “Slick” Pina, 1930-2013, was the oldest and most accomplished of three brothers from South Providence who dominated the local sports scene in the 1950s. Slick’s brother Tommy followed him as a two-time all-state halfback at LaSalle Academy. Joe, who did not attend high school or college, compiled a remarkable record as an amateur
Major General Salesses, of Newport, was a retired U.S. Marine Corp Officer and accomplished Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rhode Island College. The first reservist to command a marine division, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs, and later on the Secretary of Defense’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. He was a
Bernard V. Buonanno was a graduate of Classical High School, teacher of French and Latin, Counselor, and, in 1936, returned to coach three sports, football, track, and basketball. He brought Classical championships in football and indoor track. He was a former member of the State Board of Regents and the Rhode Island Board of Education.
Judge Francis McCabe was the First Chief Judge of Rhode Island Family Court. Born in Providence, he attended Hope High School and Providence College. He later became Providence City Solicitor, a probate judge, and Chief Judge of the former Juvenile Court. He was an acknowledged expert on the rehabilitation and understanding of the juvenile offender
The late John Hackett was a former Dean of the University of Rhode Island Extension Division. Under his leadership, the division grew to be one of the largest university extension divisions in the nation, offering college credit courses and degrees. He was responsible for instituting the URI Continuing Education of Women(CEW)Program.
“My parents taught me the importance of being honest and fair in all my dealings, to look for the good in people, to try to ignore their shortcomings, and to be kind to everyone.” Spencer Viner took this advice to heart and hopefully imparted these maxims to his two daughters, Tonja and Lindsey. With his
DeOrmond “Tuss” McLaughry was an American football player and coach. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Westminster (PA) College, in 1916. During his early days in coaching, McLaughry spent his spare time playing professional football with the Massillon (Ohio) Tigers. Knute Rockne, famed coach at the University of Notre Dame, was a
Dr. William H. P. Faunce, 1859-1930, was most notable for being president of Brown University from 1899 to 1929. He is considered one of the great educational administrators and orators of his time. A Brown graduate, he taught freshman mathematics before leaving Brown to attend Theological Seminary and later Divinity School. Faunce accepted the presidency
Eighteenth-century Rhode Island’s most famous scholar was Irish clergyman George Berkeley (pronounced Barkley), an Anglican essayist and philosopher, who renovated and resided at the beautifully preserved Whitehall Farm in present-day Middletown during his eventful stay in America from 1729 to 1731. Berkeley was born in Dysart Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1685. He was
Dr. Joseph J. Loferski, physicist and pioneer in the development of modern solar cells, hewas professor emeritus and chair of engineering at Brown. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, Dr. Loferski focused his career on photovoltaic cells and the properties of semiconductors. He joined the Brown faculty as an associate professor of engineering in 1961 and
When Nancy Gewirtz died in 2004 after her courageous and graceful battle with cancer, she was widely and appropriately known by a title the Fund for Community Progress had aptly bestowed upon her in 1997–“A Voice for the Voiceless.” Indeed, Dr. Gewirtz’s entire life was marked by her tireless efforts on behalf of the poor,
Although E. Benjamin Andrews had only one eye – the result of a Civil War wound during the siege of Peterburg in August 1864 – some say he was the most visionary president of Brown University. During his nine-year tenure as the eighth chief executive of Brown, he moved it from its status of a
Scott was born on August 17, 1946 into an Irish-Catholic, blue-collar family from the Reservoir Triangle neighborhood of Providence that had close ties to organized labor. His working-class background and his Irish ethnicity exerted profound influences upon his career and his achievements. Scott eventually became a labor leader and Rhode Island’s foremost labor historian as
Ms. Bert, of North Providence, was a Director of Women’s Athletics at Providence College, and widely recognized for her decades of service promoting athletic opportunities for Women. Coming to the Rhode Island when the College became co-educational in 1970, she was the first woman to be elected into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame
Dr. Aram V. Chobanianwas a Pawtucket born graduate of Brown University and Harvard Medical School. He was responsible for establishing and directing Boston University’s world renowned Cardiovascular Center. Internationally respected, he has been a Visiting Professor at the Italian Hypertension Society, the Danish hypertension Society, and Hong Kong University. He has authored two books and
Sister Mary Bernard served the community as a dedicated religious educator and Mercy missionary for over sixty years. She continued at St. Mary’s Academy well into her eighties where she has been a teacher, Principle, and Head of the Guidance Department. She was also Principle and taught for many years at St. Xavier Academy and
Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or a purpose. No one exemplifies success more than Ralph Papitto. Mr. Papitto has earned and enjoyed many successes in his life. From his early years, immediately out of college, to the present, Ralph has been at the pinnacle of the Rhode Island’s business and nonprofit
Harold W. Browning, 1893-1987, graduated from Rhode Island State College in 1914, and received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. He was Director of Graduate Studies, Dean of Men, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Vice President, and Vice President Emeritus of the University at the University of Rhode Island. During his
Dr. Albert L. Midgely, a prominent Rhode Island oral surgeon and a pioneer in dental education, was one of the founders of the American College of Dentists on August. 22 1920, at the Copley Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. His name is inscribed on the ceremonial mace to commemorate the founders, and he was elected its
Friend Friendly, 1915-1998, was a radio pioneer and executive, and a prime mover in the early development of Providence radio station WEAN. He became a professor of Journalism at Columbia University and broadcast advisor to the Ford Foundation. The broadcast newsroom at Columbia University’s School of Journalism is named for Friendly, as is a professorship
William DeWitt Metz was born in Buffalo, New York on June 13, 1914 to William J. and Minerva (Lamphear) Metz and was raised in the village of Perry, New York, about 50 miles east of Buffalo. Metz prepared for college at Dexter High School in Maine and graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine in
Dr. Isaac Ray was one of the fathers of American psychiatry. Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, on January 16, 1807, he was the son of Captain Isaac Ray and his second wife, widow Lydia Symonds. Ray graduated from Phillips-Andover Academy and attended Bowdoin College in Maine, but he left before graduation. Returning to Beverly, Ray served
Eben Tourjée (1834-1891) is regarded as an American pioneer in the establishment of music schools and conservatories–an effort crowned by his founding of the world famous New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1867. Tourjée was born in Warwick in 1834 of French Huguenot lineage that could be traced to East Greenwich’s Frenchtown settlement
Bicknell, Thomas Williams, 1834-1925 Thomas W. Bicknell (1834-1925) of Barrington was one of the two outstanding historians of Rhode Island during the first half of the 20th century (Dr. Charles Carroll was the other). In 1920 he published a three-volume narrative history of the state, supplemented by three biographical volumes. This work is still of
“Jack” Cronin played on New England’s first National Football League Championship team and coached football, baseball, and hockey at LaSalle Academy for nearly half a century. He was born in Hingham, Massachusetts on May 3, 1903. Cronin starred at Boston College, where he was a “triple-threat,” excelling in passing, running, and punting. His 60-yard-per-kick punting
Hamolsky, Milton W., 1921-2014 Dr. Hamolsky of Providence was the first full time Physician-In-Chief of Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and a Professor of Medical Science at Brown University where he helped develop the Brown University Medical School. He was the first Chief Administrative Officer of the Board of Medical Licensure & Discipline for the
Ms. Nancy A. Potter was a Professor of English at URI for forty-two years, and was made Professor Emerita. She taught undergraduate and graduate courses in American and British literature, Poetry and Creative Writing, and directed 50 MA and PHD theses. She won Fulbright Senior Lecturer Grants in American Literature in Argentina, New Zealand, and
Fritz Eichenberg was an internationally recognized graphic artist, illustrator, and author whose achievements are documented in the Library of Congress. He held several honorary degrees, including one from URI, where he served as professor and Chair of the Art Department. He became a well-known author, with texts that became standard for the field. He was
Joseph E. Buonanno, Sr., 1910-1991, was a great Brown quarterback in the 1930’s. He became Trustee Emeritus of his University, and Founder of Metro Dyestuff Company. He was also Chairman of the First Bank and Trust Company.
The Gilbane family, like the Banigans and the Hanleys, were driven from Ireland to America by the potato blight that caused Ireland’s “Great Famine.” William Gilbane, who was born in 1842, arrived in America from County Leitrim with his parents, Thomas and Bridget (O’Brien) Gilbane, in 1845, settling originally at Lime Rock in the Blackstone
Julliard-trained conductor Francis Madeira founded the Rhode Island Philharmonic in 1945 and led it for thirty-three (33) years. Madeira moved to Providence in 1943 to serve as interim director of orchestras at Brown University. Upon discovering that Rhode Island lacked a professional orchestra, he proceeded to round up thirty-one (31) musicians and organized a chamber
Grew up the Bedford-Stuyvesant streets of Brooklyn, son of an African American father and an Irish mother. His father died when he was quite young, and the family was forced into welfare. He learned to play basketball on the playgrounds of Brooklyn and later earned a scholarship to Providence College. At Providence, Lenny matured, gained
Without exaggeration one can safely state that Al Morro, teacher, coach, and athletic director at Classical High School, gained more fame and recognition than any other faculty member at that nationally-renowned educational institution ” and that fame is well-deserved. Born in New York in 1920, a son of Carmelo and Anna (Morgera) Morro, Al came
In 1856, the year that thirty-year-old Thomas Alexander Tefft embarked on an educational and architectural tour of Europe—from which he would not return alive—Massachusetts bard John Greenleaf Whittier published his famous poem “Maud Muller,” containing these memorable lines: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’”
Sherwin Kapstein has spent 65 years as a Rhode Island educator, and he is responsible for many significant developments that have shaped the teaching profession and the lives of students. Born in Providence in 1917, Sherwin was educated in the public school system and then earned degrees in history and education from Brown University. As
Caroline Hazard, educator, philanthropist, artist, and author was born in Peace Dale, Rhode Island, on June 10, 1856. She was the second of five children of industrialist Rowland Hazard II and Margaret A. (Rood) Hazard of Peace Dale. Caroline grew up with all the privileges her prominent family could afford – private tutors, European vacations,
E. Gardner Jacobs (1901- 1985), who succeeded his father Henry L. Jacobs as president of Bryant College (now University), was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1901, and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a graduate of Moses Brown School and went to Bryant for his baccalaureate and master’s degree. Passionate about the college,
Mr. Leonard, formerly of Providence before relocating to California, was for more than 40 years an internationally renowned musician and teacher of music. He was Principle Cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and professor of Cello at the University of Southern California. He previously performed with both the Cleveland Orchestra and Rochester Philharmonic, and
The late Joseph Watmough, Sr. spent forty-three years as the swimming coach at Olneyville Boys and Girls Club, Central High School, and Brown University. Three of his proteges were named to the U.S. Olympic Teams, and national and world records were broken under his tutelage.
Born in Cranston, Rhode Island in 1929, Ronald R.S. Picerne is the son of Romeo and Rose Picerne. Ron attended Cranston public schools and graduated from Cranston East High School in 1946. As a young boy, Ron was a member of community organizations such as the YMCA and Boy Scouts and played CYO basketball and
William Flanagan got his start in education first as a high school English teacher, then as vice principal of Lockwood Jr. High School, and finally as principal at Nelson W. Aldrich Jr. High School in Warwick. After serving as a naval officer in World War II, he returned to the field of education to establish
The Gilbane family, like the Banigans and the Hanleys, were driven from Ireland to America by the potato blight that caused Ireland’s “Great Famine.” William Gilbane, who was born in 1842, arrived in America from County Leitrim with his parents, Thomas and Bridget (O’Brien) Gilbane, in 1845, settling originally at Lime Rock in the Blackstone
Joseph Mullaney was born on Long Island, New York on November 17, 1925. After graduating from Chaminade High School in Mineola and service in the US Air Force he attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts where he played basketball with the legendary Bob Cousy. In 1947 he was co-captain of the
Bruce Bigelow, 1903-1954, was a Brown University Graduate and a historian, who served as Vice President of the University during the administration of President Henry M. Wriston (1937-1955). Described by noted Brown professor of English Robert Kenny as “a gem, a man of personality and charm…” In a sense he was Wriston’s trouble shooter. “Bruce
Haig Varadain of Cranston was an educational, athletic and civic leader who served his city’s school system as teacher, coach and administrator for 50 years. His expertise in the sport of wrestling is legendary and Varadain was the Director Emeritus of the R.I. Interscholastic Wrestling League and recognized internationally in the sport. He is a
Thomas Davis was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 18, 1806. He attended private schools in Ireland and migrated to America in 1817, settling in Providence. Becoming a pioneer in Rhode Island’s jewelry industry, he amassed sufficient wealth to enable him to finance a variety of political, civic, and reform endeavors. Little is known about
Berlitz, M. D. (Maximilian Delhinus), 1852-1921 Maximilian D. Berlitz was born on April 14, 1852 in the village of Mühringen at the edge of the Black Forest in southwest Germany. His birthname was David Berlitzheimer, the son of a village cantor and Jewish religious teacher. He came to America, according to ship records, in July
Mowry, William A. (William Augustus), 1829-1917 Dr. William Augustus Mowry ranks among Rhode Island’s foremost educators. Besides writing a score of books (especially texts on history and civics), Mowry founded a highly-regarded private high school in Providence, pioneered in the establishment of teachers’ institutes, and served as superintendent of schools in Cranston and in Salem,
Dr. Fiorindo A. Simeone was Chief of Surgery at The Miriam Hospital and gained worldwide recognition for his work with artificial organs. He performed the first open-heart surgery in the Middle East. An authority on trauma and shock, he has served on the staff of many hospitals throughout the nation and on many university faculties.
Dr. Leonelli, formerly of Providence, advanced the education of RI youth through his 39 year tenure as Professor of Physical Science and Science Education at Rhode Island College, as well as through a weekly, live, local television program entitled ‘Small Fry Science’. He also served on the Boards of numerous civic and cultural organizations and
Alfred “Smokey” Cerrone was a highly successful businessman, athlete, musician, innovator, and public-minded citizen who developed one of the world’s largest automobile agencies. He was instrumental in numerous charitable fund-raising ventures including with the Lincoln-Cumberland Boys Club and St. Joseph’s Pine Harbor School for children with special needs. He has given his personal support to
Brother Adelard Beaudet, 1884-1990, was “The father of Schoolboy Hockey in Rhode Island”, and became the first coach of the sport at Mt. St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket in 1930. As a teacher and coach, his MSC teams won ten state championships and two national titles in thirty years. Adelard Arena in Woonsocket is named
Joseph P. McGee was a three-sport star at Providence College. He instituted basketball at the school, serving as first captain and coach. He also became Varsity Football Coach of the Friars, and a member of the Providence College Hall of Fame. In addition, He was President and General Manager of the Providence Steamroller Football Club.
Gertrude Hochberg was Vice-President of Bryant College and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Journalism. She was a past President of the Rhode Island Advertising Club, and a member of the Board of the National Council of Christians and Jews. She also served as Director of the Speakers Bureau for
Americo A. “Savy” Savastano, M.D. (1906-1987), one of the world’s most renowned surgeons, served as Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Rhode Island Hospital. Born in Orchi, Italy on November 28, 1906 to Carmine and Luigia (Vendettuoli) Savastano, Americo and his family moved to Rhode Island when he was nine years old. He graduated from the
Frederick Douglass “Fritz” Pollard, 1894-1986, came from Lane Tech in Chicago and was known as a great running-back for Brown University in 1915 and 1916. As a freshman he started on the Brown squad that played in the first Rose Bowl game, becoming the first African American to play in the Rose Bowl. In 1916,
Leonard J. Panaggio of Newport was one of Rhode Islands all-time leaders in the promotion of tourism to the Ocean State. Few, if any, before or since, have done as much to promote Rhode Island, and especially Newport, as a tourist destination. Len worked so diligently in the tourism field not only because of his
In Rhode Island, slavery was placed on the road to extinction on March 1, 1784, when the General Assembly passed a gradual manumission act making any Black born to a slave mother after that date free. Those who were slaves at that time had to be manumitted by their masters. Five such slaves were listed
Jameson, J. Franklin (John Franklin), 1859-1937 J. Franklin Jameson (1859-1937) was a history professor at Brown University from 1888 to 1901, a vice president of the Rhode Island Historical Society, first secretary of the American Historical Association and long-time editor of its journal, The American Historical Review, Director of Historical Research at the Carnegie Institution
Daniel B. Updike, book designer, and printer, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on Feb. 24, 1860. He was the son of Caesar Updike, a lawyer and state representative, and Elizabeth Bigelow Adams. He was an only child born into an old, well-connected New England family. He was a descendant of Richard Smith, one of
Alva V. Belmont was an American multi-millionaire socialite and women’s suffrage activist. She was noted for her energy, intelligence, strong opinions, and willingness to challenge convention. She was born on January 17, 1853, at 201 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama to Murray Forbes Smith, a merchant, and Phoebe Smith. Her father was the son of
Metcalf, Helen Adelia Rowe, — -1895. Ms. Rowe Metcalf, formerly of Providence, was leader in the drive to establish the Rhode Island School of Design and devoted most of her time from 1878 to her death in 1895 to directing the School. Her influence and administrative skills enabled RISD to be founded with the goals
Commander John A. McIntyre was a former U.S. Navy flying ace in World War II and the Korean War. He held distinctions that included the Silver Star, two distinguished Flying Crosses, and four Air Medals. He was a former three-sport star athlete for LaSalle Academy, and later an All-America football player at Notre Dame. A
Edwin Brown, 1910-2010, was one of the foremost proponents of organized labor in the State. He was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the RI AFL, and later was a key negotiator in the merger of the AFL with CIO. He served on the State Board of Education and later the Board of Regents for twenty-eight years, being
Anna M. Tucker was Director of the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs. She was a recipient of the URI Distinguished Alumni Award, and a member of the URI Athletic Hall of Fame. She became Director of the National Association of State Units on Aging.
Born in Laramie, Wyoming, Henry Merritt Wriston was the son of Henry Lincoln Wriston, a Methodist minister and Jennie Amelia (Atcheson) Wriston, a schoolteacher. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1911 and his Master of Arts the following year, both from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He continued his studies at Harvard
Born in High Forest, Minnesota on October 8, 1876, Joseph Howard Ladd was the son of George W. and Emma (nee Corey) Ladd. He was educated in Vermont and continued his studies at Norwich University before entering Dartmouth Medical College, where he graduated in 1900 as a Doctor of Medicine. From there, he took up
Dr. Francis Horn was a prominent educator and world traveler who served as the sixth president of the University of Rhode Island from 1958 to 1967. Horn, a mid-westerner, held a doctorate in education from Yale and served in several posts including president of the Pratt Institute in New York prior to his arrival at
Joseph Brown (1733-1785), the son of Captain James Brown and Hope Power, was a noted businessman, scientist, professor, and architect, and one of the famous Brown brothers who dominated civic life in Providence during the second half of the eighteenth century. Although he was a successful merchant and the manager of his family’s spermaceti candle
The third member of Rhode Island’s early nineteenth-century group of famous literary women (Catherine Williams and Frances Whipple) was Sarah Helen (Power) Whitman. She was born in Providence on January 19, 1803, the daughter of the former Anna was Sarah Helen (Power) Whitman, joining Marsh and Providence merchant and sea captain Nicholas Power. Helen’s father
Lester F. Ward was a botanist, paleontologist, sociologist, and legendary Brown University professor who promoted the introduction of sociology courses into American higher education. He had such a powerful intellect and such wide-ranging knowledge that some contemporaries referred to him as “the American Aristotle.” Ward emphasized universal and comprehensive public schooling to provide the public
Joseph Cannon was born in Providence in 1911, the son of General Francis Cannon and Mary (Milligan) Cannon. He attended Technical High School and graduated from Brown University in 1932. He chose a career in medicine, and in 1936 he earned his degree cum laude from Tufts Medical School. Dr. Cannon then joined the Army
Margaret McKenna was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1945 to parents who were lifelong teachers and administrators in the Central Falls public school system. Her father was in the first graduating class at Providence College, and her mother was a graduate of Rhode Island College. Margaret attended Holy Trinity Elementary School in Central Falls