1445 Wampanoag Trail, Suite 203, East Providence, RI 02915-1019 | (401) 433-0044 | info@riheritagehalloffame.com
Moderator, disc jockey, and radio and television personality Steve Kass has served the local broadcast industry for over fifty years. He began broadcasting as a disc jockey on WRIB in 1958 and immediately changed his name from Katz to Kass. “I changed my name when I became a rock and roll DJ on WRIB radio.
This year, Gene Valicenti crosses over the 30-year mark at WJAR, starting as a freelance reporter in the summer of 1992. As co-anchor of the top-rated NBC 10 News at 6, host of the “10 News Conference” political program, and morning man for WPRO radio, Gene has deservedly come to be known as “Rhode Island’s
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,
Timothy “Tim” Gray, a resident of South Kingstown, is a national award-winning documentary film director, producer, and writer operating from his base in Rhode Island. He is a 1989 graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a major in journalism. Tim has produced and directed 34 documentary films to date on the personal stories
Mr. Sherman A. Strickhouser was a graduate of Brown University. A radio announcer while attending college, he produced several award winning television documentaries, and hired the first anchorwoman to work in Rhode Island television. One of the most popular talk-show hosts, he created the markets first all-talk radio station, and was the 1992 Honorary Chairperson
Ruth C. Hussey was a film, stage, and television actress who primarily played witty, sophisticated professional women and strong, noble wives. Hussey appeared in forty feature films. She was a beautiful brunette, standing about five feet, five inches tall, and a reliable actress who projected grace, poise, and intelligence. Those qualities made her a natural
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
The late Edwin G. O’Connor, a Providence native and former Woonsocket resident, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist whose works included The Last Hurrah, The Edge of Sadness, for which he received the Pulizer; and “All in the Family.” A multi-talented individual, he was also a playwright, creating I Was Daning and Traveler for Brazil for
Harry McKenna, 1916-1995, was News and Public Affairs Director of WEAN radio, and as “Dean” of R.I. news correspondents he had a distinguished thirty-nine year carer as a broadcast journalist. Over nearly four decades he became a news reporting legend in Rhode island, initiating the popular, award-winning, “Radio Press Conference,” which ran continuously for thirty-six
James H. Woods formerly of Warwick, now living in Los Angeles, is a multi-award winning stage and screen actor who has had an extraordinary career. An extremely versatile performer he has excelled across a wide spectrum of acting roles in major movie, television and theater productions. His honored performances in Ghosts of Mississippi and Salvador
Charlie, as he prefers to be called, is a versatile comedian, writer, showman, artist, and political activist. In 2012, Charlie was the first person inducted into the newly-established Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame. His induction was the culmination of over thirty years of laugh-making through a variety of avenues including stand-up, writing, theater, and
Reverend Joseph L. Lennon has been called the “ubiquitous Father Lennon,” the versatile Father Lennon, and “Mister Providence College.” Joseph Luke Lennon was a native Rhode Islander and maintained a lifelong connection with the Elmhurst section of Providence. He was born on September 21, 1919, the son of John J. Lennon and Marjorie (McCabe) Lennon.
Edward M. Fay spent his life in the entertainment industry as a violinist, conductor, vaudeville impresario, poet, and motion picture theater owner. He owned at least six different theaters between 1928 and 1977 and was called by The Providence Journal the “dean of Rhode Island entertainment.” He was born in South Providence to James T.
Jack White (1942-2005), a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter known for his investigative skills, began his long and distinguished career at the Newport Daily News in 1969. He then became a member of the Providence Journal’s reporting staff where he exposed President Nixon’s underpayment of income taxes. His articles prompted Nixon to utter his infamous line, “I
“Salty” Brine was the most listened to Rhode Island morning radio announcer for almost four decades during the Cold War era. An iconic personality, he also conducted a popular television series for children during the 1950s. His sidekick was Jeff, his beloved collie. One might say that he served as an uncle to many Rhode
Vin Di Bona is the chief executive officer of Vin Di Bona Productions and chairman of his new enterprise, FishBowl Worldwide Media. A four-time Emmy award-winning producer and eight-time Emmy nominee, Di Bona is the recipient of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for his work in documentary programming. However, it is as a pioneer
William Walden, 1907-1987, a native of Providence, was a pioneer Rhode Island radio and television sportscaster. He was also a former athlete who served for twenty years as secretary of the Tim O’Neil amateur baseball league. He was the former News Director of WJAR-TV, and a native of Providence. Walden was actively involved with many
Bruce R. Lang is an American entrepreneur and former television executive, television and radio host and analyst, co-founder of two Rhode Island good government groups, Operation Clean Government and UsPAC (1991-1993). He currently hosts State of the State (TV show) on a part-time basis. Bruce Lang, a resident of Newport, has a B.A. from the
Award-winning journalist Patrice Wood has been delivering the news to Southern New England on WJAR-TV, Channel 10, since February, 1980, making her the longest-serving female newscaster in Rhode Island television history. She currently anchors the main evening newscasts, Monday through Friday, at 5:00, 6:00, 10:00 and 11:00. Holly Patrice Wood grew up on a farm
Susan L. Farmer joins her forebears, Bishop Alexander Griswold and Anne Hutchinson as an inductee into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Like Hutchinson, a pioneer in many areas, including the advancement of women, Susan was a “first” as well. When elected Secretary of State in 1982, she became the first woman elected in
Frank Frisch was an American baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants (1919–1926) and St. Louis Cardinals (1927–1937), and managed the Cardinals (1933–1938), Pittsburgh Pirates (1940–1946), and Chicago Cubs (1949–1951). After his retirement, he moved to Charlestown, Rhode Island, where he spent the last 17 years of
Karen L. Adams was born on the Fourth of July in the rural midwestern town of Nevada, Missouri. Upon graduating in 1975 from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, she went to work in radio but quickly moved into television news. KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kansas was the first stop in her television career, where she
David Hartman, from Pawtucket, starred in The Bold Ones, and Lucas Tanner, establishing him as a top ranked television star. As anchorman on NBC’s Good Morning America from 1975-1987, he also did yeoman’s work behind the scenes for Jerry Lewis’s telethon for Muscular Dystrophy.
Mike Renzi, a master American pianist, arranger, and musical director, was raised in Providence and started piano lessons at the age of eight; the style was classical. Soon he added popular music in the style known as “the American songbook,” consisting of the compositions of such artists as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Johnny Mercer.
Mowry Lowe pioneered radio broadcasting in New England, starting with Station WEAN in 1931 and continuing active broadcasting for 40 years. WEAN became the first commercial radio station in Rhode Island when it signed on the air on June 5, 1922. The station was founded by John Shepherd, grandson of the founder of Shepherd’s Department
Anthony Quinn was born in Chihuahua, Mexico in April 1915 during the Mexican Revolution to a Mexican-Indian mother, Manuela Oaxaca, and a half-Irish father, Francesco, or Frank, whose father had immigrated from Cork, Ireland to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. When Anthony was only eight months old, his mother hid him in a coal
Robert Leo “Bobby” Hackett was a versatile American jazz musician who played swing music, Dixieland jazz and mood music, now called easy listening, on trumpet, cornet, and guitar. He played Swing with the bands of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and early 1940. He played Dixieland from the 1930s into the 1970s in a variety of groups with many of the major
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
Charles Leo “Gabby” Hartnett, nicknamed “Old Tomato Face,” was a professional American baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs from 1922 to 1940. He spent the final season as a player-coach with the New York Giants in 1941. After his playing
For generations of Rhode Islanders, Art Lake was the man who greeted them every morning. Lake was featured on WJAR for over sixty years, first as a radio host in 1944, then as an inaugural broadcaster for Channel 10 in 1949. A native of Braintree, Mass., he has lived in Greenville for many years. Art’s
Irving Levine, 1922-2009, became one of the country’s top newsmen in the radio and television fields. He gained fame as a reporter, photographer, and commentator while on overseas assignments and was best known as an NBC News correspondent. His career spanned nearly forty-five years. Born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on August 26,1922 to Ukrainian immigrants
The marvelous story of Rhode Island’s own John Joseph McLaughlin leads one through more twists and turns than a Rocky Point roller coaster. Born on March 29, 1927 to Augustus and Eva (Turcotte) McLaughlin, he grew up in the neighborhoods of Edgewood and Mount Pleasant. His earliest run at greatness included stints as a pharmacy
Wartime heartthrob Van Johnson was born Charles Van Dell Johnson August 25th, 1916, in Newport, Rhode Island, the only child of Loretta Snyder and Charles E. Johnson. Drawn to the stage even in his early years, Johnson attended Rogers High School, and, as a teenager, frequently performed in local Newport social clubs. Upon his graduation
James J. Taricani of North Kingstown, is the WJAR-TV (Channel 10), WPRI-TV (Channel 12), and local radio multi-award winning investigative reporter who became Director of Communications for RI Governor Lincoln Almond. He earned four coveted, regional Emmy Awards, television’s highest honor, and ten Emmy nominations, in addition to several other prestigious journalism awards for outstanding
Chris Schenkel, 1923-2005, was Sports Director for the American Broadcast Corporation. He got his real start in sportscasting in Rhode Island after World War II, working at WFCI and WEAN. He did local radio and called the Thoroughbred horse races at Narragansett Park for six years. His work here was recognized by the Columbia Broadcasting