Inductees in Civic Leaders

 
  1. Zachariah Allen

    Zachariah Allen (1795-1882)

    Inducted in 1973

    Zacharian Allen, 1795-1882, was a lawyer, inventor, and civic leader of the nineteenth century. One of his most notable inventions was the home hot-air furnace. He also originated the Providence Water Works and is credited with introducing the first vehicles to the Providence Fire Company. Allen was also instrumental in setting up the mutal fire insurance system in early America . Read more >

  2. H. Cushman Anthony (1904-2000)

    Inducted in 1985

    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. Read more >

  3. M. Therese Antone, RSM, Ed.D.

    Inducted in 2006

     

    Antone, M. Therese

    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 senior executive program at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Read more >

  4. Marion F. Avarista

    Inducted in 1988

    Ms. Marion Avarista was founder of the Traveler's Aid Runaway Youth Project and developer of the Travelers Aid Medical Van providing free service for the homeless in Providence. A Cranston resident, she is one of those most responsible for the growth and development of the Traveler's Aid Society in RI and is a very active civic and community leader. Read more >

  5. Nelly Ayvasian

    Inducted in 1988

    Mr. Nelly Ayvasian is the retired Executive Director of the International Institute of Rhode Island. Born in the Soviet Union, and severely wounded during World War II, he was imprisoned in a German labor camp before coming to live in Warwick, RI. He joined the Institute staff in 1959 and over the years helped thousands of immigrants with housing and employment, English lessons, and citizenship classes. Read more >

  6. Charles C. Baldelli

    Charles C. Baldelli (1933-)

    Inducted in 2015

    Charles Celeste Baldelli was born on August 4, 1933 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.  He and his brother, Dan, were the sons of Alesandro and Marina Baldelli. True to his native city, Charlie lives in the same house in which he was born. After attending public schools in Woonsocket, Charlie served in the army during the Korean War. Read more >

  7. Bernard E. Bell (1920-2015)

    Inducted in 1991

    Bernard E. Bell, a retired business executive who lead Hospice Care for Rhode Island. He received the "Man of the Year Award", presented by Hospice America, and was very active in public and civic service. He served as Trustee of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Director of the Rhode Island Children's Friend and Service, and worked with the Jewish Federation of RI, the RI Jewish Historical Association, and the Touro National Heritage Trust. Read more >

  8. Andrew J. Bell, Jr. (1907-2000)

    Inducted in 2007

    Andrew J. Bell, Jr. was born in Providence in September 1907, the son of Andrew J. and Beatrice J. Read more >

  9. Ade Bethune (1914-2002)

    Inducted in 1990

    Ade Bethune, 1914-2002, of Newport, whose world-renowned expertise in liturgical architecture and iconography led her to a distinguished career as a much sought-after consultant for church planning. She held special concern for less fortunate parishes, as well as community efforts to include low-income housing, solar heating, and energy efficiency. A recipient of six Honorary Degrees and several prestigious awards and honors, she served as Art Director of the Terra Santa Guild and Editor of Sacred Signs and The Catholic Art Quarterly. Read more >

  10. William Binney (1825-1909)

    Inducted in 2006

     

     

    Binney, William, 1825-1909

    William Binney (1825-1909), was the son of Horace Binney, a trial lawyer of national acclaim who twice declined a seat on the United States Supreme Court.  His grandfather, Barnabas Binney, was a renowned surgeon, who served with distinction in the American Revolution.  William Binney was born in Philadelphia and obtained bachelors and masters degrees from Yale University.  He also earned a masters degree from Brown University in 1856, launching his storied connection with Rhode Island. Read more >

  11. Governor Augustus Osborn Bourn

    Governor Augustus Osborn Bourn (1834-1925)

    Inducted in 2005

    Governor Augustus O. Bourn (1834-1925) was born in Providence in 1834 to a distinguished old-line Rhode Island family whose earliest ancestor Jared Bourn served as a Portsmouth representative to the colonial assembly in 1654-55. After graduation from Brown University in 1855, Bourn joined his father in the business of manufacturing India-rubber goods.

    In 1864, Bourn founded the National Rubber Company in Bristol which had a workforce of over 1100 within twenty years of its establishment and became, by far, Bristol's largest industry. Read more >

  12. Mary P. Brennan

    Inducted in 1992

    Mary P. Brennan has been the Chief of Airport Marketing at T. F. Green State Airport. Read more >

  13. Edwin C. Brown (1910-2010)

    Inducted in 1986

    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 elected Chairman in 1964. He served a myriad of causes in Rhode Island and received honorary degrees from URI and Bryant, and was honored with the United Way's National Beirne Award in 1981. Read more >

  14. T. Dawson Brown

    Inducted in 1970

    T. Dawson Brown was former President and Chairman of the Board at the Industrial National Bank. One of the states most active leaders in promoting brotherhood, the betterment of youth, and civic renewal. He served for many years as President of the Narragansett Council of Boy Scouts. Read more >

  15. Harold W. Browning (1893-1987)

    Inducted in 1977

    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 tenure, he played a prominent role in attaining university status for the school. Read more >

  16. Sydney Richmond Burleigh (1853-1931)

    Inducted in 2011

     

    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 Rhode island School of Design and was one of the founders of the Providence Watercolor Club.   He became a champion of the emerging Arts and Crafts Movement. Read more >

  17. Dr. Joseph E. Cannon (1911-1989)

    Inducted in 2010

    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. Read more >

  18. Thomas Carney (1927-2016)

    Inducted in 1983

    Thomas Carney, 1927-2016, was the legendary hero of the highways known as "Blue Max". He is credited with saving countless lives and helping hundreds of accident victims in his 28 years as a big rig, nationwide truckdriver. He has been called "the truckdriver's greatest hero". After retiring and living in Seekonk, MA, he was honored by the City of East Providence for his work with youth and heroic acts he had performed for fire victims. Read more >

  19. Elizabeth Buffum Chace

    Elizabeth Buffum Chace (1806-1899)

    Inducted in 2002

     

    Elizabeth Buffum Chace, the first woman to be memorialized with a statue in the Rhode Island State House, was an antislavery activist and a pioneering advocate for women’s suffrage. The daughter of abolitionist leader Arnold Buffum, she married fellow Quaker Samuel Chace, a Fall River textile manufacturer. The Chaces had ten children; tragically the oldest five died of ilnesses before the second five were born.
     
    Chace first became publicly active in the cause of abolition in 1835 when she and two sisters helped to organize the Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society, which was allied with the radical wing of the antislavery movement led by William Lloyd Garrison. Read more >
  20. George Byron Champlin (1851-1946)

    Inducted in 2008

    George Byron Champlin (1851-1946) was born in Providence on September 11, 1851, just after his old-line family had left their farm in southern Rhode Island to pursue new opportunities in the state's expanding capital city. George's father, Stanton B. Champlin, opened a produce business on Pine Street in the Downtown, but soon his interest turned to the jewelry industry. In 1872, twenty-one year old George joined his father to establish Stanton B. Read more >

  21. Louis A. Cimini (1920-2010)

    Inducted in 2000

    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 Presidential Citation and National Recreation Award for exemplary service to youth. Read more >

  22. Catherine O'Reilly Collette

    Catherine O'Reilly Collette

    Inducted in 2014

    Cathy Collette was born in North Providence, grew up in Harmony, and is a 1969 graduate of Rhode Island College. She began her illustrious career with the state Department of Elderly Affairs where she helped to organize workers and became active in her local union, an affiliate of the 1.3 million member American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

    In 1979, when her husband Will was recruited to work for Legal Services Corporation in Washington, DC, she took a job in that city with national AFSCME. Read more >

  23. Samuel Pomeroy Colt

    Samuel Pomeroy Colt (1852-1921)

    Inducted in 2008

    Samuel Pomeroy Colt, a brother of U.S. Senator LeBaron Colt, shared his sibling's impressive lineage. Born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1852 as the youngest of six children, he received his early education in Hartford, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1873, and from Columbia Law School in 1876. Read more >

  24. Dr. Patrick T. Conley (1938-)

    Inducted in 1995

    Dr. Patrick Thomas “Pat” Conley of Bristol is universally considered as Rhode Island's most prolific historian and leading disseminator of historical of knowledge concerning the state's heritage., earning distinction through his pursuit of several different careers as an educator, author, attorney, civic leader, government official, and real estate developer as well as historian. He has written and published more scholarly works pertaining to the history of Rhode Island than any other person, who founded the Rhode Island Heritage Commission as a successor to ri76 for which he served as chairman, both of which preceded the Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission of the state. Read more >

  25. Kathleen S. Connell

    Inducted in 2010

    Kathleen Sullivan Connell was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the only daughter of Lawrence and Margaret Sullivan. She attended St. Mary’s School and St. Catherine Academy, graduated magna cum laude from Salve Regina University with a BS in Nursing, and then earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Salve. Read more >

  26. Dr. Anthony Corvese (1899-)

    Inducted in 1976

    Dr. Anthony Corvese, a veteran physician, was the first Italian-American to intern at Rhode Island Hospital. He was instrumental in organizing the first free children's dental clinic in the state, he also established a gynecological and surgical clinic at The House of the Good Shepherd. He was also a medical pioneer in the use of spinal anesthesia. Read more >

  27. John P. Cronin

    Inducted in 1973

    John P. Cronin served as Director of Recreation for the City of Providence for many years. He also made major contributions to many other Rhode Island youth programs, serving as a baseball, football, and hockey coach at La Salle Academy for 45 years. Read more >

  28. George William Curtis

    George William Curtis (1824-1892)

    Inducted in 1973

    George W. Curtis, 1824-1892, was an essayist and lecturer who became editor of Harper's magazine. A co-founder of the Republican Party, he led the movement for civic service reform. Read more >

  29. Brigadier Gen. Herbert R. Dean (1882-1941)

    Inducted in 2015

    Herbert R. Dean, 1882-1941, spent most of his long life in the military including duty in the cavalry during World War I, service as Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard under four governors, and Director of the Selective Service Board for Rhode Island at the beginning of World War II. He was also scoutmaster of Rhode Island's first Boy Scout Troop.

    Herbert R. Read more >

  30. Msgr. William M. Delaney, Jr. (1903-1993)

    Inducted in 1973

    Rev. William M. Delaney was director of the Catholic Youth Organization for many years. He also served as chaplin of the Rhode Island Boy Scouts and the Rhode Island State Police. Read more >

  31. John R. Dionne

    Inducted in 2014

    Woonsocket-born John Dionne, is the son of the late Raymond Dionne and Elizabeth (Krawczyk) Dionne. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after dropping out of high school in the 11th grade, but he received a GED while in the Navy from the Rhode Island Department of Education. Read more >

  32. Joseph R. DiStefano, Esq. (1938-)

    Inducted in 2008

    Cities and states do not progress and prosper randomly.  To thrive, they need leaders whose creative vision is matched by the drive, energy, and diplomatic skills that can draw together diverse people and disparate factions into a common – and ultimately successful – undertaking.  Such a leader is Joseph R. DiStefano. Read more >

  33. Rev. Vincent C. Dore (1900-)

    Inducted in 1971

    The Very Reverend Vincent C. Dore, O.P. was a Dominican educator who served at Providence College as Athletic Director, Treasurer, Dean of Studies, Dean of Faculty, President, and Chancellor. Read more >

  34. Thomas W. Dorr

    Thomas W. Dorr (1806-1854)

    Inducted in 1973

    Thomas Wilson Dorr, 1806-1854, was known as Rhode Island's greatest political and constitional reformer, and the principle draftsman of the People's Constitution in 1841. He became Governor of Rhode Island in 1842 on the People's Party ticket, and was the leader of the famous Dorr Rebellion. Read more >

  35. David A. Duffy

    Inducted in 2001

     

    David A. Duffy of North Kingstown, is the retired chairman of the highly successful firm of Duffy & Shanley, a Providence based advertising, marketing and public relations firm. David Duffy worked his way up from a typicla Pawtucket Irish kid working in a bar to success as a prominent businessman and civic leader. 
     
    Duffy attended St. Read more >
  36. Governors Elisha & Elisha Jr. Dyer

    Governors Elisha & Elisha Jr. Dyer

    Inducted in 2007

    Dyer, Elisha, 1811-1890 

    Governor Elisha Dyer (1811-1890) and Governor Elisher Dyer, Jr. (1839-1909) traced their illustrious ancestry to William and Mary Dyer of Boston who settled Portsmouth in 1638 as exiled disciples of Anne Hutchinson. They eventually embraced Quakerism, and Mary repeatedly returned to Boston to preach the new doctrine in defiance of the Puritan magistrates. Such persistence earned her martyrdom. Read more >

  37. William H. Edwards (1898-1976)

    Inducted in 1978

    William H. Edwards, 1898-1976, was head of Edwards and Angell, the prestigious Providence law firm. He was active in numerous civic groups, and focused his energy especially on the needs of minority groups and the elderly. Read more >

  38. Irving J. Fain (1906-1970)

    Inducted in 1985

    Irving J. Fain, 1906-1970, was a philanthropist, successful businessman, and community leader whose perseverance and ideals almost single-handedly led to the establishment of a fair housing law in Rhode Island. He was raised in Lippitt Hill, now University Heights, an American landmark mixture of races and economic backgrounds he helped to create. He was a backer of humane causes, an extremely active leader in the community, and one of Rhode Island's most prominent citizens until his untimely death in 1970. Read more >

  39. Susan L. Farmer

    Inducted in 2010

    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 Rhode Island to a statewide office. Read more >

  40. Aram G. Garabedian

    Inducted in 2012

    Aram G. Garabedian was born in Providence and raised by his Armenian parents. He graduated from Hope High School. After losing an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Maine, Aram decided to hitch-hike there anyway with just $35 in his possession. Read more >

  41. Carole Garnett (Wheeler)

    Inducted in 1968

    Carole Wheeler (Garnett) was a member of the U.S. women's swim team who competed in the 1924 Paris Games. Later she coached swimming and diving. Read more >

  42. Governor Lucius F. C. Garvin, M.D.

    Governor Lucius F. C. Garvin, M.D. (1841-1922)

    Inducted in 2008

    Garvin, Lucius F. C. (Lucius Fayette Clark), 1841-1922

    Lucius Fayette Clark Garvin's life was one of compassion, political struggle, tragedy and service to all. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee on November 21, 1841 to educated parents, his father, James, died when Lucius was only four and his mother, Sarah, a school teacher moved to Greensboro, North Carolina where she remarried and bore two more children. Read more >

  43. Nancy Gewirtz, Ph.D.

    Inducted in 2006

    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, the exploited, the defenseless, and the marginalized.

    Ever since she completed her graduate studies, which included a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Dr. Read more >

  44. William Gilbane (1909-1996)

    Inducted in 1977

    William Gilbane, 1909-1996, was Vice-President of Gilbane Construction, one of the largest firms in the country. He was known for being the Captain of Brown University's great 1932 football team, and was named "Big Brother of the Year" in 1956. William was General Chairman of the United Fund, and active in Boy Scouts and other civic endeavors. Read more >

  45. Frederick R. Glassman

    Inducted in 1979

    Frederick Glassman was a Blackstone Valley business and civic leader who has been honored many times for his community service. He was cited after World War II for his contributions as Chief of Rubber Conservation for the War Department. Read more >

  46. Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff

    Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff (1840-1927)

    Inducted in 1997

     

    Goff, Darius L. (Darius Lee) and Goff, Lyman Bullock

    The Goff Brothers, formerly of Pawtucket, were the sons of the Honorable Darius Goff, and members of one of the most prominent industrialist families in New England. They were partners in D. Goff & Sons, which occupied a foremost position among regional industrial concerns. Read more >

  47. Manuel Gorriaran (1938-2012)

    Inducted in 1975

    Manuel Gorriaran, 1938-2012, was a sportsman, philanthropist, industrialist, and a Pan-American-World Olympic Wrestling Team manager. He was a member of the Helms Hall of Fame, won the International Amateur Wrestling Federation's highest award and was Chairman of People to People Rhode Island.

    ce President, President and then Chairman of Hook-Fast Specialties, Inc., a family-owned jewelry manufacturing company based in Providence. Read more >
  48. Rabbi Leslie Yale Gutterman

    Inducted in 2012

    Rabbi Leslie Y. Gutterman, the son of David and Winifred Gutterman, grew up in Flint, Michigan. He received a B A degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College. In 1970, he completed his graduate studies and was ordained a rabbi. Read more >

  49. Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, III (1902-1991)

    Inducted in 2007

     Haffenreffer, R.F.

    Rudolf Frederick Haffenreffer, III (1902-1991), the eldest son of Rudolph Haffenreffer, Jr., succeeded to his father’s positions in several family ventures. Read more >
  50. James Hanley

    James Hanley (1841-1912)

    Inducted in 2007

     

    Hanley, James, 1841-1912

    James Hanley was born in Roscommon, Ireland and came to America with his parents as a child in 1846 during the Great Famine migration.  He rose from poverty to prominence as Rhode Island’s leading brewer.

    Hanley’s first important step into the world of business came in January 1862, at the age of twenty, when he opened an inn and liquor store in downtown Providence. In 1876 he began his career as a brewer in partnership with fellow-Irishman John P. Read more >

  51. Bishop Matthew Harkins

    Bishop Matthew Harkins (1845-1921)

    Inducted in 2007

     Harkins, Matthew, 1845-1921

    Bishop Matthew Harkins was born in Boston, the son of Patrick and Mary Margaret (Kranich) Harkins, both immigrants from Ireland. After completing studies at Boston Latin, the future bishop attended Holy Cross College for a year, and then, in 1863, went abroad to study at the English College in Douai, France. Like so many other American clerics, he was ordained at the Seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris on May 22, 1869. Read more >

  52. Sylvia K. Hassenfeld

    Sylvia K. Hassenfeld (1920-2014)

    Inducted in 1997

    Mrs. Hassenfeld, formerly of Providence, lived in both New York City and Palm Beach, FL.  She was been widely recognized as an outstanding civic, cultural, and philanthropic leader of international communal services for more than 40 years. 

  53. Thomas Robinson Hazard

    Thomas Robinson Hazard (1797-1886)

    Inducted in 2002

     

    Hazard, Thomas R. (Thomas Robinson), 1797-1886
     
    Thomas Robinson Hazard was a South Kingstown manufacturer, agriculturalist, author, and social reformer who embodied the egalitarian spirit of the pre-Civil War age of reform.
     
    Affectionately called “Shepard Tom” because of his prize sheep herd, Hazard was a seventh generation descendant of Thomas Hazard, the progenitor of the famous Hazard clan of Rhode Island and one of the nine founders of Newport. He was also the grandson of Thomas Hazard (1720-1798), an eighteenth-century South County Quaker abolitionist called “College Tom” because of his advanced study at Yale, and the older brother of Rowland Gibson Hazard (1801-1888), a noted Peace Dale woolen manufacturer, railroad promoter, and writer on philosophical subjects. Read more >
  54. Rowland Hazard (1829-1898)

    Inducted in 2013

     

    Hazard, Rowland, 1829-1898
     

    Rowland Hazard  was the son of Hall of Fame member Rowland Gibson Hazard and the father of Hall of Fame inductee Caroline Newton Hazard. Born in Newport, he moved at the age of four to his family’s mill village of Peace Dale which remained his principal residence until his death--as well as a principal object of his benefactions and generosity.
     
    After graduation from Brown University with distinction in 1849, he lived a life filled with business success, travel, political involvement, and civic activity. In addition to his direction of the Peace Dale Manufacturing Company, a large woolen textile firm, he acquired a huge lead mine in Missouri in 1875 where he introduced improved methods of mining and smelting ore. Read more >
  55. James V. Healey

    Inducted in 2013

     

    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. 
     
    A fierce competitor in collegiate and professional sports, Jim was noted for his “hustle.” Fortunately for those whose cause he championed through life, that hustle and persistence only intensified.
    Jim Healey’s unprecedented accomplishments over a 45-year career in the field of developmental disabilities made him one of the nation’s leading pioneers in that arena. Read more >
  56. Randall C. "Randy" Hien (1949-2006)

    Inducted in 2009

    Randall C. (“Randy”) Hien, 1949-2006, became legendary in Rhode Island for his remarkable accomplishments in two fields. As one of the most successful baseball coaches in the state, he devoted himself tirelessly to Rhode Island youth sports for thirty years. During that time, he transformed his beloved Lincoln Little League All-Stars into a nationally-competitive powerhouse, winning an unprecedented ten District Championships, seven Rhode Island Championships, and two New England Championships that culminated in two trips to the Little League World Series. Read more >

  57. Rt. Rev. John Seville Higgins, D.D. (1904-1992)

    Inducted in 1974

    Rt. Rev. John Seville Higgins, DD., 1904-1992, was Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island for seventeen years until his retirement in 1972. Read more >

  58. Gertrude Hochberg

    Inducted in 1977

    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 the United Way, and the first Chairman of the Rhode Island Commission on the Status of Women. Read more >

  59. Stephen Hopkins

    Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785)

    Inducted in 1973

    Stephen Hopkins, 1707-1785, was Governor of Rhode Island for ten years and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Historians rate him as "one of the most illustrious citizens Rhode Island has ever produced.

    Stephen Hopkins.John Hagen, 1999, Brown University Portrait Collection. Read more >

  60. Major General Morphis Albert Jamiel

    Major General Morphis Albert Jamiel (1922-2013)

    Inducted in 2014

    Major General Morphis Albert Jamiel, 1922-2013, truly exemplified the very best of America. Born into the well-known Jamiel family of Warren in 1922, his parents were the late Albert and Mary Jamiel. He had twelve brothers and sisters. From this humble origin in the small town of Warren, he eventually carved out a notable career as a well-respected attorney, public servant, and soldier. Read more >

  61. George Katz

    Inducted in 1995

    The late George Katz, formerly of East Providence, became the first Executive Director of the Big Brothers of Rhode Island, and served as Director of Development for Big Brothers of America for ten years.He traveled extensively throughout the U.S., establishing Big Brother agencies. Read more >

  62. Maj. Gen. John W. Kiely (1925-2005)

    Inducted in 1991

    Major General John W. Kiely, a former Adjutant General of Rhode Island and Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard. He completed his forty-eight year of military service as a highly decorated World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veteran whose awards include The Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, and Bronze Star. He became very active in historical, humanitarian, civic, and fraternal endeavors throughout RI for many years. Read more >

  63. Bruce R. Lang

    Inducted in 2011

     

    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. Read more >
  64. Margaret Langdon-Kelly

    Margaret Langdon-Kelly

    Inducted in 1997

    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. Read more >

  65. Frank B. Lanning (1905-1987)

    Inducted in 1970

    MFrank Lanning, 1905-1987, was a Providence Journal sports cartoonist and President of the Hall of Fame. He was well known throughout the state for his sports cartoons and his contributions to Rhode Island life in general and its' youth, in particular. Read more >

  66. Victoria S. Lederberg

    Victoria S. Lederberg (1937-2002)

    Inducted in 2003

    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 ,representing the East Side of Providence, and state senator from 1985-1991. Read more >

  67. Dr. Renato E. Leonelli

    Inducted in 1996

    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 as a member of the Providence Human Relations Commission. Read more >

  68. George S. Lima, Sr

    George S. Lima, Sr (1919-2011)

    Inducted in 2012

    George S. Lima, Sr., the son of immigrants from Cape Verde, spent his adolescent years in Harlem, Fall River, and Providence with his Cape Verdean family. His life changed dramatically when he enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University in 1939 on a football scholarship. Read more >

  69. Frederick Lippitt (1917-2005)

    Inducted in 2006

    Born to a life of privilege, Fred Lippitt (1917-2005) decided it was a privilege to serve others. The Lippitt family was among the first settlers of Rhode Island. In 1638, John Lippitt arrived in Providence. An ancestor, Christopher Lippitt, commanded Rhode Island troops in the Revolution. Read more >

  70. Royal Little (1896-1989)

    Inducted in 2012

    Quality traits such as curiosity, courage, and counter-intuition have characterized key moments of Royal Little’s life. A natural inquiring mind led him to insights others missed or thought not possible, most notably his invention of the business conglomerate, Textron, a company comprised of separate, unrelated, diversified manufacturing enterprises.

    Dealt a harsh blow in early life by his father’s death and the relocation of his family from Wakefield, Massachusetts, he faced the grim possibility of attending a rural, one-room school in California, Little was rescued by his uncle, Arthur D. Little, enrolled in a private Boston-area school and then sent on to Harvard. Read more >

  71. Rev. James MacSparran

    Rev. James MacSparran (1693-1757)

    Inducted in 1998

    James MacSparran,1693-1757 of South County was an Anglican clergyman, civic leader, diarist, and author of America Dissected (1753). The Irish-born MacSparran came to America in 1718 as a Presbyterian but soon converted to Anglicism and received the pastorate at St. Paul's church in Wickford. For over thirty-six years he was a dominant religious and intellectual influence in South County. Read more >

  72. William H. Matthews

    Inducted in 1985

    William H. Matthews was the former First Deputy City Clerk of Providence, and considered by many as the finest athlete the state has produced. "Dixie", as he was known to all, was considered by leaders of the city's African-American community as their "first but unofficial" City Councilman. Born in Providence, he retired after thirty-eight years of City employment, culminating in his appointment to the highest City post ever held by an African-American. Read more >

  73. Mayor Patrick J. McCarthy

    Mayor Patrick J. McCarthy (1848-1921)

    Inducted in 2008

    McCarthy, Patrick Joseph, 1848-1921

    Mayor Patrick J. McCarthy  was the only immigrant ever to serve as mayor of Providence. Born in County Sligo, Ireland in 1848, his family fled the Potato Famine in 1850 only to be quarantined on Deer Island in Boston Harbor. Both his parents died there. Read more >

  74. Charles J. McDonald, M.D.

    Inducted in 2013

    Charles McDonald, MD, is the founding chairman of the Brown University Medical School Department of Dermatology and Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Dermatology at Rhode Island Hospital. An internationally recognized dermatologist, Dr. McDonald has distinguished himself as a clinician, researcher, and educator and as a leader in his community and beyond.

    Dr. Read more >

  75. Dr. Robert J. McKenna (1931-2012)

    Inducted in 1993

    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 U. Read more >

  76. Harry McKenna (1916-1995)

    Inducted in 1984

    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 years, featuring top-name interviews. Read more >

  77. John McLaughlin

    Inducted in 1984

    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. Read more >

  78. Dr. Eleanor M. McMahon (1929-2002)

    Inducted in 1986

    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 classroom teacher in Pawtucket, she devoted her life to education. Read more >

  79. Rev. Charles E. Millard, Jr. (1914-2006)

    Inducted in 2007

    The Reverend Charles E. Millard, M.D. excelled in many walks of life--as an athlete in his youth, as a noted family physician, husband, parent, author, professor of medicine, and civic leader in his prime, and as a deacon of the Roman Catholic Church after the death of his beloved wife Mildred Lowney Millard. Read more >

  80. Felix Mirando

    Inducted in 1973

    Felix Mirando is a Povidence business and civic leader who co-founded the Imperial Knife Co., one of the largest cutlery firms in the United States. He was many times for his work in civic, charitable and religious enterprises. Read more >

  81. Bernard Mondor (1925-2010)

    Inducted in 1984

    Bernard Mondor, 1925-2010, was a Canadian-born business man who became one of R.I.'s most outstanding sports promoters as owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox Baseball Team, which was recognized as the strongest franchise in the International League. He entered the business world after service in the Navy, acquiring seven corporations with sales over $13 million. Read more >

  82. John E. Moran (1913-1997)

    Inducted in 1986

    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. Read more >

  83. Sister Eileen Murphy, RSM (1935-1983)

    Inducted in 1987

    The late Sister Murphy was founder of the Amos House in Providence for the care of the homeless and needy of Rhode Island. A tireless worker for the cause of homeless men and women and helping to provide daily services, including food for low-income Rhode Islanders. Sister Murphy dedicated a lifetime to the teaching and ministering of the needy. She died in 1983 at the age of forty-eight, leaving a legacy for all citizens to follow. Read more >

  84. Dr. John Nazarian (1932-)

    Inducted in 2003

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