Inductees in Religion & Churches

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 >
Joseph Banigan (1839-1898)
Inducted in 2005

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 Yankee entrepreneurs to build a local footwear empire before assuming the presidency of the United States Rubber Company in 1893.

Banigan was a youthful apprentice in the jewelry industry before tinkering with rubber products. Read more >
Brother Adelard Beaudet (1884-1990)
Inducted in 1986

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. Read more >
Rev. Aloysius B. Begley, O.P.
Inducted in 1974

Reverend Aloysius B. Begley, O.P. was Providence College Director of Athletics for thirty-one years. Read more >
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 >
Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753)
Inducted in 1998

Bishop George Berkeley,1685-1753, was an Irish-born enlightenment philosopher, Anglican Bishop, philanthropist, and proprietor of Whitehall in Middletown from 1729-1731. After his return to Ireland in 1732, he was soon consecrated Bishop of Cloyne and continued his philosophical writings. His poem "On the Prospect of Planting Arts and Learning in America" is famous for the oracular line "Westward the course of Empire takes its way."
. Read more >
Sister Mary Bernard, RSM
Inducted in 1987

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. Read more >
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 >
Thomas Williams Bicknell (1834-1925)
Inducted in 2010

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. Read more >
Rev. William Blackstone (1595-1675)
Inducted in 1995

Reverend William Blackstone (also spelled Blaxton), who lived in the Valley Falls Area of the Blackstone Valley, was the first European settler in the present RI State boundaries and the man whom the Blackstone River was named. A town bears his name, as do numerous parks, thoroughfares and valleys located in the valley he made famous and which later became the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Rev. Blackstone is credited with creating the first American variety of apples. Read more >
Monsignor Anthony Bove (1877-1931)
Inducted in 2013

Anthony Bove was born on May 17, 1877 at Albano di Lucania, Italy, the son of well-to-do parents. After receiving a thorough classical and theological education, he was ordained to the priesthood at the age of twenty-two by reason of his high scholastic standing. Immediately thereafter he came to Rhode Island to do parish work for the state’s rapidly growing Italian population.

His first assignment from Bishop Matthew Harkins was at the mission church in Thornton, that eventually became St. Read more >
Moses Brown (1738-1836)
Inducted in 1999

Moses Brown, 1738-1836, the youngest of the five Brown brothers was a Providence civic leader, entrepreneur, sponsor of Samuel Slater, and prominent Quaker abolitionist. Moses Brown was also a founder of the Providence Athaneum and Moses Brown School. Read more >
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 >
Reverend William Ellery Channing (1780-1842)
Inducted in 2012

Reverend William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 - October 2, 1842) was born in Newport, a grandson of William Ellery, a Rhode Island signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was also raised in Newport prior to graduating from Harvard in 1798. Thereafter he often visited Rhode Island, but he made his career in Boston as America's foremost minister of Unitarianism, a sect that rejected harsh Calvinistic theology in favor of a gentle, loving relationship with God.

From 1803 until his death Channing was pastor of Boston's Federal Street Church. Read more >
Dr. John Clarke (1609-1676)
Inducted in 1997

Dr. John Clarke, 1609-1676, was a physician, Baptist clergyman, and Statesman. As the Colony's agent in England he secured a liberal charter for Rhode Island in 1663 from King Charles II. He became one of Rhode Island's foremost advocates in the separation of Church and State. Read more >
Reverend Angelo D'Agostino, S.J., M.D. (1926-2006)
Inducted in 2009

Father Angelo D'Agostino, 1926-2006 was born on January 26, 1926 in Providence, Rhode Island and died at work in Nairobi, Kenya on November 20, 2006. Raised in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence, Angelo was educated at Holy Ghost School, LaSalle Academy, and St. Michael's College in Vermont. He received both an M. Read more >
Monsignor Charles Dauray (1838-1931)
Inducted in 2008

Dauray, Charles, 1838-1931

Monsignor Charles Dauray, regarded by his contemporaries as the Dean of Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Providence, was born in Marieveille, Quebec on March 15, 1838. At the age of thirty-two he was ordained a priest and assigned to teach at a local college.

Dogged by ill-health and overwork, Dauray was granted a leave of absence and traveled southward to his brother's home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to recuperate. Soon, he began to immerse himself in the spiritual needs of the rapidly-growing French-Canadian population in that city. Read more >
Cardinal John Dearden (1907-1988)
Inducted in 1980

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 educational programs devoted to principles of justice. Read more >
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 >

Reverend John Byron Diman (1863-1949)

Inducted in 2009

Diman, John Byron, 1863-1949

Reverend John Byron Diman was born in Brookline, Massachusetts to a prominent Rhode Island family of French-Huguenot origin, a branch of which settled in Bristol. The family's surname has been spelled in several ways including “Diamont ” and “Diamond.” John's grandfather Byron was the Law and Order governor of Rhode Island in 1846-47; another relative, Francis M. Diamond served as governor in 1853-54 as a Democrat. Read more >

Mary Dyer (1611-1660)
Inducted in 1997

Mary Dyer, 1611-1660, was a Quaker missionary and martyr. She moved to Rhode Island in 1638 and become one of the founders of Portsmouth. She ultimately returned to Boston where she was hanged for supporting the Quakers.

Conn, J. Read more >
John J. Fawcett (1909-1992)
Inducted in 1990

John J. Fawcett of North Kingstown earned international acclaim during an outstanding thirty-seven year career with the Providence Journal Company. He was an accomplished sports and editorial cartoonist, and a champion for the rights of others. He gained four National Brotherhood Awards from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and his prolific works have been sought by heads of State. Read more >
Reverend James Fitton (1805-1881)
Inducted in 2001

Fitton, James, 1805-1881

Reverend James Fitton was one of New England’s foremost Catholic missionary priests. The energetic and seemingly ubiquitous Fitton was a driving force in the development of Rhode Island Catholicism establishing twenty widely-scattered parishes and serving in every major area of early Irish settlement including Newport, Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and the Pawtuxet Valley.

Fitton was born in Boston, the son of Abraham Fitton, a wheelwright and Sarah Williams. Inspired by his parents, he became an acolyte in Holy Cross Cathedral where Bishop John de Cheverus encouraged him to enter the priesthood. Read more >
Reverend Cornelius Philip Forster, O.P. (1919-1993)
Inducted in 2004

Reverend Cornelius P. Forster was born October 27, 1919 in New York City, the third of four children of Cornelius A. Forster, Sr., a New York fireman, and Mary Catherine Collins, an accomplished singer and pianist. Read more >
Dr. Ernest S. Frerichs
Inducted in 2008

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. Read more >
Samuel Gorton (1592-1677)
Inducted in 1973

Samuel Gorton, 1592-1677, was a colonial leader who was the first settler of Warwick, RI. He inspired the development of a religious sect called the Gortonists.

^{Photograph of Samuel Gorton grave medallion, Gorton Cemetery, Warwick, Rhode Island. Sarnold17 Wikipedia. Read more >}
^{Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold (1766-1843)}
^{Inducted in 2001}

Griswold, Alexander V. (Alexander Viets), 1766-1843

Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold (1766-1843) was one of the most prominent American churchmen of the early nineteenth century. He was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, the son of Elisha Griswold and Eunice Viets who were farmers. As a young boy he came under the influence of his uncle Roger Viets, a former Presbyterian who had become an Episcopal priest. Read more >
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 >
Rev. Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909)
Inducted in 2007

Hale, Edward Everett, 1822-1909

Rev. Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), noted author, social and economic reformer, and Unitarian minister was born in Boston. His father was a nephew of Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, and his maternal uncle and namesake Edward Everett was a noted orator, U.S. Read more >
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 >
Merrill Hassenfeld (1918-1979)
Inducted in 1982

Merill Hassenfeld, 1918-1979, was Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro Industries. He was an active leader of the Jewish people and campaign chairman of the United Way of Southern New England.He was president of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, a founder of the Jewish Community Center and a director of the Miriam Hospital. Read more >
Bishop Thomas F. Hendricken (1827-1886)
Inducted in 2006

Hendricken, Thomas Francis, Bishop, 1827-1886

Bishop Thomas F. Hendricken was born in Ireland just outside the Town of Kilkenny, County Leinster, on May 5, 1827. His father John, descended from a German officer named Hendricken who fought at the Battle of the Boyne in 1691 for the Catholic cause, was a farmer who scratched an existence from the unyielding soil for his wife and six children before his early death.

Kilkenny merchant, James Fogarty, who had married Mrs. Read more >
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 >
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 >
Rev. Samuel Hopkins (1721-1803)
Inducted in 1999

Reverend Samuel Hopkins, 1721-1803, of Newport, was a Congregational theologian and reformer. As pastor of Newport's First Congregational Church Hopkins preached his doctrine of "disinterested benevolence" which led him to embrace the antislavery cause. His impact on 19th-century abolitionist thought was significant. Read more >
Anne M. Hutchinson (1591-1643)
Inducted in 1997

Hutchinson, Anne, 1591-1643

Ms. Hutchinson, formerly of Pocasset which is now Portsmouth, was born in England and immigrated to the Mass Bay Colony in 1634. Her early liberal upbringing and Puritan leanings inspired her to take a strong part in the religious life of the community, which led to her banishment from the Colony. She later took up residence with her family in Rhode Island and became one of the most influential religious activists of her time. Read more >
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 >
Rev. Joseph L. Lennon, O.P. (1913-2011)
Inducted in 1999

Reverend Joseph L. Lennon, O.P., of Providence was a a member of the Dominican Friars (Order of Preachers) of the Eastern Province of St. Read more >
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 >
Rev. James Manning (1738-1791)
Inducted in 1999

Manning, James, 1738-1791

Baptist clergyman and founding president of Rhode Island College (now Brown University), was born in Elizabeth Township, New Jersey. He attended Hopewell Academy, a Baptist grammar school, and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). In 1764, after ordination as a Baptist minister, Manning and his wife Margaret Stiles, moved to Warren, Rhode Island, where he founded a Latin school and a Baptist church.

When the region's Baptists decided, after much debate and controversy, to establish a college in Warren, they obtained a charter from the General Assembly in 1764. Read more >
Maxwell Mays (1918-2009)
Inducted in 1977

Maxwell Mays,1918-2009,was a lay preacher in his hometown of Greenville, Rhode Island, and one of the top painters of folk art in the United States. He exhibited in many of the major cities across the nation, and was past President of the Providence Art Club. His work, featuring traditional New England scenes, was published in Collier's, Yankee, American, and Cosmopolitan magazines. Read more >
Rev. Msgr. Charles W. McConnell
Inducted in 1986

The late Very Reverend Monseignor McConnell was Diocesan Director of the Rhode Island CYO for twenty-five years, where he supervised the activities and influenced the lives of more than 25,000 youth. As pastor of St. Teresa's Parish in Providence, he served for many years as State Chaplain for the Rhode Island Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America. A scholar and athlete for both LaSalle Academy and Providence College, Reverend McConnell was named "Padre of Youth for the United States", at ceremonies conducted at our nation's Capitol, the highest tribute that the National Council of Bishops on Youth Activities can bestow on an individual. Read more >
Dr. John J. McLaughlin (1927-)
Inducted in 2005

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 soda jerk, Triggs greenskeeper and caddy, Narragansett Park racetrack money-runner and a stock boy at Shepard's department store.

After successfully negotiating Blessed Sacrament Elementary School and LaSalle Academy, John entered the seminary, was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1960, obtained Master's degree in Philosophy and English from Boston College, and ultimately received a doctorate in Communications from Columbia University. Read more >
Bishop Russell J. McVinney (1898-1971)
Inducted in 1983

Bishop Russell J. McVinney, 1898-1971, the first native Ordinary of the Diocese of Providence, was born in Warren. Among his outstanding accomplishments during twenty-three years as Bishop were the establishment of the Catholic Charity Fund Appeal, strong support for fair housing legislation, an the establishment of a Diocesan Priests' Senate. He was appointed an assistant to the Papal Throne by Pope Pious XII in 1957. Read more >
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 >
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 >
Rev. Dr. Robert C. Newbold (1920-2008)
Inducted in 1995

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 through extraordinary times of growth, and was widely recognized for establishing the sub-committee on girls athletics, and for the development of corporate support and achieving financial stability. A stand-out athlete, coach and administrator, he worked as an attorney and Government liaison for the Diocese of Providence. Read more >
Rev. Samuel Newman (1600-1663)
Inducted in 1997

Reverend Samuel Newman, 1600?-1663 was a learned clergyman and the first prominent settler of present-day East Providence. He was acclaimed for his studies of the King James Bible, and established the Newman Congregational Church in what is now the Rumford section of East Providence. He has not received as much acclaim as other Rhode Island founders because his village at Rumford was beyond the boundaries of Rhode Island until the state annexed East Providence in 1862. Read more >
C. Alexander Peloquin (1918-1997)
Inducted in 1973

Alexander Peloquin, 1918-1997, was a composer, choir director, concert organist and lituriologist. For 23 years, Peloquin served as the leader of the famed choral group which bears his name. He also served for many years as music director at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul and choral conductor at Boston College. Read more >
Daniel P. Reilly (1907-1962)
Inducted in 1976

Father Daniel P. Reilly, 1907-1962, a native of South Providence, was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 1953. He then went on to become personal secretary to Bishop McVinney, and rose to Chancellor and then Vicar General of the Providence Diocese. On August 6, 1975, he was installed as Bishop of Norwich. Read more >
Henry Shelton
Inducted in 2015

Henry Shelton grew up in Central Falls and started his activist career as a Catholic priest. He felt warmth and achievement with worshipers at a couple of different parishes, most notably St. Michael's Parish in South Providence, but he required greater freedom and mobility to tackle the larger issues that affected peoples' lives. He soon realized he had a larger ministry: to embrace the poor and disinherited inhabitants of the state, regardless of religion or any other status. Read more >
Archibald & Ida Silverman (1880-1967)
Inducted in 1971

Archibald Silverman, 1880-1967, was a Providence jewelry manufacturer, and civic leader for many years.&His wife, Ida Silverman was a crusader for the establishment of the State of Israel and played important role in fund-raising for Rhode Island hospitals. The Silvermans aided in building nearly one hundred synagogues throughout the world. Read more >
Rev. Anna Garlin Spencer (1851-1931)
Inducted in 2007

Anna Garlin Spencer (1851-1931) was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts but spent her formative years in Providence. Her embrace of progressive causes and her quest for social justice can be traced to her abolitionist mother and an aunt who worked with the homeless.

Anna began to write for the Providence Journal at age 19 and worked at the newspaper for eight years. She also became a Providence public school teacher from 1869 to 1871. Read more >
Bishop William Stang (1854-1907)
Inducted in 2009

William Stang (1854-1907) was born in Langenbucken, Germany, studied for the Catholic priesthood at Louvain in Belgium, and was ordained in June 1878. Little else is known of his early life.

Irish-born bishop Thomas F. Hendricken (whose surname indicates his German ancestor) sought a German-speaking priest for the small but growing German community in the Diocese of Providence. Read more >
Rev. Ezra Stiles (1727-1795)
Inducted in 1998

Reverend Ezra Stiles, 1727-1795, of Newport was a Congregational clergyman, scholar, diarist, author, civic leader and president of Yale University from 1778-1795. Stiles was one of the foremost intellectuals of colonial Rhode Island. During his tenure in Newport (1755-1776), he served as librarian of Redwood Library, pastor of the Second Congregational Church, and a spokesman for the patriot cause prior to the American Revolution. His fifteen-volume diary and six volumes of notes on his "itineraries" are a major source for late 18th century American history. Read more >
Reverend Mahlon Van Horne (1840-1910)
Inducted in 2005

Reverend Mahlon Van Horne (1840-1910) had a career that ranged from minister of the Gospel at the black Union Congregational Church at Newport to minister of diplomacy as United States Consul to St. Thomas in the West Indies. He was at heart always a teacher.

Bom in Princeton New Jersey in 1840, Van Horne was graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Read more >
Mother Mary Frances Xavier Warde (1840-1884)
Inducted in 2002

Mother Mary Frances Xavier Warde, 1840-1884, was the American founder of the Sisters of Mercy (R.S.M.). Read more >
Reverend Francis Wayland (1796-1865)
Inducted in 2002

Reverend Francis Wayland, 1796-1856, was a prominent Baptist minister, the president of Brown University (1826-1855), pastor of Providence's First Baptist Church, and an influential moral philosopher.

Wayland, the son and namesake of a Baptist minister, was born in New York City and graduated from Union College. Then, after two years of medical study, he attended Andover Theological Seminary and entered the Baptist ministry. Wayland's first assignment was minister of the First Baptist Church of Boston from 1821 to 1826. Read more >
David Wilkinson (1771-1852)
Inducted in 2000

David Wilkinson (1771-1852) a Pawtucket native, was a successful Industrial Revolution-era inventor and mill owner. When an historical movement is particularly successful, it is logical that there would be many claims of authorship. This is certainly true of the Industrial Revolution and the beginnings of the American factory system. At the center of the Industrial Revolution's story is, of course, Samuel Slater; but it does not detract from Slater's reputation to add more personalities to the story. Read more >
Roger Williams (1603-1683)
Inducted in 1965

Roger Williams, 1603-1683, an English clergyman who was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for his teachings and, in 1636, became the founder of Providence, Rhode Island's first white settlement. Williams' pioneering views included religious liberty, complete separation of church and state, and fair treatment of the Native Americans. In 1643 he published "A Key into the Language of America", the first English language dictionary and ethnography of an American Indian people. Read more >