The Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame today announced the selection of nine prominent Rhode Islanders for membership in the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.

According to Board president and 1995 inductee, Dr. Patrick T. Conley--the Hall of Fame, consisting of illustrious Rhode Islanders from Roger Williams and the chief sachems of the Narragansett and the Wampanoag tribes to the present--was created in 1965 to honor “any individual who has brought credit to Rhode Island, brought Rhode Island into prominence, and contributed to the history and heritage of the state.” Such individuals, said Conley, must have been born in Rhode Island, lived, studied, or worked in Rhode Island for a significant time, or made his or her reputation here.

This year’s annual induction ceremony--the 55th--will take place on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at The Inn at the Crossings (Crowne Plaza) in Warwick. A 5:30 p.m. social hour will be followed by a 6:15 p.m. dinner, entertainment, and the induction ceremony.

Board Vice President, Albert Beauparlant and Michael Lyons are event and dinner chairmen, and Director Steve Aveson is Master of Ceremonies. The Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band and the Pawtuxet Rangers Fife and Drum Corps will open the evening’s program followed by an address delivered by Dr. Conley. Dinner music will be provided by an array of well-known local musicians.

The Inductee Class of 2019 (listed alphabetically) with their inductors (who are Hall of Fame Inductees or Directors) is as follows:

JUDGE FRANK CAPRIO, Providence Municipal court judge with a national cable TV audience, attorney, teacher, entrepreneur, and member of the Rhode Island Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Inducted by Cindy Laughlin (Director)

COL. LESTER W. CORY, Tiverton-born professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass Dartmouth, R.I. National Guard communications commander, and leader in SHARE, an international organization that provides innovative equipment for people with disabilities.
Inducted by General James J. D’Agostino (Director)

RICHARD I. GOUSE, President of the New England Institute of Technology since 1971 and the longest serving college president in America. Under his guidance NEIT has grown from 70 students and 4 programs to over 3,000 students and 60 programs.
Inducted by Albert R. Beauparlant (HOF Vice President)

DR. JOHN B. HATTENDORF, internationally-prominent historian of maritime history, distinguished professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College and the author or editor of dozens of books and essays on naval and maritime history.
Inducted by Dr. John J. Parrillo (Director)

SISTER MARY REILLY, R.S.M., a religious Sister of Mercy who taught in several Rhode Island schools, served as a missionary in Central America, and helped to establish such important local social agencies as McAuley House, Dorcas Place, and Sophia Academy.
Inducted by Arlene Violet, Esq. (1996 Inductee)

CHARLES “CHUCK” M. ROYCE, a graduate of Brown University who became a highly successful Wall Street investor. He rehabilitated the Ocean House, the Weekapaug Inn, and many other major landmarks in his adopted town of Westerly.
Inducted by Dr. D. Scott Molloy (2009 Inductee)

DR. STEPHEN P. SALLOWAY, Director of Neurology and the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown Medical School. He is one of the nation’s leaders in Alzheimer’s prevention research, and has written extensively on this topic.
Inducted by Dr. Roberta Feather (Director)

NEIL D. STEINBERG, president and chief executive officer of the billion dollar Rhode Island Foundation, former Brown University vice president for development and former chairman and CEO of Fleet Bank of Rhode Island. As a community leader, he is repeatedly named one of the ten most influential people in Rhode Island.
Inducted by Dr. Patrick T. Conley (1995 Inductee)

DR. ROSE E. WEAVER, rose from humble birth to become an accomplished singer and actress with Trinity Theater and in Hollywood, talk show hostess, a leader on the local arts scene, a social justice reformer, and the 2019 Rhode Island Woman of the Year.
Inducted by Robert I. Burke (Director)

The donation to the Heritage Hall of Fame for the dinner event is $85.00. The Rhode Island general public is urged to attend to pay tribute to their distinguished fellow citizens. Tickets can be ordered online at: riheritagehalloffame.org, or by calling #401-556-6174, or by email at: [email protected], and must be purchased in advance by April 29, 2019.

Friends, colleagues, and admirers of specific honorees are urged to attend. They should give the ticket agent information concerning their specific honoree in order to be seated near that inductee.

For further information on this release call Dr. Patrick T. Conley at #401-273-1787.

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