List of people from Rhode Island

State flag of Rhode Island

This is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Rhode Island or spent significant periods of their lives in the state.

Academia

Elizabeth Buffum Chace

• James Burrill Angell (1829–1916) – educator, academic administrator, and diplomat
• Glen Bowersock (born 1936) – scholar of the ancient world and the history of ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East
• David Carlin (born 1938) – professor of sociology and philosophy at Community College of Rhode Island
• Robert Carothers (born 1942) – president of the University of Rhode Island
• Ronald Champagne – president of Elmira College, Merrimack College, and Shimer College^[1]
• Sarah Doyle (1830–1922) – educator and reformer
• Paula Fredriksen (born 1951) – historian and scholar of religious studies
• Henry Giroux (born 1943) – radical educator and cultural critic
• Neil Lanctot (born 1966) – historian
• Francis Leo Lawrence (1937–2013) – educator, scholar of French literature, and university administrator
• Edward T. Lewis (also known as Ted Lewis) – president of St. Mary's College of Maryland, president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, writer and poet
• Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf (1830–1895) – founder and director of the Rhode Island School of Design
• Barry Mills (born 1950) – fourteenth president of Bowdoin College
• Salvatore D. Morgera (born 1946) – Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of South Florida
• Wilfred Harold Munro (1849–1934) – historian
• Richard Vangermeersch (born 1940) – economist, Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Rhode Island
• Minton Warren (1850–1907) – classical scholar

Activism, civil rights, and philanthropy

• Zechariah Chafee (1885–1957) – judicial philosopher, civil rights advocate
• Elizabeth Buffum Chace (1806–1899) – activist in the anti-slavery, women's-rights, and prison-reform movements of the mid-to-late 19th century
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874–1948) – philanthropist
• Robert Ellis Smith (1940–) – publisher and consumer activist, Privacy Journal; civil rights journalist in Alabama
• Marjorie van Vliet (1923–1990) – teacher and aviator

Art, literature, and design

Gilbert Stuart

• Jacob M. Appel (born 1973) - novelist
• John Noble Barlow (1861–1917) – painter
• Lee Bontecou (born 1931) – sculptor and printmaker
• George M. Cohan (1878–1942) – playwright, composer and vaudeville performer
• Denise Duhamel (born 1961) – poet
• Judith Dupré – author
• C. M. Eddy, Jr. (1896–1967) – author
• Jeanpaul Ferro – poet, short fiction author, novelist
• John Hawkes (1925–1998) – novelist
• Greta Hodgkinson – ballet dancer
• Ann Hood (born 1956) – novelist and short story writer
• Raymond Mathewson Hood (1881–1934) – architect
• Galway Kinnell – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• Christopher La Farge –novelist and poet
• Jhumpa Lahiri – Pulitzer Prize-winning short fiction author and novelist
• H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) – author
• Maxwell Mays (1918–2009) – painter
• David Macaulay (born 1946) – author
• Cormac McCarthy (born 1933) – novelist
• Don McGregor (born 1945) – comic book writer
• Edwin O'Connor (1918–1968) – novelist
• S.J. Perelman (1904–1979) – humorist, critic
• Peter Pezzelli (born 1959) – author
• David Plante (born 1940) – novelist
• George Schuyler (1895–1977) – author
• Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) – painter
• Thomas Alexander Tefft (1826–1859) – architect
• Don Winslow (born 1953) – author

Athletics

Jack Capuano

Nap Lajoie

Davey Lopes

Vinny Paz

A–G

• Lou Abbruzzi (1917–1982) – football player
• Pat Abbruzzi (1932–1998) – football player
• Gary Albright (1963–2000) – wrestler
• Bill Almon (born 1952) – baseball player
• Deon Anderson (born 1983) – football player
• Billy Andrade (born 1964) – golfer
• Demetrius Andrade (born 1988) – boxer
• Earl Audet (1921–2002) – football player
• Rocco Baldelli (born 1981) – baseball player
• Marvin Barnes (born 1952) – basketball player
• Elizabeth Beisel (born 1992) – Olympic swimmer (2008, 2012)
• Jeff Beliveau (born 1987) – baseball player
• Curt Bennett (born 1948) – ice hockey player
• Harvey Bennett (born 1952) – ice hockey player
• John Bennett (born 1950) – ice hockey player
• Bryan Berard (born 1977) – ice hockey player
• Will Blackmon (born 1984) – football player
• Brian Boucher (born 1977) – ice hockey player
• Pedro Braz (born 1985) – soccer player
• Paul Briggs (1920–2011) – football player
• Ellison "Tarzan" Brown (1914–1975) – two-time Boston Marathon champion and U.S. Olympian
• Brian Burke (born 1955) – ice hockey executive
• Ernie Calverley (1924–2003) – basketball player
• Dave Capuano (born 1968) – ice hockey player
• Jack Capuano (born 1966) – ice hockey player, head coach
• Keith Carney (born 1970) – ice hockey player and U.S. Olympian (1998)
• Marissa Castelli (born 1990) – Olympic pairs figure skater (2014)
• Tom Cavanagh (1982–2011) – hockey player
• Malcolm Chance (1875–1955) – Hall of Fame tennis player
• Mike Cloud (born 1975) – football player
• Fred Corey (1855–1912) – baseball player
• Miguel Cotto (born 1980) – boxer
• Jill Craybas (born 1974) – tennis player
• Sara DeCosta (born 1977) – Olympic ice hockey player (1998, 2002)
• Al Del Greco (born 1962) – football player, radio personality
• Ernie DiGregorio (born 1951) – basketball player
• Clark Donatelli (born 1967) – ice hockey player and U.S. Olympian (1988, 1992)
• Allen Doyle (born 1948) – professional golfer
• Pat Duff (1875–1925) – baseball player
• Anthony Durante (1967–2003) – professional wrestling
• Joe Exter (born 1978) – ice hockey player
• Brad Faxon (born 1961) – golfer
• Claire Waters Ferguson (born 1935) – ice skating executive
• Melissa Fiorentino (born 1977) – boxer
• Steve Furness (1950–2000) – football player, coach
• Tom Garrick (born 1966) – basketball player
• Rob Gaudreau (born 1970) – ice hockey player
• Dave Gavitt (born 1937) – basketball coach
• Billy Gonsalves (1908–1977) – soccer player
• Lou Gorman (1929–2011) – baseball executive
• Paul Guay (born 1963) – ice hockey player

H–Z

• Gabby Hartnett (1900–1972) – baseball player
• Joe Hassett (born 1955) – basketball player
• Tom Healey (1853–1891) – baseball player
• P. H. Horgan III (born 1960) – golfer
• Tony Horton (born 1958) – physical fitness expert
• Robert Howard (1975–2004) – 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team
• John Hynes (born 1975) – ice hockey head coach
• Matt Hyson (born 1970) – wrestler
• Chris Iannetta (born 1983) – baseball player
• Drew Inzer (born 1979) – football player
• Jeff Jillson (born 1980) – ice hockey player
• Steven King (born 1969) – ice hockey player
• Paul Konerko (born 1976) – baseball player
• Clem Labine (1926–2007) – baseball player
• Nap Lajoie (1874–1959) – Hall of Fame baseball player
• Clara LaMore (born 1924) – International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee
• Lou Lamoriello (born 1942) – ice hockey executive
• Rick Lancellotti (born 1956) – baseball player
• John LaRose (born 1951) – baseball player
• Brian Lawton (born 1965) – hockey player
• Ricky Ledo (born 1992) – basketball player
• Ed Lee (born 1961) – ice hockey player
• David Littman (born 1967) – ice hockey player
• Davey Lopes (born 1945) – baseball player and coach
• Peter Manfredo (born 1980) – boxer
• Ken McDonald (born 1970) – basketball player, coach
• John Mellekas (1933–2015) – football player
• Tom Mellor (born 1950) – hockey player and U.S. Olympian (1972)
• Ray Monaco (1918–2002) – football player
• Chet Nichols, Jr. (1931–1995) – baseball player
• Bill Osmanski (born 1915–1996) – College Football Hall of Fame inductee
• Chuck Palumbo (born 1971) – wrestler
• Don Panciera (1927–2012) – football player
• Les Pawson (1905–1992) – two-time Boston Marathon winner
• Vinny Paz (born 1962) – boxer, five-time world champion
• Gerry Philbin (born 1941) – football player
• David Quinn (born 1966) – ice hockey player
• Joe Reed (born 1948) – football player
• Aileen Riggin (1906–2002) – swimmer
• Bill Sandeman (born 1942) – football player
• Mathieu Schneider (born 1969) – professional ice hockey player
• Bobby Sewall (born 1988) – football player
• Bert Shurtleff (1897–1967) – football player
• Jamie Silva (born 1984) – football player
• Jim Siwy (born 1958) – baseball player
• A.J. Smith (born 1949) – football executive
• Hank Soar (1914–2001) – football player
• Joe Soares – rugby player
• Sean Soriano – mixed martial artist
• Mike Stefanik (born 1958) – NASCAR driver
• Bill Summers (1895–1966) – Major League Baseball umpire
• Chris Terreri (born 1964) – NHL goalie, two Stanley Cups and U.S. Olympian (1988)
• Mark Van Eeghen (born 1952) – NFL Pro Bowl running back
• Dan Wheeler (born 1977) – baseball player
• Cody Wild (born 1987) – ice hockey player
• Mason Williams (born 1991) – baseball player
• Ron Wilson (born 1955) – ice hockey player, head coach
• Jeff Xavier (born 1985) – basketball player

Business

Moses Brown

Laura Lang

• Zachariah Allen (1795–1882) – textile manufacturer, scientist, lawyer, writer, inventor and civil leader
• Everett M. "Busy" Arnold (1899–1974) – comic book publisher
• John Brown (1736–1803) – merchant and slave-trader, original owner of the John Brown House, co-founder of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (later Brown University, named after his nephew)
• Moses Brown (1738–1836) – co-founder of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (later Brown University, named after his nephew)
• Nicholas Brown, Jr. (1769–1841) – businessman and philanthropist for whom Brown University is named (co-founded by his uncles Moses Brown and John Brown as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations but renamed after Nicholas Brown Jr.'s financial contributions)
• Robert Crandall (born 1935) – former president and chairman of American Airlines
• Glenn Creamer - senior managing director of Providence Equity Partners
• Marcel Desaulniers (born 1945) – chef and director emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America
• Wylie Dufresne (born 1970) – celebrity chef, owner of wd~50 restaurant in the Manhattan borough of New York City^[2]
• Ann Smith Franklin (1696–1763) – publisher
• Darius Goff (1809–1891), Pawtucket textile mill owner
• Catherine Littlefield Greene (1755–1814) – wife of Nathanael Greene
• Daniel Harple (born 1959) – entrepreneur, investor, inventor
• Bradley S. Jacobs (born 1956) – chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics
• Laura Lang – former chief executive officer of Time Inc.
• Aaron Lopez (1731–1782) – slave merchant and philanthropist, wealthiest person in Newport
• Edward J. McElroy (born 1941) – labor union executive
• James McNerney (born 1949) – business executive
• David Nason (born 1970) – president and CEO of GE Energy Financial Services
• Jonathan M. Nelson (born 1956) – businessman and investor, founder of Providence Equity Partners
• David R. Paolo (born 1968) – entrepreneur and businessman
• Carolyn Rafaelian – designer – philanthropist, and business woman, founder of Alex and Ani
• Henry J. Steere (1830–1889) – textile industrialist, philanthropist
• Aldo Tatangelo (1913—2008) – businessman and politician
• Judah Touro (1775–1854) – businessman
• Edward Valenti (born 1948) – Ginsu knife creator, author, entrepreneur
• William Kissam Vanderbilt (1849–1920) – member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family, original owner of Marble House in Newport
• William Vernon (1719–1806) – trader

Crime

• Thomas Tew (?–1695) – pirate

Film and television

Olivia Culpo

Ruth Hussey, pictured with husband Bob Longenecker

Ted Knight

Seth MacFarlane

Meredith Vieira

A–L

• Norm Abram (born 1950) – carpenter and television performer
• Robert Aldrich (1918–1983) – film director
• Gianna Amore (born 1968) – model and actress
• Harry Anderson (born 1952) – actor, Night Court
• David Angell (1946–2001) – television producer
• Nadia Bjorlin (born 1980) – actress
• Billy Bush (born 1971) – radio & TV host, Access Hollywood, Today
• Ruth Buzzi (born 1936) – comedian, Laugh-In
• Sean Callery (born 1964) – film and television composer
• Robert Capron (born 1998) – actor
• Marilyn Chambers (1952–2009) – adult film actress
• Harry Cicma (born 1982) – Emmy Award-winning sports anchor, professional tennis player
• Nicholas Colasanto (1924–1985) – actor and director, Cheers
• Michael Corrente (born 1959) – film director and producer
• Olivia Culpo (born 1992) – Miss Rhode Island USA 2012, Miss USA 2012, Miss Universe 2012
• Sam Daly (born 1984) – actor
• Viola Davis (born 1965) – Academy Award-nominated actress
• Charlie Day (born 1976) – actor, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
• Vin Di Bona (born 1944) – television producer
• Eddie Dowling (1895–1976) – actor
• Alice Drummond (born 1929) – actress
• Jack Duffy (1882–1939) – film actor
• Nelson Eddy (1901–1967) – actor and singer
• Susan Eisenberg (born 1964) – voice actress
• Mark Famiglietti (born 1979) – actor
• Bobby Farrelly (born 1958) – film director
• Peter Farrelly (born 1956) – film director
• Peter Frechette (born 1956) – actor
• Ava Gaudet – actor, singer
• Peter Gerety (born 1940) – actor
• Joanna Going (born 1963) – actress
• Spalding Gray (1941–2004) – actor and writer
• Richard Hart (1915–1951) – actor
• Elisabeth Hasselbeck (born 1977) – television personality
• Sam Hyde – comedian
• Richard Hatch (born 1961) – reality-television contestant
• Jason Hawes (born 1971) – television actor
• David Hedison (born 1927) – actor
• Brian Helgeland (born 1961) – screenwriter, film producer and director
• Ruth Hussey (1911–2005) – Academy Award-nominated actress
• Thomas Harper Ince (1882–1924) – film producer, director, actor
• Richard Jenkins (born 1953) – Academy Award-nominated actor
• Joyce Jillson (1946–2004) – actress, author, and astrologer
• Van Johnson (1916–2008) – actor, The Caine Mutiny, Brigadoon
• Claudia Jordan (born 1973) – Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 1997
• Ted Knight (1923–1986) – actor, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Caddyshack
• Geoffrey Lewis (born 1935) – actor
• Eric Lutes (born 1962) – actor

M–Z

• Seth MacFarlane (born 1973) – voice actor, creator of Family Guy, American Dad!, The Cleveland Show and Ted
• George Macready (1899–1973) – actor
• Mike Maronna (born 1977) – actor
• Jason Marsden (born 1975) – actor
• Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957) – film producer and MGM studio mogul
• Matt McCarthy (born 1979) – comedian, actor
• Ron McLarty (born 1947) – actor, playwright, novelist
• Michaela McManus (born 1983) – actress, Law & Order: SVU, One Tree Hill
• Caroline McWilliams (born 1945) – actress
• Debra Messing (born 1968) – actress, Will and Grace
• Shanna Moakler (born 1975) – Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 1992, Miss New York USA 1995, Miss USA 1995
• Mark Morettini (born 1962) – actor, Prison Break
• Christopher Murney (born 1943) – actor
• Arden Myrin (born 1973) – actress
• Vincent Pagano (born 1967) – actor
• Pauly D (born 1980) – television personality, DJ, cast member of Jersey Shore
• Ben Powers (1950–2015) – actor, Laugh-In
• Ford Rainey (1908–2005) – actor
• Don Reo – television producer
• Kali Rocha (born 1971) – actress
• Charles Rocket (1945–2005) – actor
• Josh Schwartz (born 1976) – television producer
• Dave Shalansky (born 1973), actor
• Christopher Stanley (born 1986) – actor, Henry Francis on Mad Men
• Mena Suvari (born 1979) – actress, American Beauty
• Aimee Sweet (born 1977) – model and actress
• Saucy Sylvia (born 1920) – comedian, singer, radio personality
• Erika Van Pelt – American Idol finalist
• Meredith Vieira (born 1953) – television personality
• David S. Ward (born 1945) – film director, Academy Award-winning screenwriter (The Sting)
• Desiree Washington (born 1973) – model
• James Woods (born 1947) – Academy Award-nominated actor

Journalism

• Allen Bestwick (born 1961) – sportscaster
• Angelo Cataldi – sportscaster
• David Hartman (born 1935) – actor, television personality
• Irving R. Levine (1922–2009) – journalist
• Walter Mossberg (born 1947) – columnist
• Al Rockoff – photographer
• George Schuyler (1895–1977) – author, journalist
• A. O. Scott (born 1966) – film critic
• Jeff Stein (born 1944) – columnist, blogger
• Doug White (1944–2006) – television newscaster
• Jack White (1942–2005) – journalist

Military

Matthew C. Perry

• William Henry Allen (1784–1813) – U.S. Navy officer
• John Nicholas Brown II (1900–1979) – United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR)
• Ambrose Burnside (1824–1881) – U.S. Army officer
• Timothy Bush (1728–1815) – Continental Army officer
• Stephen Champlin (1789–1870) – U.S. Navy officer
• Godfrey Chevalier (1889–1922) – U.S. Navy officer
• Nathanael Greene (1742–1786) – Continental Army officer
• Esek Hopkins (1718–1802) – the only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War
• Leon J. LaPorte (born 1946) – U.S. Army officer, former U.S. Forces Korea commander
• George Luz (1921–1998) – U.S. Army officer, member of the Band of Brothers
• Matthew C. Perry (1794–1858) – U.S. Navy officer
• Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819) – U.S. Navy officer
• Isaac P. Rodman (1822–1862) – U.S. Army officer
• James Mitchell Varnum (1748–1789) – general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
• Samuel Ward, Jr. (1756–1832) – American Revolutionary War soldier and delegate to the secessionist Hartford Convention
• Frank Wheaton (1833–1903) – U.S. Army officer
• Abraham Whipple (1733–1819) – Continental Navy commander-in-chief

Music

Eileen Farrell

Sage Francis

Kristin Hersh

• Greg Abate (born 1947) – jazz musician
• AraabMuzik (born 1989) – record producer and DJ
• Dicky Barrett (born 1964) – popular musician known as frontman of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• David Blue (1941–1982) – singer-songwriter
• John Cafferty – musician known for work with The Beaver Brown Band and for the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack
• Blu Cantrell (born 1976) – musician
• Wendy Carlos (born 1939) – composer and electronic music pioneer
• George M. Cohan (1878–1942) – entertainer, singer, dancer, subject of the film, Yankee Doodle Dandy
• Bill Conti (born 1942) – film music composer, Rocky
• Bill Cowsill (1948–2006) – musician
• Tanya Donelly (born 1966) – musician
• Eileen Farrell (1920–2002) – opera singer
• Sage Francis (born 1976) – musician
• Billy Gilman (born 1988) – musician
• Lukasz Gottwald (born 1973) – songwriter
• Bobby Hackett (1915–1976) – jazz musician
• Scott Hamilton (born 1954) – jazz tenor saxophonist
• Kristin Hersh (born 1966) – musician
• Jon B. (born 1974) – musician
• Jesse Leach (born 1978) – popular musician
• Mapei (born 1983) – recording artist
• Dave McKenna (1930–2008) – jazz pianist
• Nico Muhly (born 1981) – contemporary classical music composer
• David Narcizo (born 1966) –musician
• David Olney (born 1948) – musician
• Jeffrey Osborne (born 1948) – musician
• Mike Renzi (born 1946) – pianist
• Duke Robillard (born 1948) – blues musician
• Kim Schifino – musician
• Mike Stud (born 1988) – rapper, former athlete
• Erika Van Pelt (born 1985) – singer
• Don Wise (born 1942) – tenor saxophonist, music producer, songwriter

Politics and government

John Chafee

David Cicilline

J. Howard McGrath

Claiborne Pell

Lincoln Chafee

A–L

• Lincoln Almond (born 1936) – former governor
• Thomas Angell (1618–1694) – co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
• Jonathan Earle Arnold (1814–1869) – member of the Wisconsin Territorial Council
• Peleg Arnold (1751–1820) – lawyer, tavern-keeper, jurist, and statesman
• Joshua Babcock (1707–1783) – physician, American Revolution general, state Supreme Court justice, and postmaster
• Latimer Whipple Ballou (1812–1900) – member of the United States House of Representatives
• Sullivan Ballou (1829–1861) – state representative and U.S. Army officer
• Oliver Belmont (1858–1908) – charter member of the Rhode Island Society of Sons of the Revolution, United States Representative for New York
• Charles R. Brayton (1840–1910) – politician and lobbyist whom The New York Times called the "Blind Boss of Rhode Island"
• Samuel W. Bridgham (1776–1740) – first mayor of Providence
• Frank Caprio (born 1936) – judge and television performer
• John Chafee (1922–1999) – U.S. Senator
• Lincoln Chafee (born 1953) – U.S. Senator, governor of Rhode Island, presidential candidate
• Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. (1941-2016) – former mayor of Providence
• David Cicilline (born 1961) – U.S. Representative and Mayor of Providence (first openly gay mayor of a U.S. State capital)
• William Coddington (1601–1678) – magistrate of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire (four-town) colony, and then Governor of the colony
• Thomas Corcoran (1900–1981) – member of President Franklin Roosevelt's "Brain Trust" during the New Deal and an advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson
• Percy Daniels (1840–1916) – Populist politician
• Edward D. DiPrete (born 1934) – former governor of Rhode Island
• Thomas Donilon – National Security Adviser under President Barack Obama
• Thomas A. Doyle (1827–1886) – Mayor of Providence for eighteen years
• Job Durfee (1790–1847) – U.S. Congressman
• Elisha Dyer, Jr. (1839–1906) – 45th Governor of Rhode Island, mayor of Providence
• William Ellery (1727–1820) – a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Rhode Island
• Arthur Fenner (1745–1805) – fourth Governor of Rhode Island
• Theodore Foster (1752–1828) – one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island
• Samuel Gorton (1593–1677) – settled the area of Shawomet (later called Warwick)
• Daniel L. D. Granger (1852–1909) – U.S. Representative and mayor of Providence
• Theodore F. Green (1867–1866) – United States Senator, 57th Governor of Rhode Island, and namesake of Rhode Island's largest airport, T. F. Green Airport
• Christopher R. Hill (born 1952) – diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• Stephen Hopkins (1707–1785) – Governor of Rhode Island, RI Supreme Court justice, Signatory of the Declaration of Independence
• Ambrose Kennedy (1875–1967) – U.S. Congressman
• Pat LaMarche (born 1960) – Green Party presidential candidate
• William C. Lovering (1835–1910) – U.S. Congressman

M–Z

• James McAndrews (1862–1942) – U.S. Congressman
• William McCormick (born 1939) – diplomat, United States Ambassador to New Zealand
• J. Howard McGrath (1903–1966) – Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Senator, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Attorney General of the United States
• Edwin D. McGuinness (1856–1901) – first Irish-Catholic mayor of Providence
• Florence K. Murray (1916–2004) – officer in Women's Army Corps, first female state senator in Rhode Island, first female judge in Rhode Island, and first female member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
• Dee Dee Myers (born 1961) – White House Press Secretary
• Annette Nazareth (born 1956) – commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Malta, former Mayor of Providence
• John O. Pastore (1907–2000) – Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator
• Claiborne Pell (1918–2009) – U.S. Senator, diplomat, sponsor of Pell grants
• Aram J. Pothier (1854–1928) – Governor of Rhode Island, banker
• Jack Reed (born 1949) – U.S. Senator
• Dennis J. Roberts (1903–1994) – 63rd Governor of Rhode Island
• Christopher Robinson (1806–1889) – congressman
• James Y. Smith (1809–1876) – mayor of Providence and 29th Governor of Rhode Island
• William Sprague (1799–1856) – 14th Governor, a U.S. Representative, and a U.S. Senator
• William H. Sullivan (born 1922) – U.S. Ambassador
• Bruce Sundlun (1920–2011) – former governor
• Charles Tillinghast James (1805–1862) – U.S. Senator
• Pat Toomey (born 1961) – U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania
• Samuel Ward (1725–1776) – Supreme Court Justice, Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a delegate to the Continental Congress
• William West (1733–1816) – American Revolution general, Lieutenant Governor, RI Supreme Court justice, anti-federalist leader
• Sheldon Whitehouse (born 1955) – state Attorney General, U.S. Senator
• Charles C. Van Zandt (1830–1894) – former governor

Religion

• Alfred W. Anthony (1860–1939) – author, Free Will Baptist leader, and religion professor at Bates College
• William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) – Unitarian theologian
• John Clarke (1609–1676) – Baptist minister, co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, author of its influential charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in the Americas
• Maurice Davis (1921–1993) – Rabbi and human-rights activist
• Ernest Fortin (1923–2002) – Assumptionist and professor of theology and Boston College
• Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe (1808–1895) – Episcopal Church bishop
• Anne Hutchinson (1591–1643) – theologian, religious dissident and colony co-founder
• James Manning (1738–1791) – American Baptist minister, co-founder and first president of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now Brown University)
• Edwards Amasa Park (1808–1900) – theologian
• Ezra Stiles (1727–1795) – Congregationalist minister and co-founder of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now Brown University)
• Roger Williams (1603–1684) – theologian and colony founder

Science

Sherwood C. ("Woody") Spring

• Aaron T. Beck (born 1921) – psychiatrist
• George Brayton (1830–1892) – mechanical engineer
• Joseph Brown (1733–1785) – astronomer
• Rita Charon (born 1949) – physician
• Solomon Drowne (1753–1834) – physician, academic and surgeon during the American Revolution
• Sylvester Gardiner (1707–1786) – physician
• Stuart Gitlow (born 1962) – psychiatrist
• Frederic Poole Gorham (1871–1933) – bacteriologist
• Nathanael Herreshoff (1848–1938) – naval engineer
• Domina Jalbert (1904–1991) – inventor
• Melanie Sanford (born 1975) – chemist
• Sherwood C. Spring (born 1944) – astronaut
• Robert Henry Thurston (1839–1903) – first president of the ASME
• Frank E. Winsor (1870–1939) – civil engineer

See also

• List of early settlers of Rhode Island

by educational institution affiliation

• List of Brown University people
• List of Bryant University alumni
• List of Rhode Island School of Design people

by location

• List of people from Cranston, Rhode Island
• List of people from Newport, Rhode Island
• List of people from Pawtucket, Rhode Island
• List of people from Providence, Rhode Island

References

1. Contreras, Russell (September 4, 2008). "Champagne Takes the Reins at Merrimack College". The Boston Globe.
2. "wd~50 – The Team". wd~50.