Inductees from 1995

Robert J. Black (1928-)
Categories: Education & Universities, Government & Politics, Sports - Other

Robert J. Black of Providence was widely recognized as the State of Rhode Island's greatest distance runner of all-time. He was a two-time National (NCAA) cross-country champion, and was named All-American in several categories as a runner for the then Rhode Island State College, now URI. He is the only person ever to win four consecutive Intercollegiate cross-country titles. Read more >
Rev. William Blackstone (1595-1675)
Categories: Founders of Rhode Island, Religion & Churches

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 >
Dr. Patrick T. Conley (1938-)
Categories: Civic Leaders, Historians/Historical Accounts, Preservation, Literature / Writers / Newspapers

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 >
Alan Shawn Feinstein
Categories: Historians/Historical Accounts, Preservation, Literature / Writers / Newspapers
Raising an Army to Fight Hunger
Have you ever been really hungry? Not just “when's dinner?” hungry but weak and in pain and desperate--not knowing when or how you could find food? On any given day, that's the condition of millions of people in this count alone, and 20 years ago Alan Shawn Feinstein set out to fight it.

He had the money. Through a remarkable combination of determination and good luck, he had gone from a middle-class life teaching in junior high school and writing a financial column in a small-circulation newspaper to starting a financial newsletter and building it into an immensely profitable business. His warning that gold and silver were overvalued three days before their prices crashed helped build the circulation to over 500,000. Read more >
George Katz
Categories: Civic Leaders, Medicine & Health Care, Religion & Churches

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 >
John E. "Jack" Martin
Categories: Literature / Writers / Newspapers, Military, Sports - Other

The late John E. "Jack" Martin, formerly of Cranston, was a longtime schoolboy sports editor of the Journal-Bulletin. He was often referred to as "the father of Interscholastic Leagues in Rhode Island", and is credited with the establishment of the Schoolboy Injury Fund and the Journal-Bulletin honor-roll for athletes. He served as Executive Secretary of the Principles Committee for Secondary Schools in Rhode Island, and chaired the committee which conducted the very popular "Sunday in the Park" Programs conducted during WWII. Read more >
Rev. Dr. Robert C. Newbold (1920-2008)
Categories: Education & Universities, Government & Politics, Religion & Churches, Sports - Other

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 >
James J. Taracanti
Categories: Government & Politics, Philanthropists, TV & Radio

>James J. Taricani of North Kingstown, is the WJAR-TV (Channel 10), WPRI-TV (Channel 12), and local radio multi-award winning investigative reporter who became Director of Communications for RI Governor Lincoln Almond. He earned four coveted, regional Emmy Awards, television's highest honor, and ten Emmy nominations, in addition to several other prestigious journalism awards for outstanding reporting. He became one of RI's most celebrated and honored investigative journalists, concentrating mostly on organized crime, and corruption in government. Read more >

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Inductees from 1995

Robert J. Black (1928-)

Rev. William Blackstone (1595-1675)

Dr. Patrick T. Conley (1938-)

Alan Shawn Feinstein

George Katz

John E. "Jack" Martin

Rev. Dr. Robert C. Newbold (1920-2008)

James J. Taracanti

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