Member Magazine: Winter 2018-19 Membership Update With the end of 2018, our work is just beginning As another successful year comes to a close, we want to thank our members! Through your attendance at the summer concerts series, gifts to the annual fund, responses to our survey, and renewal of your membership, you support the great work here at the RIHS. And there are so many ways you can help us make 2019 even better! Give the gift of membership this holiday season … and beyond! A gift membership not only supports the work here at the RIHS, but it shares Rhode Island’s rich history with family, friends, or coworkers. Birthdays, holidays, graduations … or just to say thank you, give the gift of membership to be enjoyed throughout the year! Call or email Sarah Travers, Advancement Coordinator, at stravers@rihs.org or (401) 331-8575 x133 or purchase gift memberships online at RIHS.org/join. Make a gift and become a sustainer: Quick and convenient, sustaining contributions are automatic monthly donations, supporting the RIHS throughout the year. Make a huge impact with as little as $10 a month. Give online at RIHS.org/donate. We want to hear from you Please share with us why you are a member of the RIHS and what it means to you. The family of Lee Pagliaro wrote to tell us how proud she was to be a member of the RIHS. A long-time member and John Brown House Museum volunteer Leonilda “Lee” Pagliaro passed away in October at the age of 96. She will be missed. Her daughter Claudia Pagliaro writes, “My mom was a very proud Rhode Islander and instilled in all of us a great love for the ocean and history, particularly the history of RI! At 96 years old, she was certainly a part of it and would tell us all stories about her life in Providence, Warren, Warwick (Shawmut Beach), and Johnston, where she lived for the past 61 years. From the Hurricane of 1938, the Depression, WWII, etc. right up until the present day. She and my dad were members of the Rhode Island Historical Society for as long as I can remember and she wore her pin with great pride. Rhode Island lost a great lady but I know her love for RI lives on in her children and grandchildren.”
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The RIHS recently acquired the complete extant photo archive (including upward of 10,000 images) of the Narragansett Race Track, which opened on August 1, 1934, and closed in 1978. “Gansett,” as it was more popularly known, attracted crowds of 40,000 or more, including world-famous millionaires and celebrities. We’ll celebrate Gansett and other aspects of Rhode Island sports history as part of our RahRah Rhody programming theme in 2019 – see back cover for more!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Luther W. Spoehr, Ph.D. Vice Chair Winifred E. Brownell, Ph.D. Treasurer Michael L. Baker Jr., CPA Secretary Robert H. Sloan Jr., CLU Timothy N. Burditt Paul A. Croce, Sc.D. Michael T. Eadie Heather H. Evans Andrew M. Erickson, CPCU George M. Goodwin, Ph.D. Barry G. Hittner, Esq. Edward A. Iannuccilli, MD James P. Loring, CPA, CFA Benjamin D. Lux Scott MacKay Lisa E. Melton Maureen Moakley, Ph.D. Marcus P. Nevius, Ph.D. Theodore W. Smalletz Mary C. Speare Barbara J. Thornton, AIA Ex Officio Lane Talbot Sparkman EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR C. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D. SENIOR STAFF Charmyne Goodfellow, Deputy Executive Director for Finance & Administration Richard J. Ring, MLS, Deputy Executive Director for Collections & Interpretation Anne Conway, Director, Museum of Work & Culture Geralyn Ducady, M.A., Director, Newell D. Goff Center for Education & Public Programs Lauren Jordan, Director of Advancement Aldrich House 110 Benevolent St. Providence, R.I. 02906 401.331.8575 John Brown House Museum 52 Power St. Providence, R.I. 02906 401.273.7507 Robinson Research Center 121 Hope St. Providence, R.I. 02906 401.273.8107 Museum of Work & Culture 42 S. Main St. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 401.769.9675
DIRECTOR’S NOTE by C. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D.
I’m not sure if this happens to you, but lately it seems that every time I go into a store or a restaurant, I am asked to take a survey about my “experience.” I can count on one hand the number of times that I have done so, and my reason was invariably related to some extraordinary circumstance, rather than a chance to win a $5 gift card. So, it was with some reluctance that I agreed we should send out a survey to our membership. I was delighted and gratified when so many of you not only took the time to fill out our survey, but you also added comments. What we learned confirmed our hope that your membership is a deliberate expression of support of our mission and collections – but we also discovered ways in which you can get even more out of your RIHS membership. Quite a few people remarked repeatedly that they would attend more of our programs if they lived in Rhode Island. It is both humbling and gratifying to receive the support of many who live across the nation and overseas – and they should take heart, for our member benefits extend far beyond the borders of Li’l Rhody! Members at the Gaspee Group level (and above) have access to the ROAM and NARM networks – the Reciprocal Organizations of Associated Museums and the North American Reciprocal Museum Association. This means that you can visit more than a thousand museums for the same cost as their own members, and often enjoy discounts in their gift shops. You are also automatically a member of the Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Program, which comes with several benefits – please take a minute to look at our membership pages online for details at RIHS.org/join. Finally, you had a lot to say about our fabulous and ever-growing collections – and we hear you. You will see more news about what we have and what we are acquiring in all of our published outlets, including the member magazine, Rhode Island History, email newsletters, and the website. For those of you who are annual fund donors, our new Director of Advancement, Lauren Jordan, will be sending special information about items in our collections. We want to share, more
than ever, news about the historic materials we steward with all of our members. You are the RIHS, and we want to make sure that we are listening to you. In this issue, you will read about the new and innovative ways in which we are trying to connect people to Rhode Island history. Thank you for joining in this conversation, and supporting our goal to be stronger and more accessible to all.
You had a lot to say about our fabulous and ever-growing collections – and we hear you. You will see more news about what we have and what we are acquiring in all of our published outlets, including the member magazine, Rhode Island History, email newsletters, and the website. 3
ROBINSON RESEARCH CENTER by Richard Ring, Deputy Executive Director for Collections and Interpretation As I approach the end of my first year of serving the RIHS, it is deeply satisfying to share with our members the progress we have made on projects and initiatives, and to demonstrate the reach of the RIHS across the state – and beyond. The workshops that the RIHS and the Providence Public Library co-organized as part of a series called “Diggin’ Your Roots: Genealogy 101” took place in four locations across the state and culminated in a “Genealogy Marketplace” at the Aldrich House. Participants included representatives from the Newport Historical Society, the Rhode Island Genealogical Society, the Marian J. Mohr Library Genealogy Group, the Rhode Island State Archives, and Maureen Taylor (the Photo Detective).
estimate that at least 30% of our researchers are here primarily to use the microfilm. The new machines will increase dramatically the efficiency and quality of access to our unique holdings of Rhode Island newspapers, vital records (birth, marriage, and death), census records, the papers of the American slave trade, and other groups of microfilmed material.
The RIHS has loaned this model of the George W. Humphreys to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology until 2021 for the major exhibition “Lighter, Stronger, Faster: The Herreshoff Legacy.”
Researching on one of two new digital microfilm readers
Every few months, the collections staff curates the window display exhibit in the Arcade (facing Westminster Street), which is an extension of an exhibit of original materials in the foyer of our Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center. The September/ October show (by RRC Manager Michelle Chiles) was on the Girls’ City Club of Providence (1920-1970), founded out of the recognition that many social and recreation spaces were available to boys and young men, but very few for young women outside of the home or school. The November/December exhibit (by Special Collections Research Associate Jennifer Galpern) is on the WWI service of Pawtucket native Gertrude Bray (1888-1975), who was attached to the 167th Regiment of the famous 42nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division under Colonel Douglas MacArthur. She spent more than a year on the front lines during WWI as a volunteer in the American Red Cross and for the YMCA. Stroll by the window and take a look as you do your holiday shopping downtown! A recent bequest from the late Daniel C. Schofield has enabled the RIHS to equip the Robinson Research Center with a new document scanner, two new microfilm reader/scanners, and the computers and monitors required to run them. Mr. Schofield was a teacher of middle school history for 37 years, a collector of historical documents, and an avid historian of Rhode Island. This critical upgrade of our current machines is long overdue – we
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Finally, a select few of the new items we have acquired over the past year will be on display at Aldrich House until the end of January. The exhibition, titled “This Just In!,” opened at our 197th Annual Meeting, on November 14. One of the most significant additions is a set of four large bound volumes of the handwritten records of the Rhode Island First Light Infantry, dating from 1818-1873. This regiment saw no active duty in military campaigns, but it did play an important role in providing trained soldiers when circumstances required – helping to suppress the Snow Town and Olney Lane riots in 1831 (there is a seven-page eyewitness account), as well as the Dorr Rebellion (there were militia members on both sides of the fight!). Many of its later members served in the Civil War (in Companies C & D of the First Regiment, Rhode Island Detached Militia), and others served in the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Our new exhibit at Aldrich House is open through January.
MUSEUM OF WORK & CULTURE by Sarah Carr, Assistant Director, Museum of Work & Culture
The Museum of Work and Culture, in an effort to increase accessibility, is now developing tools and programs for seniors with memory loss.
map featuring objects in the site’s collection, and includes carefully crafted questions to engage individuals with memory loss issues in conversation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 10 to 14% of adults over the age of 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (depending on race and ethnicity), making it the most common form of dementia. It is a diagnosis that can lead to isolation not only for the person living with the condition, but also their caretakers. Social withdrawal speeds the progression of the disease.
“It was exactly the type of tool we were looking for,” Conway said. “It reflects the same way we started our all-ability program with a social story that guests with autism could use at any time. We want all of our visitors to know they are always welcome, not only during prescribed times or for specialized programs.” For expert support, the MoWC turned to the Alzheimer’s Association of Rhode Island and the Memory & Aging Program at Butler Hospital, led by world-renowned Alzheimer’s specialist Dr. Stephen Salloway. These partners have helped the MoWC to develop a plan to create a dementia-friendly environment, which includes staff and volunteer training, developing special presentations with our image collections, and hosting “Memory Cafés” (safe and comfortable spaces to support activities for caregivers and their loved ones). The MoWC is excited to launch these projects in early 2019 – keep an eye out for further announcements!
Photo by Ellen D. Kawadler
“When we started our program for individuals with autism five years ago, it opened our eyes to the barriers that exist for visitors with many different types of physical and cognitive needs,” said MoWC Director Anne Conway. “It also showed us how by taking the time to engage those communities, we could make adjustments that were often quite easy, and that ensure all Rhode Islanders can access their state’s history.” After intensive research on potential models across the museum field, the MoWC has chosen the Memory Walk Map, a tool developed by the Minnesota Historical Society, which caregivers can use during a regular museum visit. Memory Walk Maps offer visitors a simplified museum
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HISTORY EDUCATION by Geralyn Ducady, Director, Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs
Continuing the theme of accessibility, the John Brown House Museum (JBH) and the MoWC will soon install stations that will help visitors who are visually or hearing impaired to navigate our spaces and experience the museums at their own pace, with little help from a companion. Funded by a recently awarded challenge grant from Ocean State Charities Trust, the RIHS raised the required matching funds by holding a Dining in the Dark event on September 21 at Savini’s Pomodoro Restaurant in Woonsocket. The event featured musicians Blind Faith and a silent auction showcasing donations from local artists and other organizations. We also recently received a Museums Empowered grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. The award will fund professional development of staff and volunteers across the institution to become more effective in presenting topics dealing with diversity to children and adults. A major portion of the grant will allow us to bring two facilitators from the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience to conduct three days of training on discussing difficult topics that our museums and programs may cover. Finally, we welcome our new Goff Center interns! Brown University undergraduate Janie Merrick is returning to prepare materials to guide adults on how to discuss slavery and the slave trade with their children, including a supplement to cite the full formal title of the Sally exhibition. D’anna Marley is a senior from the MET High School who will be gaining experience in departments throughout the RIHS, but is mainly working with the Museum of Work & Culture and the Goff Center for Education. Nova Drews is working on research for EnCompass (our online textbook of Rhode Island history), and Bryant University students Abel Karugu and Brian Souza have worked on small projects with us this fall.
RIHS Makes a Stronger Commitment to National History Day National History Day originated in 1974 in Cleveland, Ohio, as a way to address serious deficiencies in history education in public schools, and the contest went national in 1980. Not just a day, NHD is actually a yearlong, project-based curricular enhancement program for students studying history in grades 6-12. The contest as a whole is in fact international – it extends beyond schools in the 50 states to participating Department of Defense schools in American Samoa, China, Central America, Puerto Rico, Guam, Korea, and South Asia. More than 500,000 students annually compete at various levels, which culminate in the finals at the University of Maryland (College Park) in June, where over 3,000 students compete. It is the Olympics of history nerds! In August, Richard J. Ring, Deputy Executive Director for Collections & Interpretation, took over as Affiliate Coordinator for the state, and a team of several other staff support the effort – in particular Samantha Hunter, Jennifer Galpern, Rebecca Valentine, and Kelvis Hernandez. Rhode Island has been a participant since 1983, thanks to the efforts of longtime volunteers Marie Parys and Joseph O’Neill. Nearly a thousand Rhode Island students have participated at the class level in past years; of those, about 200 compete at the state level (which will take place at Rhode Island College this year on March 23), and 20 to 30 students go on to compete at nationals in College Park in June.
National History Day Rhode Island March 23, 2019 Rhode Island College
More info: NHDRhodeIsland.org 6
The RIHS has hosted six events this fall introducing teachers and librarians to NHD across the state, and we anticipate that over 30 schools will participate this year. If you would like to support NHD in any way, especially to serve as a judge or a volunteer at the state contest, please let us know – it is amazing and uplifting to see young people so passionate about history.
STAFF NEWS INTRODUCING BECCA BENDER
FILM ARCHIVIST & CURATOR OF RECORDED MEDIA by Shawn Badgley, Communications Manager
After an extensive national search, the RIHS in September appointed Becca Bender as Film Archivist & Curator of Recorded Media, a new position that will advance our mission to promote and preserve a collection of more than 9 million feet of moving image film and well over 2,000 sound recordings, from oral history projects to jazz performances. Becca’s responsibilities will include the management, cataloging, preservation, acquisition recommendations, and promotion of the RIHS’s audiovisual collections. She will also take the lead in planning to acquire, catalog, and archive born-digital recordings that are in line with the collecting scope of the RIHS. So, she will certainly be busy. But she took some time out of her schedule to answer a few questions about her experience thus far. What drew you to the RIHS? Can you talk about your career leading up to your role as Film Archivist & Curator of Recorded Media? Audiovisual archiving and preservation is a career shift for me. I spent 15 years working in documentary production, primarily as an archival producer, so I have a long history as a researcher – essentially functioning in the same role as many of our patrons. Most of my projects were broadcast on PBS, and frequently told stories of African American history and culture. Institutions such as the RIHS were frequently the treasure troves for my work, but they could also be sources of disappointment when moving image collections were inaccessible due to cataloging and/or staffing limitations. In particular, I found local TV newsfilm collections to be especially rich and unique sources, but often the most challenging to access. And that’s if the local newsfilm collections even still exist! The vast majority of local stations discarded their film archives after the practice of news-gathering transitioned to videotape. In some cases, however, TV stations donated their film collections to local cultural heritage institutions, and we at the RIHS are extremely fortunate to be one of those institutions. In fact, we have news-film from four local Providence stations, giving us exceptional breadth of coverage of local events and communities from the 1950s through the early 1980s. Having the opportunity to make these unique and historic materials more accessible to patrons, and to become a part of the cadre of archivists tackling these complex local newsfilm collections around the country, was a huge draw for me. This position was also extremely appealing to me because of the great variety of the work involved. Not only do I get to spend time viewing and repairing decades-old film using
equally aged equipment – and obviously anyone working at an historical society loves old things – but I’ll likewise be working with all types of audio and videotape formats, as well as digital moving image materials. In addition to caring for the physical items themselves, this position is also very much about building relationships with filmmakers, educators, community members, and potential donors to the collections, which will in turn increase the use of our audiovisual collections in myriad ways, and allow us to widen the diversity of Rhode Islanders that our A/V collections depict. How have your first couple of months been going? Has anything stood out to you about the organization’s mission, facilities, and membership? The first couple of months have been great. The RIHS is an extremely welcoming place, and the organization’s clear priority on widely sharing collections materials with the public is very much in line with why I became an archivist. I will admit that sometimes I wander down an aisle in the stacks filled with boxes of uncatalogued film and feel a little overwhelmed … but then mostly I just get excited about the potential within those boxes! What are your initial impressions of the RIHS collections? Would you mind discussing a few items on your to-do list, as well as long-term goals? The RIHS audiovisual collections are extremely impressive. We have one of the largest regional A/V collections in the country, and although much of the material remains uncatalogued, thanks to the incredible work of my predecessors, we already have a significant level of access to the items. In the short term, I’m in the process of acquiring film viewing equipment that will allow for much more efficient review of our collections, as well as establishing new protocols for the cataloging and digitization of A/V. Further on the horizon, I’m eyeing grant-funded opportunities to undertake large-scale digitization projects for some of our most at-risk materials, and looking at ways that we can expand our local news collections to cover the late 20th and 21st centuries. As an overall goal, I’m very interested in expanding our non-news collections (both past and present) to cover minority communities that are typically underrepresented in audiovisual collections. This could mean home movies, amateur films, documentaries, etc., and in particular, A/V materials in which traditionally marginalized communities depict themselves. Anything else you’d like to share with the RIHS membership? Please get in touch with research requests, potential donations, and suggestions of audiovisual materials that need a home! And keep an eye out in 2019 for archival screening events, including Home Movie Day, when guests can bring their personal home movies, in any format, to be shared with the audience.
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PROVIDENCE PROGRAMS
MOWC PROGRAMS
Please check RIHS.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on 2019 events, exhibits, and more. We’ll be adding dates and information on genealogy workshops, costumed interpretations, walking tours, family programming, and history and heritage professional development sessions! For program info, pricing and registration, email programs@rihs.org.
JANUARY January 13, 1:30pm VALLEY TALK: RICHARD J. RING “Images of Gansett: A Brief History of Narragansett Race Track Through Its Photo Archive”
FEBRUARY February 2, John Brown House Museum THE PEOPLE’S HISTORY TOUR OF THE JOHN BROWN HOUSE Researched and presented by local historian, artist, and activist Joey La Neve DeFrancesco, the tour will use the house as frame to discuss the often ignored and erased people, processes and tragedies that created 18th -century Rhode Island. February 7, 6-8pm MEMBERS ONLY! THE HISTORY OF BREWING IN R.I. The Guild Pawtucket Details and registration to come! February 28, Aldrich House UNDRESSING HISTORY Join costume maker, costume historian, and educator Quinn Burgess for a look at the clothing women wore to participate in sports and athletic activities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. MARCH March 16 “H.P. LOVECRAFT: A LITERARY LIFE” WALKING TOUR Providence native H.P. Lovecraft’s stories are known the world over. While Lovecraft saw horror at every turn, he loved nothing more than his hometown of Providence. On this walk we will connect passages from his work to locations around the East Side. APRIL April 11, John Brown House Museum AFTER DARK Join us for our fourth annual After Dark! For 2019’s program, we’ll look at Providence nightlife in the early twentieth-century – from the end of WWI through the early years of Prohibition! MAY May 16, Aldrich House SPRING FORWARD...THINK BACK GALA “Horsing Around: RI’s Horse Racing Heyday” JUNE June 1, John Brown House Museum WHAT CHEER DAY Step back into the 1790s of Rhode Island during the living history event What Cheer Day, featuring two dozen costumed interpreters depicting everyday life. What Cheer Day is free and open to the public. It takes place rain or shine from noon to 4 p.m. on the lawn of the John Brown House. The John Brown House Museum will also be free during regular open hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on this day. This History Space event is presented in partnership with the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Newport Historical Society.
CONCERTS UNDER THE ELMS
Save the dates: June 20, 27; July 11, 18, 25; August 1 Bands and food trucks TBA
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January 27, 1:30pm VALLEY TALK: RETIRED PARK RANGER CHUCK ARNING “So, Please Tell Me, Why Did The Irish Come All the Way to America to Build Canals?” FEBRUARY February 10, 1:30pm VALLEY TALK: PROFESSOR JON HENSON “The Outward and Visible Expression: A Brief History of Base Ball in the 19th Century” February 24, 1:30pm VALLEY TALK: COACH DAVID BELISLE “Legacy on Ice: Mount Saint Charles Hockey” MARCH March 7, 6pm – Ciné Québec A WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION followed by the screening of a Québecois feature film March 10, 1:30pm VALLEY TALK: HISTORICAL REENACTOR PAUL BOURGET Civil War reenactor Paul Bourget will present on the ways in which elements of Civil War history mirror sport. March 16, 1pm RHODE ISLAND CONSORTIUM FOR AUTISM RESEARCH AND TREATMENT BRAIN WEEK EVENT March 21, 3pm FRANCOPHONE FLAG RAISING AT THE STATE HOUSE March 24, 1:30pm SALUTE TO SPRING ~ BONJOUR PRINTEMPS 3rd annual best poutine competition April 6, 2pm PERFORMANCE OF MILL GIRLS by JUMP Dance Academy
APRIL
April 7, 2pm PERFORMANCE OF MILL GIRLS by JUMP Dance Academy
FOR MORE INF0, VISIT US AT WWW.RIHS.ORG. @RIHistoricalSociety
@rihistory
@rhodeislandhistory
RIHS DONORS Individual Supporters FY 2018 $10,000 + Ms. Eleanor Angell ‡ Mr. Daniel C. Schofield ‡ Mr. Vincent Buonanno $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. and Mary E. Erickson Mr. and Dr. Barry G. and Kathleen C. Hittner*** Ms. Mary C. Speare Profs. Luther W. and Kathryn T. Spoehr Mr. Edward C. Stickney ‡ $1,000-$4,999 Mr. William T. Babcock Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. and Jennifer Baker Jr.*** Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Diane Begin Dr. Nicholas Sewall Bowen Ms. Sylvia Brown-West and Mr. Andrew West Dr. Winifred Brownell Mr. Anthony Calandrelli Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. and Inge T. Chafee Mr. Davide Dukcevich Mr. Michael T. Eadie and Mrs. Maria Bridge Dr. and Mrs. Edwin and Angela G. Fischer Mr. Arnold M. Friedman Mr. and Mrs. David and Ellen Galkin Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Lori Godin Dr. and Mrs. George M. and Betsey Goodwin Dr. C. Morgan Grefe and Mr. Gage Prentiss Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Hallowell Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Edward and Diane Iannuccilli Mrs. Sona Kalfaian-Ahlijian† and Mrs. Sondra Pitts Ms. Sharon Ireland Lewis Mr. William R. Logan Mr. James P. Loring, CPA, CFA*** Mr. Frederick R. Mattis Mr. Frank Mauran III Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Elizabeth R. Mauran IV Dr. John H. Moran Dr. and Mrs. James T. and Cynthia B. Patterson Mr. and Mrs. Kevin P. and Marianne Phelan*** Dr. Steven M. Safyer Mr. Robert H. Sloan Jr., CLU, CHFC Mr. and Mrs. Theodore W. and Robyn G. Smalletz Mr. and Mrs. David and Charlene Soucy Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Barbara Thornton $500-$999 Mr. Timothy N. Burditt Mrs. Lucy Aldrich Burr Mrs. Lucille W. Cameron and Mr. James R. Doris Mr. Michael Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Lucia Case Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Anne Conway Ms. Althea Baker Crowley Mr. Warren C. Curtis Dr. Grace M. Donnelly Mr. and Mrs. Karl F. and Jacqueline Ericson Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Ann Marie Gendron Ms. Marion O. Harris Ms. Barbara K. Hart Dr. Eric Jarvis Ms. Leslie M. Kenney Mr. and Mrs. Bradford B. and Jean R. Kopp Dr. Jane Lancaster Mr. Robert J. Manning Ms. Lisa Melton Mr. Robert G. Padula, CPCU, ARM Mr. Charles H. Page Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. and Alice Reinhardt Mr. and Mrs. Russ and Carla Ricci Ms. Thelma Rocha Ms. Susan Sipprelle Mr. and Mrs. Stanley and Beth Weiss Mr. W. Edward Wood
$250-$499 Dr. Dianna E. Abney Ms. Lucille E. Atkinson Ms. Corinne Barber Ms. Pamela Behring Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Bourget Dr. and Mrs. James Brennan Captain Nicholas Brown Mr. Thomas Bryson Mr. Merrill Budlong Ms. Pauline Clancy Ms. Renee Darling and Mr. Ronald Miller Mr. Patrick Donohue and Ms. Erin O’Brien Mrs. Doris Stearn Donovan Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. and Kathleen Y. Duffy Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Judy Famiglietti Dr. Donald Farish† and Mrs. Maia Farish Mr. and Mrs. Robin and Martha Fletcher Mr. Richard M. Glenn Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Donna Gricus Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Teresa Hacunda Ms. Nancy S. Harris Reverend Robert W. Hayman Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Anne Hird Mrs. Beverly Klyberg Mr. and Mrs. Russ and Isabel Kushner Mr. J. Stephen Lawton Prof. Francis J. Leazes Jr. and Ms. Audrey Laforge Drs. J. Stanley Lemons and Linda Bausserman Mr. Nicholas A. Longo Mr. Benjamin Lux Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Kathryn Mandel, CPA Dr. Craig Marin Mr. and Mrs. Warren and Mary McGoldrick Ms. Mildred T. Nichols Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Alexandra Pezzello*** Ms. Judith Potter* Ms. Silvia Rees and Mr. Philippe Cordina Mr. and Mrs. James and Cathe Rezendes Dr. Seth E. Rockman Ms. Nicole Romano* Dr. Nancy Dietz Safer Mr. Philip V. Sarcione Mr. Peter J. Scheidler Dr. and Mrs. George M. and Theresa D. Seidel Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Peggy Sharpe Jr. Ms. Ann Donahue Sheridan Dr. William Simmons† and Mrs. Cheryl Simmons Dr. Elizabeth C. Stevens and Mr. Norman MacLeod Mr. Michael Sullivan Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Louise Swanson Ms. Maureen Taylor and Mr. Dexter Strong Ms. Christine Townsend Mr. Newell E. Warde Ms. Nancy A. Wegimont Ms. Julie Ann Wilson Mr. James Wing Ms. Dolores L. Zompa $100-$249 Ms. Diane Adam Mr. and Mrs. John and Kyle Adamonis Mrs. Virginia M. Adams Mrs. Rebecca N. Alberg Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Jeannine Allard Mr. and Mrs. James P. and Susan J. Allen Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Eleanor Amaral Mr. Raymond C. Anderson Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Orlando and Linda Andreoni Mr. Martin P. Andrews Ms. Sue Andrews Ms. Sharon Antia Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Sandra Arning Captain Lee Ashcraft Ms. Katrina H. Avery Dr. and Mrs. Julien Ayotte Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Judith Ann Ayotte
Dr. James C. Baird Mrs. Suzanne Baldaia, Ph.D. and Mr. Ernest Mayo, Esq. Ms. Julie C. Baldwin Mrs. Cherry Fletcher Bamberg Mr. Ken Barthelemy Mr. and Mrs. G. Rollin and Sandra F. Bartlett Ms. Mary-Elizabeth Barton Mr. Charles I. Bearse Dr. Peter B. Belinsky Mr. and Mrs. Maurice and Barbara Bell Ms. Elaine Benedetti Mr. and Mrs. John M. and Patricia A. Biasuzzi Mr. Arthur J. S. Bielfelt Mr. and Mrs. James and Margaret Bierden Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Gertrude Bilodeau Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and Arria Bilodeau Mr. and Mrs. Melvyn and Patricia Blake Ms. Pamela Bockoven Ms. Kathleen B. Bouthillier Dr. and Mrs. Edward and Anne Bozzi Mr. Henry A. L. Brown Mr. James P. Brown III Mr. Iain H. Bruce Mr. and Mrs. Albert and Carol Anne O. Brunelle Mrs. Elsie D. Buffum Mr. Mark H. Burnham Mrs. Elizabeth Capozzi Mr. Michael A. Carlin and Ms. Sarah Norwood Drs. Ralf and Nancy Carriuolo Mrs. Nancy K. Cassidy and Mr. Jeffrey Schreck Ms. Denise Catalano Ms. Kathryn J. Cavanaugh Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Mary Cherkas Mr. John B. Christy III Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. and Kate Chute Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Kim Clark Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Paula Clark Mr. James F. Clarke Jr. Mr. Jameson Clem Dr. and Mrs. John S. and Carol A. Clifford Ms. Megan Noel Clingham Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin and Amy Cogan Ms. Carolyn S. Cole Dr. John E. Concannon Mr. Tony Connors Mr. Michael Conway Mrs. Gayle A. Corrigan and Mr. Igor Vlasov Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Linda Costa Mr. and Mrs. Pete and Carol Courtemanche Ms. Delia M. Crocker Dr. Carol A. Crowley Ms. Luanne Kelly Cullen Ms. Mary Daly Mr. and Mrs. Murray and Judith Danforth III Mr. and Mrs. Cornelis and Kathryn De Boer Ms. Elizabeth Debs Dr. Catherine O. DeCesare Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Virginia DeGregory Mr. Cedric DeLeon Ms. Jane Desforges and Mr. Michael J. White Mr. Paul Desjardins Mr. and Mrs. Russ and Mary Dexter Mr. John Di Meo Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Susan Dick Mr. Robert DiMuccio Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Ann Dionne Mr. Vincent N. DiStefano Mr. Ara Dostourian Dr. and Mrs. Joseph and Sarah Dowling Jr. Mr. Joseph M. Driscoll Mr. William Duarte Mr. and Mrs. Noel and Muriel Dubois Ms. Geralyn M. Ducady Mr. Stephen M. Duggan Ms. Norine Duncan Mr. John Lyman Dyer 9 Mrs. Alexandra B. Earle
RIHS DONORS Mr. and Mrs. William and Alice Emerson Dr. Nathan B. Epstein Mr. and Mrs. John and Elizabeth Faricy Ms. Geraldine E. Faries Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Grace Farmer Ms. Kathryn Farrington Mr. Peter R. Fay Ms. Alisa Ferraioli Ms. Martha S. Finfrock Mr. and Mrs. Allan and Ellen Fingeret Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Irene Finlay Mr. and Mrs. John W. and Joan M. Flynn Mr. and Mrs. Anthony F. and Barbara T. Fontaine Dr. William M. Fowler Jr. Dr. Robert G. Frank Jr. Ms. Barbara Frazier Mr. Jim E. Frutchey Mr. C. William Gallagher Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. and Leslie A. Gardner Mr. Donald W. Gardner Jr. Ms. Donna-Belle Garvin Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Jane Geary Ms. Charmyne Goodfellow Ms. Elaine Gosciminski Mr. and Mrs. Luke and Roberta Gosselin Mr. David Green and Mrs. Myrth York Ms. Blair P. Greene Mr. Thomas Casey Greene Jr. Dr. Albert Godfrey Greene Jr. Mrs. Virginia K. Greenwood Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Grimes Jr. Mrs. Virginia D. Hales Mr. John A. Hall Mr. Earl E. Handrigan Mr. and Mrs. John and Virginia Harkey Ms. Gloria Hartman Mr. Grant Henne Mrs. Pamelia A. Henriksen Mr. William Herron Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Marcia Hicks Mr. Douglas E. Hinman Mr. and Mrs. Donald and Rachel Hoard Mr. Gordon Hoover Dr. Donald R. Hopkins Ms. Amanda Houle Mr. and Mrs. Chris S. and Nancy Hurd Ms. Dianne L. Izzo Mr. Kenneth James Jefferson Mr. Gary S. Johnson Mr. Peter Jones Ms. Claire A. Jubb Mr. David Judd Dr. Carl F. Kaestle Mr. Brian Kahn Ms. Mary Karlsson Mr. John Kay Ms. Pierrette Kelly Ms. Mary Kosowski Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Jeanne Laferriere Mrs. Trudy Lamoureux Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Elizabeth Lanni Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Anne Lanni Ms. Leslie H. Lapham Ms. Sally E. Lapides Mr. Richard Lappin Mr. and Mrs. Elaine and Robert Lauro Mr. and Mrs. Roland and Billiegene Lavallee Mr. David C. Lavery Mr. and Mrs. Keith C. and Monique D. Lawton Ms. Marjorie L. Lederer Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Penelope Lederer Prof. Mark A. Lehrer Mr. Donald Leighton Mr. and Mrs. Leonard I. and Linda L. Levin Dr. Judy Barrett Litoff
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Mr. Pasco F. Loffredo Ms. Christina M. Louth Mr. William D. Lowe Ms. Suzanne M. Magaziner Ms. Natalie S. Major Mrs. Mary Ann Makepeace Ms. Pamela Mancini Dr. Lucille Marchand Mr. Stewart Martin Mrs. Ann Brooke Mason Mr. Joseph D. Mathewson Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. and Theresa E. Mathiesen Mr. Nikolas Matthes and Mr. Andy Tan Mr. Christian M. McBurney Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin W. and Jean McCleary Ms. Jean D. McGinn Mr. Mike McGovern Mrs. Jane Larson McGuirk Ms. Jessica McKay-Dasent Mr. Ray J. McKenna Jr. Ms. Kalin E. McKivergan Mr. Thomas H. McKivergan Mr. James McKivergan Ms. Tessa McLain Ms. Judith McNulty Mr. Robert Megerdichian Dr. Joanne P. Melish Mr. Brian Menard Ms. Charlotte Methe Ms. Linda L. Meyer and Mr. Mike Eckenroth Ms. Karen A. Michalec Mr. George R. and Elaine Milkaitis Mr. and Mrs. Arthur C. and Martha Milot Mr. Peter J. Miniati III, CFP Ms. Donna Mitchell Dr. and Mrs. D. Scott Molloy Jr. Ms. Kristen Moonan Mr. William B. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Timothy More Mrs. and Dr. Sarah and E. Pierre Morenon Dr. Thomas Morgan Mr. Daniel Musholt Mr. and Mrs. James M. and Susan M. Nagle Mrs. Margaret P. Nastro Ms. Irene G. Nebiker Ms. Jane S. Nelson Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Louise O’Brien Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. and Judith K. O’Donnell Mr. William Hoyt Olinger Mr. Ken Overly and Mrs. Debra Medeiros Mr. and Mrs. Drew and Margaret Palmer Ms. Sarah Paquet and Mr. Samuel Hogg Mr. and Mrs. John and Regina A. Partridge Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Marie Parys Ms. Elena Pascarella Mr. Eugene A. Peloquin Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Lois Peloquin Mr. and Mrs. Ron and Lorraine Pennington Mrs. Christine Phillips Dr. and Mrs. Joel Picard Mr. David Piccerelli Ms. Margaret Jean Pickett Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Eleanor Pierannunzi Mr. Ronalds J.R. Platt III and Ms. Lynn Gale Mr. Allen V. Polhemus Mr. and Mrs. David and Linda Pompel Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas and Francoise Porch The Honorable and Mrs. Joseph and Claire-Lise Presel Mr. David Ransome Dr. and Mrs. George A. and Connie G. Raymond Mrs. Shirley I. Reichenberg Mrs. Helen Reid Mr. and Ms. Craig and Sarah Richardson Mr. Matthew Rizzini Senator Dominick Ruggerio Mr. Robert G. Salmonsen Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and Diane Sanborn
Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Jean Santaniello Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Joanne M. Schacht Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Katharine Schelleng Mr. Clarkson Schoettle Ms. Lucie Searle The Honorable and Mrs. Bruce Marshall Selya Mr. Ed Serowik Mr. Mel Shelly and Ms. Shirley DiMatteo Mr. and Mrs. William and Mary Sheridan Mrs. Martha P. Sherman Mr. Daniel G. Siegel Ms. Santina Siena Mrs. Gretchen Dow Simpson and Mr. James Baird Dr. and Mrs. Arun K. and Barbara H. Singh Mr. and Mrs. John and Margaret M. Skenyon Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Barbara Slaight Mr. William Slattery Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Patricia Sloss Ms. Rebecca H. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Christina Sokoloff Ms. Lane Talbot Sparkman Mrs. Joanne Speroni-Woody and Mr. Michael Woody Mr. Marc Staelen Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Elizabeth Staples Jr. Mr. Dennis E. Stark and Mr. Robert F. Amarantes Mr. Richard D. Stattler and Ms. Jennifer Anderson Dr. Evelyn Sterne Mr. Kent Stetson* Dr. and Mrs. Ronald M. and Christine Stewart Mr. Michael V. Stone Ms. Erica Sugarman Mr. Bill Sutherland Dr. Nathaniel L. Taylor Ms. Ruth S. Taylor Ms. Leslie Thomas Mr. John M. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Stephen G. and Louise M. Thornton Mr. Robert O. Thornton Ms. Joanne Tomao Ms. C. June Tow Mr. James Transue Ms. Carol A. Traynor Ms. Jane A. Trehy Mr. Scott M. Turner and Ms. Mary A. Warboys Mr. and Mrs. Ken and Mary Lou Upham The Honorable and Mrs. Vito A. and Nancy L. Virzi Mr. Peter J. Voccio Jr. Ms. Stephanie Walsh Ms. Wendy G. Walter Mr. Francis C. Ward Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Paula Washburn Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Marcy Welch Mrs. Peter J. Westervelt Mr. Willis H. White Mr. J. Bruce Whyte and Mr. Gerald L. Boone Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Linda Wicker Ms. Dianne Wilkin and Mr. Stephen Venuti Ms. Judith B. Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Lewis and Carol Wilson Mr. Dave R. Winans Drs. Edward and Rena R. Wing Dr. Richard Wong and Dr. Barbara Schepps Prof. and Mrs. Gordon S. and Louise G. Wood Dr. David C. Woolman Mr. and Mrs. John and Ann Woolsey Mrs. Connie Worthington and Mr. Terry Tullis Mr. and Mrs. Herb and Sandra Zakrison
Corporate, Foundation, Organizations & Government $10,000 + The 1772 Foundation Amica Companies Foundation Brewster Thornton Group Architects** City of Woonsocket Heritage Harbor Foundation
RIHS DONORS I-Heart Media* Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation National Park Service The Newell D. Goff Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities The Roger E. Potter Fund and the Nicholas E. and Ann O. Picchione Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations $5,000-$9,999 CVS Health The Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Family Foundation The Murray Family Charitable Foundation $1,000-$4,999 AAA Northeast Absolute Respiratory Amica Mutual Insurance Company** B&M Catering Company* Bank of America Brown University Office of Government & Community Relations Conway Tours* Cozy Caterers* Dominion Foundation Esten & Richard Insurance Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Foundation Mandel & Tracy, LLC Moore Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley Partridge, Snow & Hahn LLP Pranzi Catering* Quebec Delegation Rhode Island Society Sons of the Revolution Sharpe Family Foundation Studio Institute Tom’s Market Catering* Van Liew Trust Company The Victor & Gussie Baxt Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation Washington Trust Company $500-$999 Alliance Bernstein Bourget & Associates Canadian Consulate The Catering Gourmet* Citizen’s Bank* Citizens Charitable Foundation E. F. O’Donnell & Sons Company, Inc. E.W. Burman, Inc. Emery’s Catering* Fournier & Fournier, Inc. General Society of Colonial Wars Gertrude N. Goldowsky & Seebert J. Goldowsky Foundation John and Mary Wall Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation Lepine Financial Advisors Peckham Family Fund of the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund Rhode Island Society of Colonial Wars Soucy Insurance The Villa at Saint Antoine Wright’s Dairy Farm* $250-$499 Adeline’s Speakeasy Restaurant* Bottles Fine Wines* Brown University Department of History Cafe Choklad Inc. Ciro’s Restaurant* The Dean Hotel* Friskie Fries* IBM Matching Gift Program Northern RI Chamber of Commerce
Robbins Properties, Inc. Savini’s Pomodoro* The Savory Grape* Woonsocket Rotary Club $100-$249 Alayne White Spa* Amgen Foundation B.U.W. Council Local 310 Barrington Public Library Blithewold Mansion, Garden & Arboretum* Brownell Library Capital Grille* The Cigar Box* Construction and General Laborers’ Local Union 271 Coventry Public Library Cumberland Public Library Cycle Bar* Dave’s Market* Del’s Lemonade* DP Architects East Providence Public Library Greenville Public Library The Jeremiah Dexter Family Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities & Cultural Heritage Kane-Barrengos Foundation Li’l General Stores* Lincoln Public Library Marian J Mohr Memorial Library Milford Federal Savings and Loan Narragansett Beer* Nation Wide Construction Newport Historical Society* North Smithfield Fire/Rescue North Smithfield Public Library Order of the First Families of RI Pillsbury House Portsmouth Abbey School Library Portsmouth Free Public Library Providence Central Federated Council AFL-CIO Providence Public Library Public Archaeology Laboratory Inc. Ress Family Foundation RI Laborers’ District Council Roger Williams National Memorial Stadium Theatre* Trinity Repertory Theater* Trudeau’s Auto Repair Inc. United Service and Allied Workers The Valley Breeze Wealth Mangement Resources West Warwick Public Library Wildwood Nursery & Garden Center* Yacht Club Soda*
Brown University California State University (Sacramento) Archives Mr. Alex Caserta Ms. Betsey Congdon Ms. Elaine Crane Mr. Glenn Davis Mr. Hank Doiran Mr. David Doss Mr. Neil Dunay Ms. Betsey Dyer Mr. Robert Emlen Mr. William C. Emerson Mr. Martin Farrell Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Foundation First Baptist Church Ms. Neysa C. Garrett Mr. Robert A. Geake Mr. David Goldman Dr. C. Morgan Grefe Ms. Marion Griswold Mrs. Marilyn C. P. Helmholz Heritage Harbor Foundation Ms. Christina Kennedy Mr. Earl R. Layman Barbara Love Ms. Carol McCarthy Mr. Thomas McDonough Ms. Kristin R. McJunkins Ms. Marilyn McKenna Mr. Steven Mason Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Newport Historical Society Mr. Thomas N. Nicholson Ms. Chelsea Ordner Providence Art Club Providence Preservation Society Ms. Vickie Randall Rhode Island Society of Mayflower Descendants Ms. Diane K. Sanborn Mr. Tony Schumacher Mrs. Peggy Sharpe South County History Center Dr. Luther Spoehr Mr. Roger Stoddard Mrs. Virginia R. Stuart Ms. Amey Tilley Ms. Carmen Valentino Ms. Virginia Walsh Ms. Emily Webb Westminster Unitarian Church Mr. John J. Wilkinson Mr. Stanley Weiss
Donors under $100 acknowledged in online version of Annual Report * In-kind ** Includes in-kind *** Includes matching and charitable foundation contributions ‡ Planned gift † Deceased
Donors to the Collections American Lung Association American Historical Manuscripts Anonymous Ms. Rosemary Berntson Ms. Sarah Long Brockmann
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