Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Women Inductees

Catharine R. Williams ca. 1835

Matilda Sissieretta Jones, 1897

Aileen Riggin, 1920 at age 14, when she won an Olympic Gold Medal

The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes those who have brought credit, prominence, or contributions to the heritage or history of Rhode Island.^[1]

The organization was founded and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1965 to recognize the contributions of citizens of the state of Rhode Island. Since 2013, it has had a partnership with the Heritage Harbor Museum.^[2] Though the organization recognizes the contributions of any citizen, a separate listing of women inductees is maintained.^[3]

The eligibility criteria for membership requires that significant contributions to the history or heritage of Rhode Island and is open to those born in the state, those who are residents when their notability occurred, and those who have permanent homes in Rhode Island.^[4]

The hall inducts new members annually and includes both contemporary and historical Rhode Islanders.^[4]

Name	Image	Birth–Death	Year	Area of achievement	Ref(s)
Roberta Mudge Humble		(1946–)	2022	Professor and author	[5]
Elaine Lorillard		(1914–2007)	2022	Co-founder of the Newport Jazz Festival	[6]
Jeannie Carroll Serpa		(1932–2021)	2022	Educator, artist, author, inventor, and business owner	[7]
Elizabeth Morancy		(1941–)	2021	Catholic nun and State Representative	[8]
Sara MacCormack Algeo		(1876–1953)	2020	Suffragist and educator	[9]
Roberta J. Dunbar		(1868–1956)	2020	African American clubwoman and peace activist	[10]
Bertha G. Higgins		(1872–1944)	2020	African American civic leader	[11]
Maria Kindberg		(1860–1921)	2020	Suffragist	[12]
Ingeborg Kindstedt		(1865–1950)	2020	Suffragist	[13]
Sophia R. Little		(1799–1893)	2020	Abolitionist and suffragist	[14]
Fanny Purdy Palmer		(1839–1923)	2020	Author, poet, social activist	[15]
Anna W. Spencer		(1799–1884)	2020	Social reformer, newspaper publisher	[16]
Lillie Buffum Chace Wyman		(1847–1929)	2020	Social reformer, poet	[17]
Sister Mary Reilly		(1930–)	2019	Missionary who helped establish McAuley House, Dorcas Place, and Sophia Academy	[18]
Rose E. Weaver			2019	Social justice reformer, actress, singer, producer and director	[19]
Patrice Wood			2018	Television journalism	[20]
Sarah J. Eddy		(1851–1945)	2017	Philanthropist, humanitarian, painter and sculptor, photographer, suffragette and author	[21]
Marie Rode Ferron		(1902–1936)	2017	Religious piety	[22]
Wini Blacher Galkin		(1930–2015)	2017	Business/entrepreneur, philanthropist	[23]
Louisa Sharpe Metcalf		(1866–1959)	2017	Philanthropist	[24]
Pauline Maier		(1938–2013)	2016	Historian	[25]
Patricia R. Recupero		(1938–2013)	2016	Mental health advocate	[26]
Betty R. Vohr			2016	Medical Director of Women & Infants Hospital's Neonatal Follow-Up Program	[27]
Gertrude I. Johnson		(1876–1961)	2015	Founder of Johnson & Wales University	[28]
Mary T. Wales		(1874–1952)	2015	Founder of Johnson & Wales University	[29]
Margaret A. McKenna		(1945–)	2015	Served as White House Deputy Counsel, Deputy Undersecretary in the United States Department of Education, president of Lesley University and president of the WalMart Foundation	[30]
Noreen Stonor Drexel		(1922–2012)	2015	health care and education philanthropist	[31]
Catherine O'Reilly Collette		(ca. 1951–)	2014	Women's rights advocate and national organizer on women's issues	[32]
Isabelle Ahearn O’Neill		(1880–1975)	2014	Silent-film actress, suffragette, first woman legislator	[33]
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller		(1874–1948)	2014	Philanthropist, who pushed for the creation of the Museum of Modern Art in New York	[34]
Wilma Briggs		(1930–2023)	2013	All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player who led the league in home runs during the 1953 season and ranks second in the all-time home runs list	[35]
Billie Ann Burrill		(1921–2010)	2013	Co-founder and a director of the Rhode Island College Dance Company and master swimmer, setting 800-meter freestyle and the 1500-meter long course world records in her age category	[36]
Martha McSally		(1966–)	2013	First American woman to fly in combat and was also the first woman to command a USAF fighter squadron	[37]
Lucy Rawlings Tootell		(1911–2010)	2013	teacher and historic preservationist	[38]
Karen Adams		(1955–)	2012	Journalist, television anchor and newscaster	[39]
Eileen Slocum		(1915–2008)	2012	Rhode Island Republican national committeewoman from 1992–2008	[40]
Mary C. Wheeler		(1846–1920)	2012	artist and founder of Providence's Wheeler School	[41]
Jane Stuart		(1812–1888)	2011	first woman portraitist of Newport	[42]
Kathleen S. Connell		(1937–)	2010	Politician, who served at the local and state levels and was Secretary of State of Rhode Island between 1987 and 1993	[43]
Susan Farmer		(1942–2013)	2010	First woman in Rhode Island to hold a statewide office, when elected as Secretary of State	[44][45]
Caroline Hazard		(1856–1945)	2010	Fifth President of Wellesley College and credited with establishing an endowment for enduring financial stability	[46]
Annie Smith Peck		(1850–1935)	2009	mountaineer and adventurer who scaled Mount Huascaran in Peru	[47]
Maud Howe Elliott		(1854–1948)	2008	American writer, noted winning the Pulitzer prize in collaboration with her sister for their mother's biography The Life of Julia Ward Howe	[48]
Marjorie Joy Vogel		(1930–2007)	2008	artist and illustrator who created the largest body of Rhode Island-themed illustration work	[49]
Anna Garlin Spencer		(1851–1931)	2007	president of the Rhode Island Equal Suffrage Association	[50]
Mary Emma Woolley		(1863–1947)	2007	one of America's youngest college presidents	[51]
M. Therese Antone			2006	President of Salve Regina University	[52]
Nancy Gewirtz		(1945–2004)	2006	Co-founder of The Poverty Institute and the Rhode Island Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Poverty	[53][54]
Barbara H. Roberts		(1944–)	2006	First woman Gorlin Cardiology Fellow at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the first woman to practice adult cardiology in Rhode Island	[55]
Sarah Elizabeth Doyle		(1830–1922)	2005	Founder of the Rhode Island School of Design and establishing women's education at Brown University	[56]
Norma Ann Garnett		(1930–2005)	2005	Recognized as Teacher of the Year by Rhode Island and Maine, 1991 White House Distinguished Teacher Award recipient	[57][58]
Idawally Lewis		(1842–1911)	2005	First woman to serve in the U.S. Lighthouse Service	[59]
Alice A. Sullivan		(1925–2003)	2005	Women's sport activist and educator, successfully lobbied for the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's sports program to include girls	[60][61]
Sara DeCosta-Hayes		(1977–)	2004	Two-time Olympic ice hockey medalist: 1998 Nagano gold and 2002 Salt Lake City silver	[62]
Lynne Jewell		(1959–)	2004	1988 Seoul Olympic gold medalist in the women's 470 Class yachting	[63]
Helen Johns		(1914–2014)	2004	1932 Los Angeles Olympic gold medalist in the women's 400-meter freestyle swim	[64]
Katie King-Crowley		(1975–)	2004	Three time Winter Olympic ice hockey medalist	[65]
Frances Whipple McDougall		(1805–1878)	2004	19th-century poet, abolitionist, botanist, and suffragette	[66]
Harriet Metcalf		(1958–)	2004	1984 Los Angeles Olympics women's eight rowing gold medalist	[67]
Aileen Riggin		(1906–2002)	2004	1920 Summer Olympics swimming gold medalist	[68]
Lila Sapinsley		(1922–2014)	2004	State Senator and Senate minority leader	[69]
Sarah Helen Whitman		(1803–1878)	2004	19th-century poet, essayist, and Spiritualist	[70]
Christiana Carteaux Bannister		(1822–1903)	2003	Abolitionist and entrepreneur	[71]
Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis		(1813–1876)	2003	Co-founder of the New England Woman Suffrage Association	[72]
Julia Ward Howe		(1819–1910)	2003	Abolitionist and author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"	[73]
Victoria S. Lederberg		(1937–2002)	2003	State Senator and state Supreme Court judge	[74]
Elizabeth Buffum Chace		(1806–1899)	2002	Abolitionist and suffragette, the first woman to be memorialized with a statue in the Rhode Island State House	[75]
Leona McElroy Kelley		(1919–2000)	2002	Teacher and state House Representative	[76]
Mother Frances Warde		(1810–1884)	2002	Founder of the Sisters of Mercy (R.S.M.) in America	[77]
Catharine R. Williams		(1787–1872)	2002	19th-century poet and writer	[78]
Prudence Crandall		(1803–1890)	2001	Founder of a school that became the first integrated classroom in the United States	[79]
Doris Duke		(1912–1993)	2001	Philanthropist, preservationist and founders of the Newport Restoration Foundation	[80]
Mary Elizabeth Sharpe		(1885–1985)	2001	Amateur landscape architect, who spearheaded landscape design at Brown University, the Japanese Gardens at Roger Williams Park, and the renovation of India Point Park.	[81]
Harriet Ware		(1799–1847)	2001	Teacher and founder of a children's aid society called the Children's Friend Society	[82]
Doris Holloway Abels		(1925–1997)	2000	Ed Sullivan dancer with the Holloway Sisters, later mental health professional and professor at Brown University and Rhode Island College[citation needed]	[83]
Beatrice Oenslager Chace		(1909–1992)	1999	Philanthropist, preservationist and historic home conservationist	[84][85]
Helen Metcalf Danforth		(1887–1984)	1998	Benefactor of the Rhode Island School of Design and president of the RISD Corporation, recipient of the first honorary degree awarded by the institution	[86]
Ann Smith Franklin		(1696–1763)	1998	First female newspaper editor of the American colonies	[87]
Sarah Updike Goddard		(1701–1770)	1998	Published Providence's first newspaper, The Providence Gazette	[88]
Mary Dyer		(1611–1660)	1997	Quaker martyr, one of the founders of Portsmouth	[89]
Sylvia K. Hassenfeld		(1920–2014)	1997	Jewish philanthropist, president of Providence Jewish Federation	[90]
Anne Hutchinson		(1591–1643)	1997	Established the settlement of Portsmouth in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations	[91]
Margaret Langdon-Kelly		(1904–2001)	1997	Co-founder of Meeting Street School for special needs children	[92][93]
Maria Spacagna		(1951–)	1997	First American-born opera singer to perform Madame Butterfly at La Scala	[94]
Helen A. Bert		(1922–2002)	1996	Director and developer of the Women's Athletics Program at Providence College	[95]
Catherine Tilley Hammett		(1902–1998)	1996	First Girl Scout of Newport and later served on the national staff of the Girl Scouts of the USA	[96][97][self-published source]
Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf		(1830–1895)	1996	Founder and director of the Rhode Island School of Design	[98]
Arlene Violet		(1943–)	1996	First woman attorney general in the United States	[99][100]
Lizzie Murphy		(1894–1964)	1994	First woman baseball player to play against major league players	[101]
Barbara-Jeanne Seabury		(1927–2002)	1994	Child welfare advocate, author and the Director of Rhode Island Hospital's Child Life Department	[102]
Mary C. Mulvey		(1909–2003)	1993	Geriatrics, president National Senior Citizens Education and Research Center	[103]
Nancy A. J. Potter		(1926–2023)	1992	Short story writer and professor, recipient of University of Rhode Island President's Award for Excellence in Teaching	[104]
Mary P. Brennan		(1933–1996)	1992	Pioneer in the travel and tourism industry serving on state and national tourism advisory committees; first woman in the country to serve as a station manager in the airline industry	[105][106]
Gladys Williams Brayton		(1890–1990)	1991	Historian and author	[107]
Ade Bethune		(1914–2002)	1990	Catholic liturgical artist and the artistic director of the Terra Sancta Guild	[108]
Marion F. Avarista		(1938–)	1988	Founder of the Traveler's Aid Runaway Youth Project	[109]
Sister Mary Bernard			1987	Teacher, Principle, and Head of the Guidance Department at St. Mary's Academy	[110]
Sister Eileen Murphy		(1935–1983)	1987	Founder of the Amos House homeless shelter of Providence	[111]
Eleanor M. McMahon		(1929–2002)	1986	First Commissioner of Higher Education	[112]
Olive F. Wiley		(1902–1993)	1985	African American Day Care founder and Mother of the Year	[113]
Katharine Gibbs		(1863–1934)	1983	Founder of Gibbs College	[114]
Eleanor Slater		(1909–2006)	1982	State Representative, State Senator and National Democratic Committeewoman	[115][116]
Katherine U. Warren		(1897–1976)	1981	Conservationist, preservationist and founder of the Preservation Society of Newport	[117]
Anna Tucker		(1919–2012)	1981	First Director for the R.I. Department of Elderly Affairs	[118][119]
Florence K. Murray		(1916–2004)	1980	First woman state senator, the first woman judge and the first female member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court	[120]
Diane L. Coutu		(1946–)	1980	Journalist and later editor of the Harvard Business Review	[121]
Antoinette F. Downing		(1904–2001)	1978	Preservationist and Chair of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission and the Providence Historic District Commission	[122]
Frances G. Knight		(1905–1999)	1978	Director of the U.S. Passport Office	[123]
Princess Red Wing		(1896–1987)	1978	Narragansett tribe member, assisted in drafting the tribal bylaws under the Indian Reorganization Act and designed the tribal seal	[124]
Gertrude Meth Hochberg		(1911–2002)	1977	1964 Advertising Woman of the Year of the Advertising Federation of America, first woman vice president of Bryant College	[125][126]
Matilda Sissieretta Jones		(1869–1933)	1977	Internationally renowned soprano	[127]
Catherine Robinson			1975	Civil rights advocate, Assistant Director of the University of Rhode Island Extension Division Service	[128]
Margaret F. Ackroyd		(1908–1995)	1972	Chief of the Division of Women and Children and Commissioner of minimum wage for Rhode Island	[129]
Ruth Buzzi		(1936–)	1971	American comedian and actress	[130]
Ida Silverman		(1882–1973)	1971	Only woman to serve as vice president of the Zionist Organization of America and the American Jewish Congress	[131][132]
Jean Madeira		(1918–1972)	1970	Contralto diva of the Metropolitan Opera	[133]
JoAnne Carner		(1939–)	1969	Five-time national women's amateur golf champion and three-time Rhode Island golf champion	[134]
June Rockwell Levy		(1886–1971)	1969	Philanthropist, who established with her husband the Burrillville Town Buildings Project	[135][136]
Mary Tucker Thorp		(1899–1974)	1969	First distinguished professor at Rhode Island College	[137]
E. Doris Brennan		(1921–1988)	1968	Holder of twenty national and world swimming records in 1930s and 1940s; selected for 1940 Olympics which was cancelled due to World War	[138][139]
Paula Deubel		(1935–1993)	1968	1954 national collegiate shot put champion, 1956 Melbourne Olympic shot put competitor	[140][141]
Carole Garnett-Wheeler		(1898–1978)	1968	1924 Paris Olympic Games swimming competitor, later Rhode Island Republican National Convention delegate	[142][143]
Clara LaMore		(1926–2021)	1968	1948 London Olympic Games breaststroke competitor, 5 time national champion	[144]
Janet Moreau		(1927–2021)	1968	1952 Helsinki Olympic Games gold medal 4 x 100 meters relay winner	[145]
Albina Osipowich		(1911–1964)	1968	1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games gold medal swimmer	[146]
Lois Ann Testa		(1935–)	1968	1956 Melbourne Olympic Games athlete	[147]
Eileen Farrell		(1920–2002)	1967	Noted American soprano	[148]
Ruth Hussey		(1911–2005)	1967	Academy Award-nominated actress	[149]
Glenna Collett Vare		(1903–1989)	1966	Champion golfer who dominated the sport in the 1920s	[150]

• Grzyb, Frank L.; DeSimon, Russell J. (2014). Remarkable Women of Rhode Island. American Heritage. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 978-1-62619-537-0.
• Van Broekhoven, Deborah B. van (2002). Devotion of These Women: Rhode Island in the Antislavery Network. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1-55849-363-6.

• Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame home page