List of people from South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Last updated April 27, 2025

This is a list of prominent people who were born in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island or who spent significant periods of their lives in the town.

Academia

Herman Churchill (1869–1941) – historian, college professor, and founder of the University of Rhode Island's history department
T. Stephen Crawford (1900–1987) – chemical engineer and dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island
Caroline Hazard (1856–1945) – fifth president of Wellesley College
William Metz (1914–2013) – historian and chairman of the University of Rhode Island's history department
Roy G. Poulsen (1918–2006) – economist and director of the Research Center in Business and Economics at the University of Rhode Island
Michael Rice (born 1955) – Chairman of the Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Rhode Island
Hermann Viets (1943–2017) – astronautics engineer and president of the Milwaukee School of Engineering
Homer Jay Wheeler (1861–1945) – chemist and director of the Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Rhode Island

Activism, civil rights, and philanthropy

George Fayerweather (1802–1869) – abolitionist and blacksmith
Sarah Harris Fayerweather (1812–1878) – abolitionist
Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) – religious leader and abolitionist
Joe Patrick II (born 1963) – activist and retired Army soldier

Art, literature, and design

Jhumpa Lahiri (born 1967) – author
C. J. Chivers (born 1964) – author

Business

Augustus George Hazard (1802–1868) – businessman and gunpowder manufacturer
Rowland Hazard III (1881–1945) – businessman and politician
Rowland G. Hazard (1801–1888) – industrialist and politician

Crime

Michael Woodmansee (born 1958) – child murderer

Film, television, and stage

Mark Atkinson – actor
Andrew Burnap (born 1991) – actor^[1]
Kate French (born 1984) – actress
Brendan O'Malley (born 1969) – actor

Journalism

Bob Rathbun (born 1954) – sportscaster
Lindsay Crouse (born 1984) - documentary film producer

Military

William J. Babcock (1841–1897) – Medal of Honor recipient
David B. Champagne (1932–1952) – Medal of Honor recipient
William G. Fournier (1913–1943) – Medal of Honor recipient
Stephen Champlin (1789–1870) – Navy officer
Christopher Raymond Perry (1761–1818) – Navy officer and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Washington County
Matthew C. Perry (1794–1858) – Navy officer
Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819) – Navy officer
Isaac P. Rodman (1822 – 1862) – Army officer and politician

Music

Aaron Rossi (born 1980) – drummer
Erika Van Pelt (born 1985) – singer^[2]

Politics and government

Lemuel H. Arnold (1792–1852) – Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
James V. Aukerman (born 1948) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
George Brown (1746–1836) – Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Erasmus D. Campbell (1811–1873) – Governor of Wisconsin
Kathleen Fogarty (born 1965) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
John Gardner (1747–1808) – delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Rhode Island
Walter Gray (born 1926) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Grafton Kenyon (1882–1960) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and Rhode Island Senate
Tom Keefe – member of the Branford (Connecticut) Representative Town Meeting and former member of the Colorado First Judicial District Retention Commission
Carder Hazard (1734–1792) – Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
George Hazard (1700–1738) – Deputy Governor of Colonial Rhode Island
Edward Holland (1931 or 1932-2015) – Rhode Island Senator
Robert Hazard (1702–1751) – Deputy Governor of Colonial Rhode Island
Gilbert V. Indeglia (born 1941) – Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
John Shanley Jr. (1944–2021) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Henry Marchant (1741–1796) – Founding Father and Attorney General of Rhode Island
Paul Mumford (1734–1805) – Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island and Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Thomas Mumford (1625–1692) – settled South Kingstown and served as the first High Sheriff
Peter Neronha (born 1963) – 74th Attorney General of Rhode Island
Nathaniel Niles (1741–1828) – U.S. Representative from Vermont
Elisha R. Potter (1764–1835) – U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
Elisha R. Potter Jr. (1811–1882) – U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
Samuel J. Potter (1753–1804) – Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
William Robinson (1693–1751) – Deputy Governor of Colonial Rhode Island
Rob Roy Rawlings (1920–2001) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Roy Willard Rawlings (1883–1973) – Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
V. Susan Sosnowski (born 1955) – Rhode Island Senator
Teresa Tanzi (born 1971) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Robert Tiernan (1929–2014) – U.S. Representative from Rhode Island
Lucy Rawlings Tootell (1911–2010) – member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives

Science

John Barlow (1872–1944) – entomologist
Dorothy Bliss (1916–1987) – carcinologist and president of the American Society of Zoologists
Alexander M. Cruickshank (1919–2017) – chemist and director of the Gordon Research Conferences
Silvester Gardiner (1708 – 1786) – physician
W. George Parks (1904–1975) – chemist and director of the Gordon Research Conferences
John Sieburth (1927–2006) – biologist
Samuel Slocum (1792–1861) – inventor
Clarence M. Tarzwell (1907–1993) – biologist
Malford W. Thewlis (1889–1956) – physician
Richard W. Traxler (1928–2010) – microbiologist^[3]

Sports

William Beck (1929-2017) – U.S. Olympian (1952 and 1956)
Bob Bellemore (born 1959) – ice hockey coach
Harry P. Cross (1873–1955) – football player and coach
Martha Fierro (born 1977) – chess grandmaster and vice president of FIDE
Parker Ford (born 2000) - NHL hockey player. Made his professional debut on January 30, 2025 for the Winnipeg Jets versus the Boston Bruins and scored his first pro goal in the third period, adding his name to the list of NHL players who scored a goal in their debut professional hockey game.
Ron Locke (born 1942) – baseball player
Sean Maloney (born 1971) – baseball player
Fred Tootell (1902–1964) – U.S. Olympian (1924)

References

↑ Fenton, Josh. "URI Grad Andrew Burnap Wins Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor". GoLocalProv. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
↑ Kristina Dorsey (March 1, 2012). "Former Chorus of Westerly singer makes 'Idol' top 13". theday.com.
↑ "Richard W. Traxler obituary". Obituaries Online. Retrieved December 21, 2011.

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[1] Fenton, Josh. "URI Grad Andrew Burnap Wins Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor". GoLocalProv. Retrieved September 27, 2021.

[2] Kristina Dorsey (March 1, 2012). "Former Chorus of Westerly singer makes 'Idol' top 13". theday.com.

[3] "Richard W. Traxler obituary". Obituaries Online. Retrieved December 21, 2011.

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