List of people from Pawtucket, Rhode Island

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Academics and scientists

• Aram Chobanian, cardiologist; ninth president of Boston University; born in Pawtucket
• Joel Garreau, journalist, editor and author (editor at The Washington Post)
• Martha Mitchell, author and longtime archivist at Brown University
• Minton Warren, scholar and Latin professor at Harvard University; born in Pawtucket

Architecture

• James C. Bucklin (1801–1890), born in Pawtucket, became prominent Providence architect
• Charles E. Carpenter (1845–1923), born in Pawtucket, became partner in Stone, Carpenter & Willson of Providence
• C. Willis Damon (1850–1916), born in Pawtucket, became leading architect of Haverhill, Massachusetts
• Raymond Hood (1881–1934), born in Pawtucket, architect of Rockefeller Center and Tribune Tower
• Edwin L. Howland (1838–1876), born in Pawtucket, noted Providence architect
• Albert H. Humes (1867–1947), born in Pawtucket, became the city's leading 19th-century architect
• Lloyd W. Kent (1907–1991), born in Pawtucket, became prominent Providence architect
• R. C. N. Monahan (died 1963), leading 20th-century Pawtucket architect
• Edward I. Nickerson (1845–1908), born in Pawtucket, became architect in Providence
• John F. O'Malley, practiced in Pawtucket from 1919, designed City Hall

Arts and culture

• Don Bousquet, cartoonist
• Wendy Carlos, musician
• Galway Kinnell, poet
• Armand LaMontagne, sculptor
• Abraham Nathanson (1929–2010), graphic designer; developer of Bananagrams; born in Pawtucket
• Sam Patch, daredevil
• Anne Morgan Spalter, artist
• Herb Weiss, Arts District overseer
• Gary Whitehead, poet and painter

Business

• Samuel Slater, industrialist; considered "father of the American Industrial Revolution" by US president Andrew Jackson; lived in Pawtucket

Film and TV

• Ruth Clifford, silent film star
• Michael Corrente, independent film director
• Alice Drummond, actress
• Jack Duffy, actor
• David Hartman, television personality
• Kevin Lima, film director

Journalism

• Dave Kane, radio talk show host
• Irving R. Levine, journalist and foreign correspondent
• Al Rockoff, photojournalist

Music

• Wendy Carlos, composer and electronic musician
• JELEEL!, rapper, and singer
• Jon B, musician and singer
• Rosario Mazzeo, clarinetist
• Marty O'Brien, musician
• David Rawlings, musician

Politics

• Lincoln Almond, 72nd governor of Rhode Island; born in Pawtucket
• Gabe Amo, US representative, Congressional District 1, Rhode Island
• Mary-Ann Baldwin, mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina; born in Pawtucket
• Willard L. Beaulac, U.S. ambassador to Paraguay, Colombia, Cuba, Chile and Argentina; born in Pawtucket
• David Carlin, author and politician: majority leader of RI Senate (1989–1990); born and grew up in Pawtucket
• Thomas Gardiner Corcoran, presidential advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson; born in Pawtucket
• John W. Davis, 38th and 41st governor of Rhode Island
• Joseph L. Fisher, U.S. representative from Virginia's 10th congressional district; born in Pawtucket
• Louis Monast, U.S. representative from Rhode Island; immigrated to Pawtucket from Quebec, Canada as a child
• John A. Sabatini, Rhode Island state senator
• Samuel Starkweather, 7th mayor of Cleveland; born in Pawtucket

Religion

• Susan Hammond Barney (1834–1922), evangelist

Sports

Baseball

• Louise Arnold, player in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League; born in Pawtucket
• John LaRose, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox; born in Pawtucket
• Chet Nichols Jr., pitcher for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds; born in Pawtucket
• Ken Ryan, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies; born in Pawtucket

Basketball

• Ernie Calverley, point guard for the Providence Steamrollers; born in Pawtucket
• Rakim Sanders, shooting guard for Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel; born in Pawtucket
• Azurá Stevens, forward for the Los Angeles Sparks; born in Pawtucket
• Jeff Xavier, point and shooting guard with four teams in the Spanish LEB Oro league; born in Pawtucket

Boxing

• Peter Manfredo Jr., middleweight boxer (held multiple titles); trained at his family's gym in Pawtucket

Football

• Charles Avedisian, Providence College football captain, 1940; inducted into PC Hall of Fame, 1972; guard, New York Football Giants 1942–1944; William E. Tolman High School graduate, 1936
• Gerry Philbin, defensive end for the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Charlotte Hornets (WFL); born in Pawtucket
• Hank Soar, running and defensive back for the New York Giants; Major League Baseball umpire; died in Pawtucket

Horse racing

• Red Pollard, jockey best known for riding Seabiscuit; founding member of the Jockeys' Guild (1940); died in Pawtucket

Hockey

• Keith Carney, former NHL defenseman who is from Pawtucket, played in the NHL from 1992 to 2009, also played for team USA's men's hockey team in the 1998 Olympics
• Russ McCurdy, first women's hockey coach at the University of New Hampshire (1977–1992); played on team USA's men's hockey team in 1963

Olympics

• Janet Moreau, track and field athlete, 1952 Summer Olympics gold medalist; born in Pawtucket

Running

• Les Pawson, 3-time Boston Marathon winner; born in Pawtucket

Wrestling

• Tiny the Terrible, wrestler and politician who ran for Pawtucket mayor in 2006
• Tim White, referee and producer with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Track & field

• Robert Howard, 9-time NCAA champion in triple jump/long jump

References