Rhode Island College Alumni Association

News

Announcing Alumna of the Year Anne Colafrancesco De Stefano ’66

Join us for the Rhode Island College Alumni Awards Dinner! The Alumni and Honor Roll Awards are presented annually in May to graduates whose personal and professional attainment and service to the college and the community bring honor upon themselves and upon Rhode Island College. Register online today, call 401-456-8086 or email alumni@ric.edu.

It’s Here! The 2013 Alumni Print Directory

We are currently in the final stages of preparing the Rhode Island College Alumni Directory. Unlike past directories, this publication will be the first ever to feature listings along with photos and essays submitted by alumni. You may have received a postcard in the mail or a call from someone about this important project. We are pleased to work with Harris Connect to provide you with an updated print directory. If you have any questions, please call 800-366-4146. Thank you!

History & Tradition

Rhode Island College, the oldest of the three public institutions of higher education, celebrated its sesquicentennial during the 2003-2004 academic year. When the college was founded in 1854 as the Rhode Island Normal School on Benefit Street in Providence, its goal was to provide teacher preparation to qualified high school graduates in Rhode Island. In 1898 a new building adjacent to the State House was dedicated. In 1920 the name was changed to the Rhode Island College of Education. During the 1958-59 academic year, the college moved to its current location, a 180-acre park-like campus in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence. In 1959 the college was renamed Rhode Island College to reflect its mission as a comprehensive institution of higher learning.

The first Alumni Association was formed in 1887. In 1911 the first alumni survey was conducted for 2,500 known graduates. We are proud to be an extension of the more than 50,000 alumni who continue to support the college and contribute to the community in multiple ways.

Alumni facts: (not including this year's graduating class)

• Total – 61,865
• Living – 54,820
• Reachable – 51,968
• International – 113
• Number of states with alumni representation – all 50 states and the District of Columbia
• Deceased – 7,045