University of Rhode Island

History

The University of Rhode Island was first chartered as the Rhode Island State Agricultural School, associated with the state agricultural experiment station, in 1888. The site of the school was originally the Oliver Watson Farm in Kingston, whose original farmhouse is now a small museum. In 1892, the school was reorganized as the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. That year, it extended courses of study from two years to four years; URI recognizes 1892 as its founding date. The first class had only seventeen students, each completing their course of study in two years. In 1909, the school's name was again changed to Rhode Island State College as the school's programs were expanded beyond its original agricultural education mandate.

The college graduated its first African American student, Harvey Robert Turner, in 1914. Turner majored in civil engineering, competed on the college's football and track teams, and received a Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to teach at Prairie View A&M University, where he also served as treasurer.

In 1951 the school was given its current title through an act of the General Assembly following the addition of the College of Arts and Sciences and the offering of doctoral degrees. The Board of Governors for Higher Education, appointed by the governor, became the governing body of the university in 1981 during the presidency of Frank Newman (1974–1983). The Board of Governors was replaced by the Rhode Island Board of Education in 2013, and by a 17-member Board of Trustees in 2019.

In 2013 the faculty adopted an open-access policy to make its scholarship publicly accessible online.

Presidents

Main article: List of presidents of the University of Rhode Island

Twelve individuals have served as president, and three others have served as acting president of the University of Rhode Island. Marc B. Parlange is the current president, having served since August 2021.

Main campus

URI's main campus is located in northern South Kingstown, and most of the university property is in the Kingston census-designated place.

The campus is accessed via Rhode Island Route 138 from either the west (Interstate 95) or east (United States Route 1). The campus was mostly farmland when it was purchased by the state in 1888, and still includes the c. 1796 Oliver Watson Farmhouse. The early buildings of the campus are set around its main quadrangle, and were built out of locally quarried granite. The campus master plan was developed by the noted landscape architects Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot in the 1890s. The central portion of the campus, where most of its pre-1950 buildings are located, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Main Campus Gallery

File:URI East Hall and Washburn Hall.jpg| File:Lippitt Hall, URI.jpg| File:GreenHall URI.JPG| File:URI Carothers Library.jpg| File:URI Memorial Student Union.jpg| File:URI Multicultural Center.jpg| File:University of Rhode Island Planetarium.jpg| File:Chester H. Kirk Center for Advanced Technology.jpg| File:URI_StairwayToExcellence2.jpg| File:URI_Engineering_Pano.jpg|

Satellite Campuses

W. Alton Jones Campus

The W. Alton Jones Campus is one of three satellite campuses of the University of Rhode Island and is located in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. At 2309-acres (9.34 km2) it is the largest satellite campus of the University of Rhode Island and consists of an Environmental Education Center, a business conference center, a working farm and the Nettie Marie Jones Nature Preserve.

The land was donated to the University of Rhode Island by Nettie Marie Jones, widow of businessman W. Alton Jones. The addition of the property tripled the size of the University's landholdings and gave it the unique position of possessing more land than any of the other New England state universities.

The property is a part of the coastal forest and wildlife corridor that spans from Washington, D.C., to Maine. The property also is a link between the 2,200-acre (8.90 km2) Tillinghast Pond Management Area in West Greenwich and the 14,000-acre (56.66 km2) Arcadia Management Area in West Greenwich and three other towns.

The campus closed in June, 2020 and an online petition urging former URI president Dr. David M. Dooley and former governor Gina Raimondo to reopen the camp and education programs has collected more than 6,900 signatures.

History

In 1954 W. Alton Jones, president of CITGO, bought the property for hunting and fishing vacations. He was a close friend of United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who visited the property four times for fishing, hunting and skeet shooting. On March 1, 1962, W. Alton Jones died in a plane crash while on his way to Los Angeles to meet Eisenhower for a fishing trip. His widow, Nettie Marie Jones, donated the property to the University of Rhode Island and included everything that remained on the property, from the buildings, to the farm animals and equipment - was included in the gift.

Environmental Education Center

In 1965 a Youth Science Center (now called the Environmental Education Center or EEC) was constructed with much of the funding provided by the W. Alton Jones Foundation. Governor John Chafee celebrated the opening of the Environmental Education Center at a dedication ceremony with a speech. 50 years later, his son Governor Lincoln Chafee celebrated the 50th anniversary of the W. Alton Jones campus at a rededication ceremony also with a speech.

The Environmental Education Center hosted an average of 1900 campers each summer and 70 different school groups from the New England region during the academic school year.

Whispering Pines Conference Center

The Whispering Pines Conference Center hosted conferences, retreats and team-building programs. It consisted of 32 guest rooms and four conference rooms.

The center’s client list ranged from small businesses, to teachers’ unions and big banks.

Pop Culture

In 2005 the W. Alton Jones campus was the base of the movie Hard Luck, featuring Wesley Snipes, Cybill Shepard, and Mario Van Peebles. The movie intertwines stories involving a drug dealer trying to go straight, and a housewife trying to hide a sadistic secret.

Closing

In June of 2020 the University of Rhode Island closed the Environmental Education Center and Whispering Pines Conference Center, citing financial hardships dating back several years. https://www.ricentral.com/narragansett_times/uri-decides-to-close-w-alton-jones-campus/article_ab2ce16e-ab2c-11ea-b2ee-0f805927cf70.html

Academics

URI is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The student-faculty ratio at University of Rhode Island is 16:1, and the school has 43.1% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Rhode Island include: Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse; Psychology, General; Speech Communication and Rhetoric; Kinesiology and Exercise Science; and Health-Related Knowledge and Skills, Other. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 84%.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks URI tied for 152nd overall among 436 "national universities" and tied for 81st out of 225 "top public schools" in 2024.

• 31st in ''Pharmacy (tie)" in 2024
• 47th in "Best Library and Information Studies Program (tie)" in 2024
• 48th in Best Nursing School: Master's (tie) in 2024
• 70th in Earth Sciences (tie) in 2024
• 66th in Best Nursing School: Doctor of Nursing Practice (tie) in 2024
• 101st in Clinical Psychology (tie) in 2024
• 106th in "Physical Therapy (tie)" in 2024
• 108th in "English (tie)" in 2024
• 78th in "Speech-Language Pathology (tie)" in 2024
• 148th in Computer Sciences (tie) in 2024
• 130th in "Best Education Schools (tie)" in 2024
• 150th in "Chemistry (tie)" in 2024
• 144th in "Mathematics (tie)" in 2024
• 111st in "Psychology (tie)" in 2024
• 139th in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program in 2024.
• 144th in Biological Sciences (tie) in 2024
• 152nd in "Physics (tie)" in 2024
• 135th in "Best Engineering Schools" in 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks URI for 51-75 globally for Oceanography in 2023.

Admissions

The average incoming freshman at the Kingston campus for 2025 had a GPA of 3.76 and an equivalent SAT score of 1265 (on a 1600 scale, with ACT scores converted accordingly).

Student clubs

URI has 21 club sports teams, including crew, equestrian, field hockey, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, pickleball, rugby, sailing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, ultimate, volleyball, and wrestling. These teams travel and compete against other intercollegiate programs in the country. URI also has 20+ intramural sports, including volleyball, badminton, dodgeball, and soccer. The intramural sports allow students to compete in tournaments and games with other students on campus.

URI also has over 300 student organizations and clubs. The university's student newspaper, The Good Five Cent Cigar, was founded in 1971. It is also home to several Greek-lettered organizations.

Athletics

Main article: Rhode Island Rams

The University of Rhode Island competes in 16 intercollegiate sports. The university is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Coastal Athletic Association in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

The Rhode Island Rams men's basketball competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and has appeared in the NCAA "March Madness" Tournament a total of 10 times since its first appearance in 1961. Two of these ten appearances occurred during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Athletic facilities include the Ryan Center, Keaney Gymnasium, Meade Stadium, Mackal Field House, Tootell Aquatic Center, Bradford R. Boss Arena, URI Soccer Complex, Bill Beck Field, and URI Softball Complex.

Off campus living

While 5600 students live in the 25 on campus residence halls, thousands more opt to commute from the surrounding area. Narragansett, an abutting town to Kingston, is made up of hundreds of summer vacation homes which are rented to students for the academic year.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of University of Rhode Island people}}Notable University of Rhode Island alumni in politics and government include Lieutenant General (retired) [[Michael Flynn]] (B.Sc. 1981),{{Cite web

Notable graduates in journalism and media include CNN correspondent John King (B.A. 1985), CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour (B.A. 1983), and CBS correspondent Vladimir Duthiers (B.A. 1991).

Among URI's alumni in the arts and entertainment are actors J. T. Walsh, Peter Frechette (B.F.A.), Amanda Clayton, and Andrew Burnap (recipient of the 2020 Tony Award- Best Actor in a Play, The Inheritance.)

Notable graduates in business and finance include CEO and Founder of Beemok Capital, Ben Navarro (B.Sc. 1984); former president of American Airlines, Robert Crandall (1960); and former CEO of CVS, Thomas Ryan (1975).

First magician to win America's Got Talent Mat Franco (2010).

File:J. Joseph Garrahy, Rhode Island Governor.jpg|Governor of Rhode Island J. Joseph Garrahy '59 File:Angelo Cataldi, Wing Bowl 2007.jpg|Sports radio personality Angelo Cataldi '72 File:Michael T Flynn (cropped).jpg|25th U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn '81 File:Christiane Amanpour June 2008 (cropped).jpg|CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour '83 File:Providence mayor Jorge Elorza (1).jpg|38th mayor of Providence Jorge Elorza '98 File:Lamar Odom 2012 Shankbone.JPG|Basketball star Lamar Odom (did not graduate)

Notable faculty

Main article: Category: University of Rhode Island faculty

• Robert Ballard, undersea archaeologist and discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic
• Yehuda Hayuth, Israeli professor of geography, and President of the University of Haifa
• Natalie Kampen
• Joëlle Rollo-Koster
• Andrea Rusnock
• Dana Shugar, first department head of Women´s studies major
• Melvin Stern
• Robert Weisbord
• Robert E. Will

Notes

References

References

1. (February 12, 2025). "U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student". National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
2. "Common Data Set 2024-25". University of Rhode Island.
3. (September 1, 2016). "Brand Colors".
4. "University of Rhode Island". American Council on Education.
5. "Facts".
6. "The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)". U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics.
7. Kuffner, Alex. "URI closing W. Alton Jones campus; summer camps canceled".
8. Rice, M.A., S. Rodrigues and K. Venturini. "Philosophical & Institutional Innovations of Kenyon Leech Butterfield and the Rhode Island Contributions to the Development of Land Grant and Sea Grant Extension". Century Beyond the Campus: Past, Present, and Future of Extension A Research Symposium to Mark the 100th Anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act September 24–25, 2014, West Virginia University. Waterfront Place Hotel, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Sep. 2014..
9. Slater, Robert Bruce. (1996). "The First Black Graduates of the Nation's 50 Flagship State Universities". [[The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education]].
10. (1913). "The Granite Yearbook". University of Rhode Island.
11. Associated Press. (March 11, 2013). "New RI Board of Ed meets for first time".
12. (December 15, 2014). "University of Rhode Island". [[University of Southampton]].
13. "University of Rhode Island history and timeline". University of Rhode Island.
14. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: South Kingstown town, RI". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
15. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Kingston CDP, RI". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
16. "Draft NRHP nomination for University of Rhode Island Historic District". Rhode Island Preservation.
17. (January 7, 2010). "East Hall Turns 100".
18. "A campus with stories to tell".
19. (2012-04-02). "Big Moments in the Woods".
20. "URI commemorates 50th anniversary of W. Alton Jones Campus".
21. McLeish, Todd. (2012). "Rhode Island's Natural Laboratory". University of Rhode Island.
22. Carini, Frank. (2020-06-29). "Possible Development of URI Nature Campus Creates Worry".
23. (2012-04-02). "W. Alton Jones Campus — By the Numbers".
24. Jones, W. Alton. (1962-03-02). "W. Alton Jones and Admiral Conolly of L.I.U. Among Victims of Queens Disaster; SKETCHES OF DEAD IN JETLINER CRASH Several Couples and Three Brothers Perish Friend Was Joining Eisenhower". The New York Times.
25. (2012-09-23). "URI's Alton Jones Campus turns 50".
26. Bessette, James. (2020-06-10). "URI to close 2 facilities on Alton Jones campus".
27. Staff, P. B. N.. (2000-06-19). "Whispering Pines far from the office".
28. Connect, P. B. N.. (2007-03-02). "Movie filmed at URI's Alton Jones campus released on DVD".
29. "Rhode Island Institutions – NECHE". [[New England Commission of Higher Education]].
30. "A campus with stories to tell".
31. "University of Rhode Island Rankings".
32. Carini, Frank. (2020-06-29). "Possible Development of URI Nature Campus Creates Worry".
33. "2023 Global Rankings of Academic Subjects".
34. [https://web.uri.edu/admission/quick-facts/], University of Rhode Island.
35. "College Scorecard: University of Rhode Island". [[United States Department of Education]].
36. . ["Campus Recreation: Club Sports Teams"](https://web.uri.edu/campusrec/club-sports/teams/). *University of Rhode Island*.
37. "Athletics and Recreation".
38. "Student Organizations - University of Rhode Island".
39. "Women lighting the way for The Good 5-Cent Cigar".
40. "Chapters of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.".
41. "Athletics and Recreation".
42. "University of Rhode Island - NCAA.com".
43. "General - Story Archives".
44. "Facts".
45. Fenton, Josh. "URI Scrambles As General Flynn's Ties to QAnon Come Under Greater Scrutiny".
46. Rogerson, Kate. (March 23, 2017). "URI Alum: Jorge Elorza, Mayor of Providence {{!}} The Good 5 Cent Cigar".
47. (December 10, 2020). "John King, CNN's chief national correspondent, analyzes election results for viewers in front of the "Magic Wall." (Photo courtesy of CNN)".