general Albert Martin, defender of the Alamo Frank Wheaton, Civil War general Politics Arunah Shepherdson Abell, creator of Philadelphia Public Ledger and Baltimore Sun newspapers Nelson W. Aldrich, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, grandfather of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and father of Richard S. Aldrich Richard S. Aldrich, U.S. Representative Philip Allen, 22nd Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Senator William Henry Allen, naval officer during War of 1812 Zachariah Allen, scientist and inventor Jonathan Arnold, member of Continental Congress from Rhode Island Samuel G. Arnold, United States Senator from Rhode Island Edward Beard, U.S. Representative Grace Lee Boggs, social activist and feminist, known for work done in Detroit Jabez Bowen, federalist supporter, Deputy Governor of Rhode Island and Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court John Brown, co-founder of Brown University, U.S. Representative John Chafee, Governor of Rhode Island, Secretary of the Navy, and United States Senator Zechariah Chafee, lawyer, academic and civil libertarian Vincent Cianci, longest-serving mayor in Providence history (1974–1984) and (1991–2002); city's first Italian-American mayor Thomas Davis, U.S. Representative Herbert F. DeSimone, Attorney General of Rhode Island and Assistant Secretary of Transportation Ray Fogarty, Rhode Island state representative Dwight Foster, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative Theodore Foster, U.S. Senator J. Joseph Garrahy, 69th Governor of Rhode Island Albert C. Greene, U.S. Senator and Attorney General of Rhode Island John Patrick Hartigan, Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and of United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island Nicole Love Hendrickson, chair of the Gwinnett County, Georgia Board of Commissioners Stephen Hopkins, nine-time Governor of Rhode Island and signer of Declaration of Independence David Jagolinzer, American litigation attorney, born in Providence. Elisha Jenkins, New York Secretary of State, Mayor of Albany Pat LaMarche, Green Party vice presidential candidate in 2004 and activist Oscar Lapham, U.S. Congressman Henry Lippitt (1818–1891), textile magnate, governor of Rhode Island, his Victorian mansion is one of the finest in Providence Audri Mukhopadhyay, Canadian diplomat Dee Dee Myers, first female White House Press Secretary, served during Clinton administration John O. Pastore, Democratic politician, first Italian-American governor (1945–1950) and Italian-American senator (1950–1976) of Rhode Island John Rucho, Massachusetts state legislator and businessman, was born in Providence Pamela Sawyer, member of Connecticut House of Representatives Bruce Sundlun, 71st Governor of Rhode Island and businessman Robert Tiernan, U.S. Representative and member of Rhode Island General Assembly Pat Toomey, U.S.