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Lincoln Almond
Lincoln Carter Almond (June 16, 1936 – January 2, 2023) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 72nd Governor of Rhode Island from 1995 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he was previously the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1978 and again from 1981 until 1993.
Almond was born on June 16, 1936, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Thomas Clifton Almond and Elsie (Carter) Almond. He grew up in Central Falls until his family moved to Lincoln in 1947. He attended nearby Central Falls High School because there was no high school in Lincoln at the time. He graduated Bachelor of Science degree from University of Rhode Island in 1959 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law in 1961. Afterward, he started his career as a practicing attorney in Rhode Island.
Almond was appointed Town Administrator of Lincoln, Rhode Island, in January 1963 and was subsequently elected to three terms, serving in that capacity until June 1969. As town administrator, Almond undertook significant upgrades of the municipal water system and a school construction program, including a high school, to accommodate a rapidly expanding population of school children. He also was responsible for the construction of a new police station and town hall in Lincoln. After his service as town administrator, Almond served as a director and later president of the Blackstone Valley Development Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation that developed industrial parks in Lincoln, Cumberland, and Smithfield.
Before being elected governor, Almond served as the U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, from 1969 to 1978, and later from 1981 to 1993. With a total of 21 years of service, Almond was one of the longest-serving U.S. Attorneys in the District of Rhode Island. While serving as U.S. Attorney, Almond emphasized enforcement in the area of organized crime, drugs, and white collar crime, including political corruption.
Almond had a number of high-profile accomplishments during his tenure. In 1970, Attorney General Elliot Richardson created an advisory committee of 15 U.S. Attorneys to advise the Attorney General. Almond served on this committee advising Attorneys General Richardson, William Saxbe, Edward Levi, and Griffin Bell on matters of resource allocation, civil and criminal priorities, and federal legislation priorities. Almond oversaw significant drug prosecutions and drug forfeitures that received national attention. During Almond's tenure, Providence, Rhode Island, served as the base of the Patriarca crime family, leading to several high level prosecutions by the New England U.S. Attorneys, including Almond. He supervised a number of political corruption cases primarily in Providence and Pawtucket.
Almond ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1968, and he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1978, when he was defeated by incumbent Governor J. Joseph Garrahy. In what was considered an upset in the 1994 Republican primary for governor, Almond marked his political comeback by defeating the heavily favored Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Ron Machtley. He went on to defeat Democratic State Sen. Myrth York, who had scored her own upset by defeating incumbent Gov. Bruce Sundlun in the Democratic primary. He was the first governor to serve a four-year term under changes to the Rhode Island Constitution, and was the first to be bound by a two-term limit. Previous statewide terms of office were two years, with no term limits.
Health care and human services was an emphasis during the Almond administration. RIte Care, the state public health care program for children was significantly expanded during his administration, he instituted an aggressive childhood immunization program, and expanded state funded prenatal care programs, resulting in lowered rates of low-weight births. Almond greatly increased the number of state-subsidized child care slots, standards for child care providers were raised, and health care through the state also was offered to child care providers. During the Almond administration, Rhode Island was among the states with the highest percentage of its residents with health insurance coverage.
In the realm of higher education, Almond advocated strongly for passage of a 2000 bond referendum that included funding for a new Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). With CCRI an affordable entryway to college for many lower income students, Almond was successful in having the tuition frozen there for most of his years in office. Almond directed funds to improve the buildings and dormitories at Rhode Island College (RIC), and promoted the building of the Nazarian Performing Arts Center at RIC.
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Lincoln Almond
Lincoln Carter Almond (June 16, 1936 – January 2, 2023) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 72nd Governor of Rhode Island from 1995 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he was previously the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1978 and again from 1981 until 1993.
Almond was born on June 16, 1936, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Thomas Clifton Almond and Elsie (Carter) Almond. He grew up in Central Falls until his family moved to Lincoln in 1947. He attended nearby Central Falls High School because there was no high school in Lincoln at the time. He graduated Bachelor of Science degree from University of Rhode Island in 1959 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law in 1961. Afterward, he started his career as a practicing attorney in Rhode Island.
Almond was appointed Town Administrator of Lincoln, Rhode Island, in January 1963 and was subsequently elected to three terms, serving in that capacity until June 1969. As town administrator, Almond undertook significant upgrades of the municipal water system and a school construction program, including a high school, to accommodate a rapidly expanding population of school children. He also was responsible for the construction of a new police station and town hall in Lincoln. After his service as town administrator, Almond served as a director and later president of the Blackstone Valley Development Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation that developed industrial parks in Lincoln, Cumberland, and Smithfield.
Before being elected governor, Almond served as the U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, from 1969 to 1978, and later from 1981 to 1993. With a total of 21 years of service, Almond was one of the longest-serving U.S. Attorneys in the District of Rhode Island. While serving as U.S. Attorney, Almond emphasized enforcement in the area of organized crime, drugs, and white collar crime, including political corruption.
Almond had a number of high-profile accomplishments during his tenure. In 1970, Attorney General Elliot Richardson created an advisory committee of 15 U.S. Attorneys to advise the Attorney General. Almond served on this committee advising Attorneys General Richardson, William Saxbe, Edward Levi, and Griffin Bell on matters of resource allocation, civil and criminal priorities, and federal legislation priorities. Almond oversaw significant drug prosecutions and drug forfeitures that received national attention. During Almond's tenure, Providence, Rhode Island, served as the base of the Patriarca crime family, leading to several high level prosecutions by the New England U.S. Attorneys, including Almond. He supervised a number of political corruption cases primarily in Providence and Pawtucket.
Almond ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1968, and he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1978, when he was defeated by incumbent Governor J. Joseph Garrahy. In what was considered an upset in the 1994 Republican primary for governor, Almond marked his political comeback by defeating the heavily favored Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Ron Machtley. He went on to defeat Democratic State Sen. Myrth York, who had scored her own upset by defeating incumbent Gov. Bruce Sundlun in the Democratic primary. He was the first governor to serve a four-year term under changes to the Rhode Island Constitution, and was the first to be bound by a two-term limit. Previous statewide terms of office were two years, with no term limits.
Health care and human services was an emphasis during the Almond administration. RIte Care, the state public health care program for children was significantly expanded during his administration, he instituted an aggressive childhood immunization program, and expanded state funded prenatal care programs, resulting in lowered rates of low-weight births. Almond greatly increased the number of state-subsidized child care slots, standards for child care providers were raised, and health care through the state also was offered to child care providers. During the Almond administration, Rhode Island was among the states with the highest percentage of its residents with health insurance coverage.
In the realm of higher education, Almond advocated strongly for passage of a 2000 bond referendum that included funding for a new Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). With CCRI an affordable entryway to college for many lower income students, Almond was successful in having the tuition frozen there for most of his years in office. Almond directed funds to improve the buildings and dormitories at Rhode Island College (RIC), and promoted the building of the Nazarian Performing Arts Center at RIC.