Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, last week the arts and education communities lost a giant when Dr. Roger Mandle, the former president of the Rhode Island School of Design for more than a decade, passed away in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, at the age of 79. I was fortunate to work closely with President Mandle during my time as mayor of Providence. He was a passionate advocate for the humanities and a visionary leader who ensured that Rhode Island remained home to the leading arts and design school in the world. Most of all, he was an extraordinary human being and talented leader who sought to leave our world in better shape than he found it. He recognized the influential post he held as a civic leader in the city of Providence, he understood fully the importance that great universities and colleges have to the success of cities, and he worked to ensure that RISD was an asset for Rhode Island's capital city. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with Roger's wife, the renowned abstract artist Gayle Wells Mandle, and their entire family today. ____________________”