Varnum Blog

[JANUARY DINNER MEETING] Guest Speaker: John McNiff, Roger Williams National Memorial

John McNiff, a Ranger with the National Park Service at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence
John McNiff, a Ranger with the National Park Service at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence

The Varnum Continentals welcome John McNiff, a Ranger with the National Park Service at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence, as our guest speaker at the January Varnum Members Meeting on Monday, January 11, 2016.  This dinner is open to Varnum Members and their guests, and is held at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum at 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI.

Mr. McNiff has created and presented numerous programs and lectures about Roger Williams, co-founder founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and early proponent of religious freedom. He has consulted, worked on, and appeared in several films about the Colonial period, with a special focus on the early Colonial history of Rhode Island. Here’s a sample from YouTube!

John McNiff is a Rhode Island native. Raised in Warwick, he attended Rhode Island College and received his BA in History with a minor in Anthropology in 1979. After studying archaeology in England and working on numerous archaeological projects throughout New England, he received his MA in Anthropology, specializing in archaeology, in 1990 from SUNY Binghamton. In 1996 John began working with the National Park Service and in 1997 was stationed as a Park Ranger at the Roger Williams National Memorial on North Main Street in Providence.

Please RSVP by FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, to Scott Seaback at 401/413-6277 or by email at [email protected].

Meeting Date: Monday, January 11
Time: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
Location: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum
Dinner Menu: Italian Buffet
Fee: $15/person