From the 1930s through the 1970s Mrs. Altieri played an active role in Rhode Island's civic and political history. Born May 1, 1895, in North Smithfield, a daughter of Ernest P. and Maria (McCarthy) LaFond, she was a lifelong resident of North Smithfield, volunteering within the community and representing it in public office.
Living briefly in Washington, D.C. during World War I, she worked as a secretary for the U.S. Surgeon General. She returned to Rhode Island to serve as a Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue of the Treasury Department in Providence, R.I. She held the elected office for the first time as a member of the North Smithfield School Committee from 1930 to 1936, the first woman to be elected to the committee.
Elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives from North Smithfield in 1934, she was one of the first women to hold such a noteworthy position in the State, and the first woman from North Smithfield to hold this level of office. Her term coincided with the political shift in power in Rhode Island’s state government called the "Bloodless Revolution."
While in office, she sponsored the Aid to Dependent Children and the Aid to the Blind law and introduced the Civil Service Act in the legislature in 1936. She was active on many committees and later helped to organize the first Old Age program in the state. She also served as chairman of the joint legislative committee on public health and vice chairman of both the House Education and Public Welfare Committees. After leaving office, Altieri remained active in the Democratic party, both at the local and state level, working to support the campaigns of fellow Democrats.
During her tenure as a public official and continuing throughout her later life, Altieri volunteered for or served as a member of numerous charitable and civic organizations, primarily those with missions relating the public health and the healthcare professions. In addition to her volunteer work, she held positions as the Deputy Director of the Rhode Island Department of Public Welfare from 1939-1940, and as the Director of the North Smithfield Department of Public Welfare between 1961 and 1968.
Collection is open for research by appointment. Materials do not circulate. Some materials may be restricted, for further information contact the Archives and Special Collections, Phillips Memorial Library, Providence College.
Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Phillips Memorial Library. Although Providence College has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Author Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. Title or description of material. Day month year. Alice LaFond Altieri papers. SC021, Box number, Folder number. Providence College Archives and Special Collections. [URL if applicable].
Correspondence, scrapbooks, clippings, speeches, reports, memorabilia, and other papers, reflecting Altieri's political, civic, and charitable activities, including her term (l935-l936) in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, duties as deputy chief of Rhode Island Deptartment of Public Welfare, Division of Old Age Security, and activities as public welfare director of North Smithfield are represented in the collection.
The collection is divided into three series.
In May of 1977, Mrs. Laura LaFond Livermore donated the papers of her sister, Mrs. Alice LaFond Altieri to Providence College.
There are no known related materials.
No materials have been removed from this collection.
This series contains correspondence from a wide range of individuals covering as many topics. While there is some correspondence with the Social Security Administration and the Rhode Island Department of Social Welfare relating to her husband, Hercules A. Altieri, the majority of the correspondence is concerned with various government and community organizations Alice LaFond Altieri came into contact with during her long public career.
This series is arranged chronologically.
The clippings in this series represent a wide range of topics Alice LaFond Altieri had interested in. Among the clippings are articles relating news stories about herself and family members, Rhode Island political events, and national and local Rhode Island politcial figures such as Theodore Francis Green and J. Howard McGrath. In addition, news stories reporting on local organizations and government, such as the Red Cross and the Town of North Smithfield, can be found in the collection. This series included the LaFond family scrapbook, comprised of the same types of clippings noted above.
This series is arranged alphabetical by publication title.
This series contains materials directly relating to various activities and organizations Alice LaFond Altieri was involved with during her long public career, as well as some materials relating to her personal life.
This series is arranged alphabetically by subject title.