Beloved Mayor Paul Gaines

Rhode Island’s first Black mayor and Newport ‘legend’ Paul Gaines dies at 88
By Sean Flynn
Daily News staff writer
Posted Jun 26, 2020 at 3:52 PM

“He was a wonderful person,” Cicilline said. “He always wanted to do the right thing. There was no funny business. He was full of integrity and a continuing influence in the community and city government.”

People who later ran for City Council and served would call Gaines for advice, he said.

“He was a mentor for many people,” Cicilline said. “It’s a tremendous loss.”

NEWPORT — Paul Gaines, the first and only Black mayor of any city in Rhode Island and beloved throughout the community, died Thursday at the age of 88.

When he became mayor of Newport in 1981, he was hailed as the first African American mayor in New England. He was a former teacher and coach at Thompson Junior High School (now middle school) and at Rogers High School, then served as a top administrator at Bridgewater State College (now university) for many years, capping a 37-year career in education.

There is a long list of community organizations and projects he was involved in during his life.

“Paul was just extraordinary,” David Wilson, a former top administrator at Bridgewater, said on Friday. “He was a giant in the history of the university — admired and respected by generations of students, alumni, faculty and staff.