David W. Dumas was born in 1943 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1960. In 1964, he graduated from Brown University with an A.B. in Latin, and also earned an M.A. in Classics and History from the University in 1977. In addition, he obtained his L.L.B. and J.D. in 1967 from the University of Virginia Law School. In 1982, Mr. Dumas was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives from District 43 in East Greenwich. He was elected Republican House Minority Leader in 1990, a post which he held until 1992, when he decided not to seek re-election to the Rhode Island House. In the early 1990’s, he was a member of the select commission to investigate the failure of Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation-insured institutions (RISDIC). He was also a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission on the General Assembly, as well as the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Prior to his time in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Mr. Dumas served on the East Greenwich School Committee from 1976-1983, and was the chair of the Committee from 1976-1980. Mr. Dumas has also taught several classes at local colleges and universities. From 1988-1994, he was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Rhode Island, where he taught courses such as Administrative Law and Procedure and the American Legal System. He was also an Adjunct Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island from 1995-1996, where he taught a number of classes, including Western Civilization and State and Local Government. Mr. Dumas has also held membership in several prominent organizations, including the Brown University Alumni Schools Program, the Society of the Cincinatti, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Providence Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. Mr. Dumas is currently a lawyer in private practice in East Greenwich.
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David W. Dumas Papers, Mss. Gr. 151, University of Rhode Island.
The collection contains documents including letters of correspondence, memos, newspaper articles, and press releases, which pertain to different legislative or political topics that were of interest to Mr. Dumas during his time as a State Representative, including abortion, gay rights and education. There is also material related to significant events that occurred during Mr. Dumas’s time in office, such as the RISDIC banking crisis. There are also letters of correspondence between Mr. Dumas and several notable public figures, including politicians and civic leaders, such as Bruce Sundlun and various members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. The collection includes material from 1982-1998.
The collection is arranged into two series as follows:
This collection was donated to the Special Collections Unit by David W. Dumas on December 10, 2001.
The Subject Series includes records regarding various legislative and political topics, such as abortion, gay rights, and education, which were of interest to Mr. Dumas during his time as a State Representative. There are also folders focusing on important events that occurred during his time in office, such as the RISDIC banking crisis, as well as folders containing documents related to Mr. Dumas’s political campaigns, including his declaration papers, candidacy letter, and campaign brochures. Also included in this series are six folders consisting of articles from various local newspapers. These newspaper articles focus on a wide variety of subjects, including legislative issues such as congressional re-districting, Rhode Island budget issues, and flag burning. There are also articles documenting Mr. Dumas’s election campaigns. The folders, which encompass the years 1982-1998, are arranged alphabetically by topic. The records within each folder are arranged chronologically by date, from the earliest to the most recent.
The Correspondence Series consists of letters of correspondence between Mr. Dumas and several notable public figures, including politicians and civic leaders, such as Bruce Sundlun and various members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. In addition, there are three folders in this series that contain legislative correspondence, consisting of letters related to various legislative issues, including the re-districting process, the Rhode Island State budget, and workers compensation. In addition, there are two folders of miscellaneous correspondence that focus on a myriad of topics, including letters of recommendation and letters of support to various political candidates. The folders in this series are arranged alphabetically, and the letters within each individual folder are arranged chronologically by date, from the earliest to the most recent. The letters encompass the years 1983-1995.