As we piece together our selections committee to decide on The 50 Most Influential Newfoundlanders of All Time, we aren’t convinced that we have the most well-rounded list of Newfoundlanders that we can piece together. We need your help to give our selections committee a definitive list to choose from, so please use the message boards below to make your case. Below you will find our entries so far:
1. Paul McCloy
2. Bob Cole
3. Ryan Cleary
4. Joey Smallwood
5. John Crosbie
6. Dermot O’Rielly
7. Ron Hynes
8. Rick Mercer
9. Cathy Jones
10. Mary Walsh
11. Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers
12. Kevin Major
13. Gordon Pinsent
14. Cluny Macpherson
15. Geoff Stirling
16. Ray Guy
17. Andy Jones
18. E.J. Pratt
19. Christopher Pratt
20. Mary Pratt
21. Craig Dobbin
22. Frank Moores
23. Brian Tobin
24. Rex Murphy
25. Danny Williams
26. Andy Wells
27. John Murphy
28. John Efford
29. Bill Rowe
30. Clyde Wells
31. Elizabeth Marshall
32. William Coaker
33. Earle McCurdy
34. Peter Cashin
35. Capt. Bob Bartlett
36. Elizabeth Goudie
37. Bill Rompkey
38. Rick Hillier
39. Paul Johnson
40. Frank Moores
41. Earl Ludlow
42. Ken Bennett
43. Shawn Majunder
44. Seamus O’Regan
45. Brad Gushue
46. TA Loeffler
47. Tommy Sexton
48. NC Hutton
49. Great Big Sea (Alan, Sean, and Bob)
50. Elaine Dobbin
51. Wilfred Grenfell
52. Ches Penney
53. Leslie Galway
54. Nora Duke
55. Stan Marshall
56. Sheila Downer
57. Dianne Whalen
58. Priscilla Boutcher
59. Cathy Bennett
60. Zita Cobb
61. Fergus O’Byrne
62. Denis Ryan
63. Shanawdithit
64. Emile Benoit
65. Wayne Johnston
66. D.W. Prowse
67. William Carson
68. Jack Harris
69. Shannie Duff
70. David Kirke
71. Danny Cleary
72. Ryan Clowe
73. Hubert Hutton
74. Teddy Purcell
75. Michael Ryder
76. Harold Druken
77. Alex Faulkner
78. Doug Grant
79. Don House
80. John Slaney
81. Doug Grant
82. Terry Ryan
83. Darren Langdon
84. Dwayne Norris
85. Keith Brown
86. Monica Meaney
87. Gerald S Doyle
88. Jackie Sullivan
89. Joel Hynes
90. Hobo Bill
91. The Moonman
92. Trixie
93. Trapper John
94. Adam Case
95. George Maclaren
96. Roland Butler
97. Gwynn Dyer
98. Shannon Tweed
99. Sailor White
100. Father Nagle
101. Thomas Skinner
102. Trevor Taylor
103. Mark Critch
104. Bill Barry
105. George Murphy
106. Rex Gibbons
107. Sandy Gibbons
108. Randy Simms
109. Sir Robert Bond
110. Rob Furlong
111. Hazel Newhook
112. Archbishop Michael Howley
113. Thomas Meagher Jr
114. Helen Fogwell Porter
115. Rufus Guinchard
116. Harry Hibbs
117. John White
118. Alan Hawco
119. Greg Parsons
120. John Cabot
121. Sir. Richard Squires
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
RELATED ARTICLES
- The 50 Most Influential Newfoundlanders of All Time
- Updated: Newfoundlanders in Japan
- Battle of the Newfoundlanders on ice heats up
CONNECT WITH THE INDY
George Aaron Nichols: Pioneer of the west coast and founder of Nicholsville
Simani (for all the folks not from St. John’s) …ALL of those songs about the Newfoundland experience, resettlement etc.
Cassie Brown
I also feel that Rex Murphy is much more influential than his number here….he represents Newfoundland to a significant degree in Central Canada and the States.
Frank Moores is on the list twice – unless there were two influential Newfoundlanders with the same name, perhaps you should bump one of those Franks off the list.
Trixie and Trapper John? That is an embarrassment to the list and our province
Trapper John’s has welcomed/screeched-in over 100,000 tourist’s
Sir William Whiteway – built the Newfoundland railway,prominent in politics from the 1860s to 1904.
D.W. Prowse – author of that very influential History of Newfoundland, 1895, still available.
Joe Smallwood (of course)
William Coaker, founder of the FPU.
Sir Robert Bond, still an icon.
You might consider adding Tommy Ricketts to your list. Considering your paper is the independent you haven’t got anyone on the list who was famous for keeping us independent.
Mr. Ricketts not only won an honor that is more than a million to one odds, he was the youngest VC winner ever in a combat role.
Wikipedia does a nice job of a brief bio. The Centre for Newfoundland Studies will be the authority on this topic.
Good luck with your contest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ricketts
Danny should definitely be in the top 10…not that I am a cheerleader for him or anything…but there’s no denying he gave NL’ers their pride back, and good on im!
Leo Puddister
Al Clouston
Alan Doyle
It’s spelled Shaun Majumder.
Cheers!
Don Jamieson was involved in the confederation debates with the Crosbie’s, one of the co-founders of CJON / NTV in 1951, which eventually became one of the first 24 hour broadcasters in Canada in 1972. Don was also president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters from 1961 – 65 before entering politics winning the riding of Burin-Burgeo in a 1966 by-election. He was an MP and regional minister (Defense, Transport, Regional Economic Expansion and External Affairs) from 1966 – 79 when he returned home to NL, running in the provincial election just months after a federal one. Following a short retirement he was appointed to be the Canadian High Commissioner to the UK, working on bilateral Canadian-UK trade and becoming a favourite of the Queen’s. A documentary, Just Himself: the story of Don Jamieson, will be out later this fall that discusses both his Newfoundland roots and pride as well as his political style and contributions before considering how politicians have changed today. (http://www.facebook.com/justhimselffilm)
Danny Williams has to be in the top 10!
Cathy Dunderdale- first woman Premier of NL
Todd Saunders – a world famous architect from Gander (I believe) He designed Zita Cobb’s new project the fogo island inn
Elizabeth Penashue – Innu elder and activist…. all Peter Penashue’s mother
Anne Marie Brown – Animal Right activist, she has done amazing work with the Clarenville SPCA bringing animals to their shelter from ALL over the province to get them a better chance for a better life. Recently founded a bird and small animal rescue which is the first of it’s kind in the province..
Randy Simms, Bill Rowe definately,
Joey Smallwood a must
Gordon Bradley a must
Danny Williams, Brian Tobin, and Clyde Wells also….
Great big sea, Ron Hynes, Harry Hibbs, Pratt, Kevin Major
and don’t forget the numerous fish merchants of the time JT Swyers, Ryan’s and so many more.
keep looking, keep thinking,
but i’m sure glad you are thinking and doing, i’ve actually read the Encylopidias of NL,
and have always loved NL History……
Its our life, and we learn from the past, it’s the hindsight that matters the most.
how in gods name did i make this list.
Oh! And Donald F. Cook & Maxwell Howse.
William James Herder.
I have to fully agree with Billy Bob on that one.
Joel Hynes? Really? C’mon guys…
In barely over a quarter century on the Island, here are my thoughts:
Cut all the hockey players/Gushue, Cathy Bennett (seriously?), and Tweed.
+1 for Cashin, Crosbie, Dyer, Mary Walsh
+2 for Rowe, Stirling, Rex Murphy
+3 for Danny, Smallwood, Sexton
Joan Morrissey, Newfoundland’s First Lady of Song – helped pave the way for Newfoundland Artists.
Peckford, Dunderdale, Grimes, Tom Marshall, George Baker.
This list is heavily weighted to the 20th century. In terms of actual infuence, I would think there should be almost as many pre 20th century as post 20th century names. Also, you haven’t said what you mean by “influential”. If this means politically influential, a lot of names will drop off the list. I think you’re mixing up famous with influential. If you put an athlete on the list, he may or may not be influential. Perhaps the person who organized and chaired all the sporting events in that sport would actually be much more influential (although not famous), whereas the athelete wouldn’t be very influential, but would be famous. I think you’ve got a lot of work to do.
You might want to give up and simply come up with a list of the most famous NL’ers.