2000s Inductees
Autino (Tony) Maraia retired after a distinguished 40 year career as President and C.E.O. of the National Gypsum Company, a subsidiary of Delcor, Inc., an integrated diversified manufacturer of Gold Bond brand building products, serving residential, commercial, repair and remodeling sectors of the building and construction industry. National Gypsum is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers and supplier of gypsum wallboard.
Tony joined the company in 1958 as a sales representative in the Boston area. Throughout the years he has served in a variety of positions including vice president, national accounts, strategic planning, research and development and service vice president, sales and marketing.
Born in Cranston, Tony graduated from Cranston High School in 1950. He served two years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service during the Korean War. Upon his return he graduated from Bryant College in 1958 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.
Prior to his retirement, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Conference Board, at Harvard University. He also served as a member of the Board of Visitors for the McColl School of Business at Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Bryant College. He is a member of the River Hills Country Club in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, as well as a member of Terravita Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tony and his wife Jane (who graduated from Cranston High School in 1951) have three children. Four of his brothers and sisters are lifetime residents of Cranston. His personal interests include traveling, golfing, boating and reading.
In June of 1998 Tony was honored to receive the “Distinguished Alumnus” award from Bryant College.
For his extraordinary achievements as a national leader in the industrial world and his service in education, the Cranston Hall of Fame proudly installs Autino (Tony) Maraia.
The valedictorian of the Class of 1973 at Cranston High School West was David J. Bryan, who has gone on to a distinguished career in the field of medicine and research.
After high school, David attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a 4.9 grade average. He then went on to Harvard Medical School, graduating Cum Laude in the Class of 1981.
Following internship and residency programs, David became Chief Resident in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1988 he joined the staff at the Lahey Clinic. He currently serves there as vice chairman in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and he is working in one of the hottest areas of research today—tissue engineering. As director of the Tissue Engineering Laboratory at Lahey Clinic, Dr. Bryan, in collaboration with research partners in biotechnology and academia, is exploring cellular and molecular components of nerve regeneration. His ultimate goal is to construct artificial nerve conduits that would restore muscle function and skin sensation of people who sustain serious injury or need extensive reconstruction after cancer operations. Since 1993, over 30 of his articles on reconstructive surgery have been published in various medical journals.
In addition to the Lahey Clinic, Dr. Bryan is affiliated with the Boston Children’s Hospital, is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Tufts University Medical School.
When David attended Cranston High School West, one of his interests was historical preservation. He belonged to the Junior Historical Preservation Club, which met at the Joy Homestead in Cranston. Today David resides in Groton, Massachusetts where he purchased a 19th century Greek revival style home that gives him the opportunity of expressing his keen interest in gardening and home carpentry renovation. He spends what leisure time he has in restoring and refurbishing his home to its original grandeur.
His father, Jim, is a retired public accountant. He has a brother, Thomas, and a sister, Susan, who is the principal at Stadium Elementary School in Cranston.
For his remarkable achievements in medicine and research, The Cranston Hall of Fame proudly installs Dr. David J. Bryan.