PC Degree: Bachelor of Arts, English
PC Activities: English Literary Society
Career Path: Richard Elia earned his Ph.D. in English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1972. He has created a double career as a full-time professor at Salem State College and president / publisher of Quarterly Review of Wines (QRW), an international wine magazine that is one of the largest wine magazines in the country. In addition to being president and publisher of QRW, Elia writes articles for every issue.
He is the author of more than a dozen publications, primarily on the Victorian era and on maritime Boston painters of the 19th century; Elia has an extensive maritime art collection, and his articles have appeared in Antiques Magazine.
Active in the community, Elia participates in charitable fundraising for town libraries and hospitals. He is on the board of several corporations, including Quinlan Publishing, Boston University Hospitality, and Diderot. In 1980 he joined WGBH/PBS and became the creator of three major wine auctions at Channel 2/Boston, which he still oversees. The auctions have generated millions for public television programming. A professional wine taster, Elia spends much of his summers traveling and tasting throughout major wine regions of the world.
Staying Involved: Even though more than 40 years have passed since Elia graduated, he continues to follow events at PC and the academic careers and publications of those English faculty who taught and inspired him—notably the late Rev. Paul van K. Thomson and Dr. Rodney Delasanta. Elia also provides support to the College's Liberal Arts Honors program.
Memorable Quote: "Providence College introduced me to the Liberal Arts and to English literature, two areas that assisted me in learning how to live and how to work professionally. Further, the college introduced me to professors who treated students with respect, a courtesy that can never go unnoticed."