This is a list of prominent people who were born in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island or who spent significant periods of their lives in the town.
Academia
Herman Churchill (1869–1941) – historian, college professor, and founder of the University of Rhode Island's history department T. Stephen Crawford (1900–1987) – chemical engineer and dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island Caroline Hazard (1856–1945) – fifth president of Wellesley College William Metz (1914–2013) – historian and chairman of the University of Rhode Island's history department Roy G. Poulsen (1918–2006) – economist and director of the Research Center in Business and Economics at the University of Rhode Island Michael Rice (born 1955) – Chairman of the Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Rhode Island Hermann Viets (1943–2017) – astronautics engineer and president of the Milwaukee School of Engineering Homer Jay Wheeler (1861–1945) – chemist and director of the Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Rhode Island
Activism, civil rights, and philanthropy
George Fayerweather (1802–1869) – abolitionist and blacksmith
Sarah Harris Fayerweather (1812–1878) – abolitionist
Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) – religious leader and abolitionist
Joe Patrick II (born 1963) – activist and retired Army soldier
Art, literature, and design
Jhumpa Lahiri (born 1967) – author
C. J. Chivers (born 1964) – author
Business
Augustus George Hazard (1802–1868) – businessman and gunpowder manufacturer
Rowland Hazard III (1881–1945) – businessman and politician
Rowland G. Hazard (1801–1888) – industrialist and politician
Crime
Michael Woodmansee (born 1958) – child murderer
Film, television, and stage
Andrew Burnap (born 1991) – actor
Kate French (born 1984) – actress
Journalism
Bob Rathbun (born 1954) – sportscaster
Lindsay Crouse (born 1984) - documentary film producer
Military
William J. Babcock (1841–1897) – Medal of Honor recipient
David B. Champagne (1932–1952) – Medal of Honor recipient
William G. Fournier (1913–1943) – Medal of Honor recipient
Stephen Champlin (1789–1870) – Navy officer
Christopher Raymond Perry (1761–1818) – Navy officer and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Washington County Matthew C. Perry (1794–1858) – Navy officer Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819) – Navy officer Isaac P. Rodman (1822 – 1862) – Army officer and politician