Lawrence Verria was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1961. He graduated from Rhode Island College in 1983 and has taught United States history at North Kingstown High School for twenty-seven years. He has served as an educational consultant to Frontline (PBS) and as a spokesperson for The Watson Institute for International Studies' Choices for the 21st Century Education Program at Brown University. Verria lives in Bristol, Rhode Island with his wife, Celeste, and their three daughters, Chelsea, Britney, and Simone.