Category: 1890-1909 (Born)

Mary Womble Spruel

Sep 19, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Education, Museums and Libraries, Religious, Social Work, Civic and Philanthropy

1906-1988 Mary Womple Spruel was an early Black teacher, hired in 1945 (see Timeline, bottom of page here). Mary was born and raised in Montclair and taught for a total of 48 years, mostly in Newark. She had a masters and doctorate of education from Rutgers. Mary received the Essex County Distinguished Service Award from the…
Maude E Emery

Sep 16, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Education, Museums and Libraries

1888-1973 Maude Emery taught Latin and History at South Side High School for 41 years. In 1936, she won second prize in the New York Times syllabus contest. She was part of the NJ Association of Teachers of Social Studies. Maude was born in Boston, and came to Newark before 1905 and graduated from Newark…
Bertha Lewit Rosenthal

Sep 16, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Doctors, Nurses and Medical, Jewish Women, Social Work, Civic and Philanthropy

1891-1957 Bertha was an early College of Pharmacy graduate in 1909, “one of the youngest graduates of the college”. Only one other woman graduated that year, though the first woman graduates were in 1901 there were still very few. Bertha was born in Newark and lived at 521 18th Avenue in 1916 when she married…
Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston

Sep 16, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Education, Museums and Libraries, Phyllis Wheatley Society, Social Work, Civic and Philanthropy

1895-1986 Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston (usually went by Elizabeth, possibly because her mother was also Sarah Elizabeth) was the grandmother of Whitney Houston. She was born in California in 1896 but lived in Newark on Beach St by the time she was 14. Her father was minister at St. James AME Church. Elizabeth graduated from…
Irene E Morris

Sep 4, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Doctors, Nurses and Medical, Phyllis Wheatley Society

1900-1953 Irene Morris worked as a registered nurse for the Board of Health for over 25 years. She graduated from Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia with the class of 1922. Irene is listed as a nurse in city directories from 1923 and appointed as a visiting nurse for the Board of Health March 1926, and a…
Mildred Miller Free

Sep 4, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Phyllis Wheatley Society, Social Work, Civic and Philanthropy

1893-1939 Mildred Free was prominent in church and women’s circles. She was active in St. Philips Church and the NJ State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs of which she was Recording Secretary and Financial Secretary. She was active in the Phyllis Wheatly Society, where she was secretary, and the Lit-Muse Club. Mildred was also secretary,…
Hamilton Family

Sep 4, 2022

in 1850-1869 (Born), 1870-1889 (Born), 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Business & Entrepreneur, Doctors, Nurses and Medical, Education, Museums and Libraries

Laura Bland Hamilton 1853-1952 Laura Hamilton was born into slavery in VA. She came to Newark after the Civil War with her sister and married Frederick Hamilton. Founder of Bethany Baptist Church. She organized a factory making baby clothes in her home which she ran for 18 years. Her husband also had an automobile exchange…
Mildred Morris Williams

Aug 31, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Education, Museums and Libraries

1905-1958 Mildred Morris was one of the early Black teachers in Newark. In 1938 the Herald News called her “one of Newark’s popular school teachers”, “charming” and a “member of one of New Jersey’s outstanding families”. She taught at Abington Ave School, in 1st grade, for most of her career, teaching briefly at Belmont Ave,…