Category: Business & Entrepreneur

Rose A Leonardis

1916-2012 Lifelong Ironbound resident. Proprietor of the Rose A. Leonardis Funeral Home after the death of her father in 1953. … More

Asimina Zois

1909-1987 Arrived in Newark at age 7 from Greece. She began sending care packages back to her native village in … More

Maggie Clay Beckett

c. 1892-1972 Founded the James H. Beckett funeral home with her husband. President of the New Jersey State Federation of … More

Christiana Oehler Trefz

1831-1913 Image from 1889 city atlas President and manager of the Christiana Trefz Brewing Company. She managed the company from … More

Margaret Kidney

1814-1917 Lived to 103. Earned her own way after the death of her husband, when she was 35, by making … More

Hamilton Family

Laura Bland Hamilton 1853-1952 Born into slavery in VA. Came to Newark after the Civil War with her sister and … More

Sara Jane Ash

1886-1973 One of only two woman engineers at NJ Bell Telephone Company as of 1937. Started in 1902. Born in … More

Myrtle C. Williams

1900- 15 Jun 1965 (?) Grew up in Newark on Chestnut St. First “colored girl” to finish a 4 year … More

Elizabeth Albright Spurr

1870-1934 Newark native and lifelong resident. Founder of the Newark Branch of the Red Cross in 1917. She was also … More

Janet MacRorie

1887-1950 Assistant ad manager for PSE&G for 10 years. Pioneer in setting up standards and polices for commercial radio programs. … More

Olivia Queene Brown

1882-? Beauty culturist since 1912, ran the Poro Beauty School on 9 Wallace Street which she opened in 1936 or … More

Anna E Whittington

c. 1875-1956 African American woman who ran her own real estate agency in Newark for more than 30 years from … More

Rose Kussy

1887-1955 President of the West Side Trust Company after the death of her husband. Graduate of Barringer (Newark) High and … More

Estrella Alonso Martinez

1924-1998 Lifelong Newark resident, daughter of Spanish immigrants. With her husband Antonio, founded what they claim was the first Spanish … More

Diane Sutton

1941-2001 Co-owned Je’s Restaurant. The first restaurant in Downtown Newark founded by people of color. Mayor Sharpe James called her … More

Marie Foster Whigham

1923-2006 Helped her husband Charles Whigham to found Citi National Bank and Whigham Funeral Home. Mayor Sharpe James called her … More

Amaelia Steward

1915-2001 Owned Steward’s Restaurant and Peppermint Lounge. Self-made millionaire. Bibliography Kukla, Barbara J. Newark Women: From Suffragettes to the Statehouse. … More

Grace Murphy

1882-1966 Founded Murphy Funeral Home on Roseville Avenue and operated it until her death. Her obituary listed her as one … More

Ella Moncur

1919-1999 Wife of jazz artist, owned the Theatrical Beauty Salon in Newark. Later retired to Florida and taught there. Image … More

Emma Coleman

1864-1935 Ran Coleman National Business College in Newark after the death of her husband in 1903. Bibliography NJ Women’s Project, … More

Mary C. Woody

c. 1877-1966 Mary C. Woody became the first licensed female funeral director in NJ in Newark in 1913. She opened … More

Elvira Rodrigues

1918-1985 Elvira Rodrigues (left) co-owned an oil firm. She was a community leader in the Ironbound, leader in many Portuguese … More

Eurlee Wright Reeves

c. 1898- after. 1988 Eurlee Reeves (center) was Newark’s only female night club owner in the Swing Era. She founded … More

Gladys Churchman

1902-1974 Gladys Churchman ran the Friendly Neighborhood House, as well as being part of the Churchman Funeral Home. She was … More

Mrs. (Lena) Parker O. Griffith

c. 1880-1960 Mrs. (Lena) Parker O. Griffith (c. 1880-1960) created the Griffith Music Foundation which brought nationally recognized musicians to … More

Louise Scott

1927-1983 Founder of the Scott School of Beauty Culture. Known as Newark’s first Black woman millionaire. Scott was married briefly … More