Category: Business & Entrepreneur
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Ruth C. Battles Dickerson
1867-1939 Ruth Battles was an early Black graduate of Newark High School, in 1891. In 1894 and 1895 she is listed as running a Select School in Newark at 187 Commerce. Ruth married Rev. Charles Dickerson in 1895 but in 1901 sued him for desertion. He had to pay her $4 a week (later revised…
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Debra Holmes
1953- Holmes was one of the first women in NJ to graduate as a Journeyman, Machinist, Tool & Die Maker / Mechanical Engineer. She worked at Westinghouse and then Anhueser-Busch in Newark, where she was the only female Machinist and Mechanical Tech Planner in the history of the company. Holmes worked at Anhueser-Busch for 32…
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Rose A Leonardis
1916-2012 Rose A Leonardis was a lifelong Ironbound resident. She graduated from embalming school in 1950 and was the proprietor of the Rose A. Leonardis Funeral Home on Ferry Street after the death of her father in 1953. Rose ran the funeral home until she retired in 1999. Rose was active in many organizations including…
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Asimina Speros Zois
1909-1987 Asimina Zois began sending care packages back to her native village in Greece after WWII, and later sent packages to Vietnam servicemen all over the world. In 1969 the post office gave her a Humanitarian Award for her work. She said, “What we throw away in this country they can use over there. The…
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Maggie Clay Beckett
c. 1892-1972 Maggie Clay Beckett founded the James H. Beckett funeral home with her husband. Maggie was President of the New Jersey State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs 1943-1947, as well as former Vice President. She was the first advisor to the Junior Federation. She was instrumental in presenting a pageant with the group at…
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Rose Slavitt
1895-1969 Rose Slavitt was the first woman to manage a department at Prudential Insurance Co in 1952. She was manager of Debit Policy Division 2 and worked for Prudential for many years, starting a messenger. She said, “This is a terrific challenge to me…The confidence my superiors have shown by giving me this promotion is…
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Theodora Sautermeister Prieth
1843-1906 Theodora Prieth owned the German Newspaper the Freie Zeitung which she managed for over 20 years after her husband died, until her son took over the paper. The Newark News said, “she had a keen insight into business” and “she developed the papers resources”. Urquhart’s History of the City of Newark said, “she directed…
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Christiana Oehler Trefz
1831-1913 Christina Trefz was President and manager of the Christiana Trefz Brewing Company. She managed the company from 1876, when her husband died, until 1889 when it merged with Krueger, after which her son served as superintendent. She became “one of the wealthiest and best known women of this city”. In 1893, the Newark German…