Category: Education, Museums and Libraries
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Patricia Hall Curvin
1936- Patricia “Pat” Curvin was the wife of historian Robert Curvin and has served many roles in the Newark community. Pat Curvin was born Patricia Hall and grew up in New York City. She married Robert Curvin in Manhattan in 1958. She was an English teacher at East Side High School starting in the 1960s.…
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Curvin Family
The Curvin Family, the family of historian and activist Robert Curvin had several interesting and important women. The family had six daughters. They were born in Newark, but they grew up in Belleville at 68 Belmont Ave. The family lived on Cottage Place and other addresses in Newark through at least 1930. Jewel Curvin (featured…
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Dr. Edith Gann
1905-1998 Dr. Edith Gann was a school principal and psychologist whose writing was used nationwide. Dr. Edith was a graduate of Miller Street School, South Side High and the Normal School. She received a Phd from psychology from Columbia. Dr. Edith was a principal at Camden Street, Avon Avenue, and Maple Avenue Elementary Schools. She…
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Mary Womble Spruel
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…
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Dorothy Turpin Smith
1910-1987 Dorothy Turpin was an early Black teacher in the Newark Public Schools hired in 1945. She was eventually appointed Supervisor of vocal music for the Newark schools and retired after 30 years in 1975. Dorothy was also an organist and choir director for over 50 years, especially at First Baptist Peddie and Philips Metropolitan.…
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Maude E Emery
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…
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Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston
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…
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Olive A Mathews Summers
1876-1911 Olive Summers was born and raised in Newark. She lived at 192 Charlton St and New York Age called a “much beloved public school teacher”. She graduated the Normal School in 1898. Olive was an assistant in the Colored School from at least 1905. In 1909, when the School closed she was transferred to…