Category: Other Careers
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Emma Smith Lesch
c. 1878 – 1953 Emma Lesch was considered one of the first women to train a performing tiger. Posters said she was the only woman to include a tiger in a “mass animal” act, with other types of animals. Other articles said she was, “the only woman ever to handle a tiger in public.” In…
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Dorothea Lee
1930 – 2007 Dorothea Lee involved in multiple organizations serving high positions in the Newark NAACP, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Womens’ Clubs, and heading American Veteran’s Post 5, the first woman to do so. She was also the first Black woman member of the New Jersey Air National Guard. Friend Tracy Mumford…
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Flora Freeman
c. 1753-1856 When Flora Freeman died in 1856 at 102 or 103 the Centinel of Freedom called her “a venerable colored woman” and “an interesting representative of her people of the past generation”. The Centinel wrote Flora, “often entertained her guests with the recital of many thrilling incidents which occurred during the American Revolutions”. Flora…
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Mary Cartin Kelley Howard
1889-1951 Mary Howard was a pioneer in the Marines, one of the first three women to be enlisted nationally, and first in Newark. She did general office work in the Marine Corps offices in Washington DC, assigned to the Publicity Bureau. In Nov 1918, she was part of an official visit to Quantico and, later,…
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Sheila D Banks
1956-1992 Sheila Banks was 2nd in the Class of 1974 at Weequahic High School. She was the first Black women to graduate from Steven’s Institute of Technology in 1978 (the school began admitting women in 1971). She received an engineering degree, with a concentration in chemical engineering. In 1974 she completed a Cornell University program…
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Lem See Wong
1880-? Mrs. Willie Hong, was called “the only Chinese woman in the city” in 1909 and “the only woman in Chinatown” in 1911. The Star Eagle wrote, “She is very nice indeed. Mrs. Theresa E. Burnett…visits her every week and teachers her the English language and Christian principles.” Willie Hong was sometimes called the “mayor”…
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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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Mary Stilwell Edison
1855-1884 Mary Edison was born in Newark to Nicholas Stilwell and Margaret Crane. Nicholas was a lawyer and in 1860, the family lived in the 5th Ward, today’s Ironbound. The city directories put Nicholas at 89 Jefferson St. (also listed as 75 and 92) through Mary’s marriage. Mary worked at the News Reporting Telegraph Company punching…