Category: 1870-1889 (Born)
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Grace Baxter Fenderson
1882-1962 Grace Baxter Fenderson (1882-1962) was one of the first African American teachers in the Newark Public Schools and taught for 42 years, helped found the Newark Branch of the NAACP and served on the board of the Sojourner Truth branch of the YWCA. She was president of the Lincoln-Douglass Memorial Association. From 1936, she…
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Etta Fallon
1880-1960 Etta Fallon was the first women policewoman with Margaret Dugan and Justina Eller in 1918 and they were the only woman officers for many years. She promoted to Sergeant in 1943 with Dugan, retiring in 1948 as the only woman on the force, as the other two women had died. She was assigned for…
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Leila Gardner
1914-1993 Leila Gardner was executive director of the Newark Traveler’s Aid Society. She was the first African-American in the nation to head a Travelers Aid unit. She later worked for Family Services as a social worker for many years. The unit helped vulnerable travelers like children, immigrants and senior citizens at Newark Penn Station and…
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Sarah Kussy
1870-1956 Sarah Kussy was a prolific Jewish leader. The Jewish News wrote that her death, “is being mourned as a loss to this community of one of its most widely known and beloved leaders. Her contributions to Jewish life were felt on the national, state and local scenes and had continued since before the turn…
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Amelia (Berndt) Moorfield
1876-1950 Amelia (Berndt) Moorfield (1876-1950), was a suffragette from Newark, with the Women’s Political Union. She was financial secretary of the WPU, recruited by Mina Van Winkle. In this role, she raised money for the suffrage cause, helping to achieve the passage of the 19th Amendment. Amelia’s parents were German immigrants. Born in Kentucky, she…
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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 Newark and sponsored educational programs and a yearly student music contest. Lena was active in promoting music from the 1930s and organized the foundation in 1938. She was also an organizer of the Essex County…
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Louise Shugard
1870-1951 Louise Shugard was known as “the most prominent woman in Newark”. Her obituary said she was, “long a leader in welfare work in Newark.” She said, “Why it is not work for me, it is a joy to do things for those adorable babies down at the nursery…I would probably be a discontented, sour…
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Dr. Marie Louise Lefort
1874-1951 Newark native Dr Marie Lefort was the first woman appointed district physician for Newark from 1898-1902, significantly improving conditions in the city in her tenure. She said, “I believe there was no opposition to my appointment…although some members of the Board I understand, thought it was hardly work for a woman…However that may be…