Category: 1930-1959 (Born)
-
Shirley Northern Green
c. 1935-1983 Shirley Green was appointed director of the Division of Public Welfare in 1978 by Ken Gibson. She previously served as Rent Control Administrator from 1974 to 1978, and in the Business Administrator’s office before that. Shirley was forced to leave school at age 15 due to illness. In 1966, after a husband and…
-
Ingrid Betancourt
1956- Ingrid Betancourt served in various leadership positions at Newark Public Library including interim director, assistant director, director of Operations, Hispanic Services Coordinator, head of Special Collections and head of Ethnic Services and Collections. She retired recently c. 2024. Born in Puerto Rico, Ingrid arrived at the library in 1980. She helped found La Sala,…
-
Jacqueline “Jackie” Rendleman Jones
c. 1951-2021 Jackie Jones was the first woman firefighter at the Newark Fire Department in 1981, along with Ethel Goldsberry who was later removed. In 1982, she was the only woman firefighter of over 600! She said being the city’s only woman firefighter was “rough in the beginning. I was not used to the men…
-
Ramona Santiago
c. 1952- Ramona Santiago was appointed deputy mayor in 1994. Her grandfather came from Spain to Newark in 1914. She operated the Santiago Funeral Home of Lafayette Street. At her appointment as deputy mayor she stated, “I’m raising my two children here and I want to see a better life for them and all children”.…
-
Connie Francis
1937/8 (sources differ) – 2025 Connie Francis was a pop singer and chart topping vocalist. Connie was born Concetta Franconero in the Ironbound section of Newark. The family briefly lived in Brooklyn before moving to NJ. In 1950, the family lived at 17 Ridgewood Ave, Newark, off Clinton Ave. Connie attended Bergen Street School and…
-
Betty Lester
1945-2021 Betty Lester was the first African American woman Presiding Judge in Essex County and the 2nd African American female judge appointed to Superior Court of New Jersey. Betty Lester was born as Betty Joan Johnson in Pennsylvania. She attended Howard University and Rutgers Law School. After graduation she worked in Public Defenders Office. In…
-
Eleta Caldwell
1945-2017 Eleta Caldwell was principal at Arts High School 1991-2003, previously Chair of Art and teacher at the school. Eleta was an artist who co-founded in the 1980s the “Black Women in Visual Perspective” Group which included Gladys Grauer. She exhibited at City Without Walls, and other galleries across the state and nation including MoMA…
-
Wilma Jackson Grey
1945- Wilma Grey was the first African American woman to be the director of Newark Public Library, from 2005-2015. She was an employee of the Newark Public Library for 46 years. Wilma grew up in Newark, near the library’s Roseville branch where she enjoyed reading Nancy Drew. She graduated Arts High School in 1962, as…