1869-1955
Florence Haines secretary of the New Jersey Women’s Political Union, a charter Member of the Newark League of Women Voters, and one of New Jersey’s first woman Assembly representative from 1926-1931, one of the first two sisters in the General Assembly with her sister Margaret.
Bills she championed in the Assembly included better rehabilitation options for injured children and prohibiting child labor in NJ’s cranberry bogs during the school year. She worked with the Crippled Children’s Commission and Consumer’s League, among other groups. She believed in creating more footpaths and in censoring motion pictures.
In 1932, Florence formed the Organized Women Legislators of New Jersey and became its first President and in 1938 travelled to Washington DC as part of a national meetup.
Outside of her political work, Florence was supervisor of Music in Newark Public Schools for many years. She began with the schools as a grader at Monmouth Street, then vice principal at Franklin Street, but was quickly promoted to assistant and then main supervisor of music.
Florence was a lifelong Resident of Newark, who graduated Newark High in 1888. She is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Bibliography
Wingert, Dorothea, Newark Sunday Call. “Women Combines Politics and Teaching Successfully” Oct 23, 1927
Women’s Project of New Jersey, Past and Promise Lives of New Jersey Women
H-03 Haines, Florence L. Newark News Morgue, Newark Public Library
Photo from Rutgers Special Collections.
“Funeral services for Miss Haines” Newark News Aug 9, 1955