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Miss Rhapsody Viola Wells
1902-1984 Photo from Barbara J Kukla Papers Born in Newark, Viola Wells, known as Miss Rhapsody was an internationally acclaimed jazz, blues and religious singer. In Newark, she sang for local jazz clubs in the 1920s and started out with the Salica Johnson Glee Club. She also performed in New York and nationally, playing with…
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Miriam Ogden Ball
1890-1968 From an old Newark family, born in Newark daughter of Mary Depue Ogden. Attended Wellesley College and worked briefly for Newark Library before returning in 1934. In 1951, was assigned to the NJ Room, headed by Miriam Studley. where she helped design the subject headings that are still used today and wrote a pamphlet,…
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Mary Depue Ogden
1867-1960 Member of a prominent New Jersey family. Wrote the Memorial Cyclopedia of New Jersey and collaborated with her husband on his columns on Newark society. Lived in Newark most of her life, born in Newark. Member of the New Jersey Historical Society and President of the Women’s Branch. Mother of Miriam Ball. Bibliography Cummings,…
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Florence Randolph
1866-1951 Suffragist, ordained minister and clubwomen. Organizer of the NJ Federation of Colored Womens Clubs. Randolph’s life has been covered widely in several publications including the sources below. In Newark, Randolph was pastor of AME Zion Church. Bibliography NJ Women’s History Summit Historical Society Papers at New Jersey Historical Society Women’s Project of New Jersey…
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Martha Belle Williams
1924-1969 With M. Bernadine Johnson Marshall, first African American woman admitted to the New Jersey Bar. From Montclair but attended Essex Junior College and New Jersey Law School in Newark. Served her clerkship at the offices of Sidney G. Grover in Newark. In January 1967 was appointed an associate attorney at Essex Legal Services, and in…
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Elizabeth Blume-Silverstein
1892-1991 Photo from Rutgers. Born in Newark. Graduated the New Jersey Law School in Newark in 1911 (just a year after the first woman graduate Laura Mayo Wilson), but could not practice until she turned 21. In 1913, admitted as an attorney and in 1917 as a counselor. She was the first female lawyer in…
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Ann VanWagenen Plume & Nancy Vischer Plume
1752-1816 and Bef. 1710-Aft. 1710 Photo of Plume House from LOC.Gov Ann VanWagenen Plume was married to Isaac Plumne. It is said that during the Revolutionary War, Hessians began destroying her property. She got so angry, the soldiers retreated. A few days later, she found a Hessian soldier in her ice house and trapped him…
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Esther Newman
c. 1883 – 1901 First woman graduate of the NJ College of Pharmacy along with Emma Egge. Graduated in April and died in August due to appendicitis after an operation. She was listed as a prize winner at the graduation and had been appointed Chief Pharmacist for the Hebrew Dispensary three weeks before her death.…
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Emma Oschwald Egge
c. 1883-1960 Born in Newark, first woman to graduate the NJ College of Pharmacy in Newark, along with Esther Newman who died a few months later of appendicitis. In 1905, she passed exams to receive her license to practice. Emma was a pharmacist for Newark City Hospital for 30 years. Helped her father manage a…
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Theresa Kraker Guthrie
c. 1889-1959 Lived in Newark from at least 1910. Founder of the Chronically Ill Service of Essex County. Board member of the Essex County Tuberculosis League and county representative on the board of the NJ Tuberculosis Association. Served at base hospitals in France during WWI. She was the only women on a tablet at B’Nai…