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Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston
1895-1986 Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston (usually went by Elizabeth, possibly because her mother was also Sarah Elizabeth) was the grandmother of Whitney Houston. She was born in California in 1896 but lived in Newark on Beach St by the time she was 14. Her father was minister at St. James AME Church. Elizabeth graduated from…
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Newark Policewomen Class of 1949
Photo from Star Ledger shows women in training, May 1949 [Photo shows Virginia Garber and Catherine Daly]. When policewoman were hired in 1949 they were considered by the newspaper, and presumably by all, to be the first hired “in 30 years” since the 1918 hiring of Margaret Dugan, Justina Eller and Etta Fallon. Some didn’t remember 1918, and…
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Elizabeth Nelligan Hughes
1870 – 1953 Elizabeth Hughes was President of the Police Matron’s Benevolent Association and Matron of the 4th Precinct Station. Though she was a “matron” the newspaper sometimes referred to her as a “policewoman”. Like many matrons in other cities, she was a working class widow, by 1900 at age 29 she was a police…
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Grizel Ubarry
1953- Grizel Ubarry served as director of ASPIRA in Newark from 1976 to 1982, starting when she was just 24. She served as director of the Division of Community Development for Essex County from 1983-1985. She then became a consultant, as president of G. Ubarry Inc. As a consultant, she has worked with non-profit organizations,…
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Olive A Mathews Summers
1876-1911 Olive Summers was born and raised in Newark. She lived at 192 Charlton St and New York Age called a “much beloved public school teacher”. She graduated the Normal School in 1898. Olive was an assistant in the Colored School from at least 1905. In 1909, when the School closed she was transferred to…
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Emily B Thomas
1870-1924 Emily B Thomas was an assistant teacher to James Baxter at the Colored School from at least 1888. She pent most of her teaching career at Commerce Street School and was a member of the Phyllis Wheatly Society. Emily was appointed a delegate to the National Congress of Colored Educators, by the Governor, in…
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Alma Beatty
1940-2015 Alma Beatty was Vice President of Community Affairs at Beth Israel. Beth Israel calls her “a trailblazer in our community”, She was the founder and coordinator of Beth Israel’s annual health and wellness fair. It was named in her honor in 2012. A street in Newark was also named in her honor in 2015.…
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Sister Carol Patricia Johnston
1944-2013 Sister Carol was born and raised in Newark and attended St. Vincent’s Academy, becoming a Sister of Charity in 1962. She was Director of the Women and Family Program at St. Columba Neighbor Club, Newark. She was project and planning Director for Ironbound Community Corporation. A boulder honoring Sister Carol in Riverfront Park says,…
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Sister Deborah Humphreys
1950-2024 In 1975, Deborah Humphreys founded and served as executive director (1975-1980) of El Club Del Barrio( St. Columba Neighborhood Club) in Newark. It worked to prevent eviction, repair housing, and enforce tenant rights, as well as other social services. After founding El Club Del Barrio, Deborah worked as a Legislative Aide for Senator Lipman…
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Marleny Franco
1955- Marleny Franco is the founder of the Greater Newark Conservancy. She was executive director of the Conservancy for many years. She was previously director of the Rutgers Urban Gardening Program in Newark. Marleny was born in Colombia. She lived in Newark from the early 1980s to about 2000. She came to Newark, after attending…