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Laura Champenois Wright Hedden
c. 1860-1950 Born on Walnut St, lived much of her life in Lincoln Park neighborhood. Attended Newark High School graduating in 1876. Married Ornan N. Wright, then Charles R Hedden in 1929. He died in 1930. Pioneer in the boys club movement in the 1930s and 1940s, establishing the first Boys Clob on Halsey Street…
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Marie Antoinette Quinby
1848-1909 Born at Park Place, Newark, died in Newark. Attended school at St. Mary’s in Burlington, NJ. Lee wrote, “Beautiful in person with a fine mind and charming manners she was a leader in society for many years. . Intense patriotism was her ruling passion, and with all the power of her intellect, and personal…
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Violet Johnson
1870-1939 Civic leader and suffragist in Summit. Active in the New Jersey Federation of Colored Womens Clubs and the New Jersey Women Suffrage Association. Violet Johnson’s life has been expertly chronicled in Betty Livingston Adam’s book Black Women’s Christian Activism and her biographical sketch linked below. Bibliography Adams, Betty Livingston. Black Women’s Christian Activism. Adams,…
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Kate Louise Roberts
1861-1941 Editor of Hoyt’s New Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations. She got the job through JK Hoyt editor of the Newark Daily Advertiser who was a family friend. Her first publication was in 1922. She also worked in the Newark Public Library reference section under Frank Hill and John Cotton Dana for 15 years, mentioned as…
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Ramona Santiago
c. 1952- Photo from Newark Library. 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 saying at appointment, “I’m raising my two children here and I want to see a better life for them and all children”. She…
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Connie Francis
1937 (some sources say 1938)- 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. She attended Bergen Street School and then Arts High for two years and graduated from Belleville High, after which she appeared in local…
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Esther Edwards Burr
1732-1758 Mother of 3rd Vice President Aaron Burr Jr. Esther married Aaron Burr Sr., pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Newark and founder of Princeton University (then the College of NJ), in 1752. Historic Newark talks about the townspeople’s excitement when she arrived, so much that they painted her likeness on teacups. In June she…
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Frances and Eliza Coult
1836-1935, 1866-1935 Mother and sister of Margaret Coult. Wife and daughter of Joseph Coult, Newark counsel. Frances lived to be 99 and was active in Christ Reformed Chuch in Newark and enjoyed bridge. She was born and taught school in Sussex County. (Image is Frances from Newark News). Eliza was born in Lafayette but graduated Newark…
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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,…