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Aneatha Dames Todd
1918-1998 Active in the UMDNJ struggle, member of the Concerned Citizens of the College. Instrumental in organizing the Gladys Dickinson Health Center, the NJ Tuberculosis Council, the Community Mental Health center, and the Council for Higher Education Newark. 12 year trustee at University Hospital. On the board of directors of the West Side Unit of…
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Nellie Gray (Grashof)
c. 1843-1928 Singer, mezzo-soprano. Active in the choirs at Trinity Cathedral (quartet during Civil War) and B’Nai Jeshurun as well as the Newark Harmonic Society and Opera Society and the Rubenstein Club of New York. Brought many musicians to Newark for concerts. Active in music for 75 years. “Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes”…
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Olivia Queene Brown
1882-1954 Beauty culturist since 1912, ran the Poro Beauty School on 9 Wallace Street which she opened in 1936 or 1937. On her death, the Afro American wrote how she had organized the Poro Club, training women, and allowing hundreds of women to enjoy “a comfortable living as Poro beauticians, agents and shopowners”. The Afro…
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Anna E Whittington
c. 1875-1956 African American woman who ran her own real estate agency in Newark for more than 30 years from at least 1910. Left an estate over $100,000. She went by “A E Whittington”. Member of the Priscilla Art and Literary Club and the exec committee of the North Jersey Branch of the National Negro…
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Gloria Fowles Gaynor
1943- Born Gloria Fowles in Newark. Graduated South Side High in 1961. Singer. Biggest hit “I Will Survive”. Bibliography Barbara J Kukla Papers, Newark Library’ 1961 South Side Yearbook Gaynor, Gloria. I Will Survive: The Book
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Rose Kussy
1887-1955 President of the West Side Trust Company after the death of her husband. Graduate of Barringer (Newark) High and Newark Normal School where she graduated in 1905 (Kean). Taught in Newark Schools 1904-1909. Director of the Jewish News. Served on the Central Planning Board. Named Outstanding Jewish Citizen of 1942. President of the Theresa…
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Elsa Greenwood
1893-1957 Lifelong resident of Newark, who attended Robert Treat School. She ran the Elsa Greenwood School of Dance. When she died in 1957 the Newark News claimed it was due to exhaustion from staging dance recitals, which she did frequently around the city and state. In her early career she was in theater including at…
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Jessie L. Creamer Cone
1880-1965 Feb 1898 Class of Newark High School. She attended the Women’s College of Baltimore and graduated in 1903. She was “a great success as a dramatic artist” with “a strong personality”. She joked that she wanted a $90,000 position with the Newark School Board. Her address was 330 Summer Ave. A founder the College…
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Julia Sabine
1905-1990 Head of the Art and Music Department at Newark Library. Worked at the library for over 40 years. Taught at Rutgers Library School. Specialist in rare books, printing and fine prints. Editor of the Newark Library newsletter for many years and organized the Great Books program. Originator of the New Jersey Illustration Index which…
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Sandra West
1947-2019 1964 Weequahic graduate. Editor of the Black Organization for Students newsletter at Rutgers and first African American female editor of Rutgers Observer. Worked as a journalist for Information published by the City of Newark, as well as in multiple other journalism positions and freelance for publications like Metro-Newark and Essence. In 2003, she published…