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Debra Holmes
1953- Holmes was one of the first women in NJ to graduate as a Journeyman, Machinist, Tool & Die Maker / Mechanical Engineer. She worked at Westinghouse and then Anhueser-Busch in Newark, where she was the only female Machinist and Mechanical Tech Planner in the history of the company. Holmes worked at Anhueser-Busch for 32…
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Leah Adele Neuhut
1877-1908 Born to a rabbi in Newark, blind from birth and deaf from 1904, she was called, “one of the most remarkable blind women in the country”. Neuhut a reputation as a pianist, author, and speaker. Advocated on behalf of the blind to the state government. She also advocated for a library for the blind…
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Janet Gilchrist Paterson
*Image is Washington Street School Class for the Blind, undated c. 1871-1964 Janet Paterson helped found the first class for the Blind in Newark with Lydia Young Hayes and was the first teacher of the Blind, at Washington Street School in 1910. The NJ Commission for the Blind calls it the first “integrated class” in…
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Mary and Louise Curcio
c. 1901-1973? , c. 1904-1987 Featured photo is Mary Curcio, Daily News, 1931. Two blind sisters born to Eva Bender and Paul Curcio in Newark. They lived on Morris Avenue. Mary entered school for the first time at Washington St. Public School when the first class for the Blind began in 1910. According to the…
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Mary Stilwell Edison
1855-1884 Born in Newark to Nicholas Stilwell and Margaret Crane. Nicholas was a lawyer and in 1860, the family lived in the 5th Ward, today’s Ironbound. The city directories put Nicholas at 89 Jefferson St. (also listed as 75 and 92) through Mary’s marriage. Mary worked at the News Reporting Telegraph Company punching telegraph tape where…
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Gloria Jones Swieringa
1938- In 1956, Gloria Jones was believed to be the first blind student ever elected to the National Honor Society, while she was at Barringer High School. She was an A student and also involved in many clubs and planned to go to Boston University. She was possibly one the first blind students in NJ…
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Elsie Reed Eatman
1930-2014 Born and raised in Newark, graduated East Side in 1948. She was a nurse (Martland), teacher and manager at the Newark Housing Authority. Eatman was the first president of the Pennington Court Tenants Association and vice president of the Newark Tenants Council. She was also on the Executive Board of the Newark Teacher’s Union.…
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Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant
1935-2018 Dr. Grant was an advice columnist at Essence Magazine for over 25 years.Dr. Grant was an advice columnist at Essence Magazine for over 25 years writing the “Sexual Health” column. Essence called her “a legend in sexual health”. She also wrote The best kind of loving : a black woman’s guide to finding intimacy.…
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Modina Boyd Davis Watson
1926-1994 Hairdresser, makeup artists, assistant, secretary, stylist and “gal Friday” for Sarah Vaughan who traveled the world with Vaughan from 1950-1960. Modina met Vaughan at Arts High where they became close friends. Later, she was attending Howard but left to work with Vaughan. Vaughan said, “with my secretary, Modina Davis, around, I don’t have to…
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Mary Boland
c. 1950- Director of the AIDs program at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey in Newark. She co-founded the program with Dr. James Oleske and was honored internationally for her work with children with AIDs. This program became the FXB Center at UMDNJ which she directed until 2005, when she became dean of the school…