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Fanny Tuell (Faye Adams, Scruggs, Jones)
1923-2016? Fanny Tuell was a pioneering R&B singer who had several chart-topping hits in the 1950s, including 1953 hit “Shake a Hand”. She was active from the 1940s-1960s. In 1953, the New York Age calls her, “one of the most sensational new recording stars to come along in many a year.” In 1962, she was…
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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 Leah Neuhut, born to a rabbi in Newark, was blind from birth and deaf from 1904. She was called, “one of the most remarkable blind women in the country”. Neuhut had a reputation as a pianist, author, and speaker. She advocated on behalf of the blind to the state government. She also advocated for…
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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 The featured photo (above) is Mary Curcio, Daily News, 1931. Mary and Louise Curcio were 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…
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Mary Stilwell Edison
1855-1884 Mary Edison was 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…
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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 said, “I do not believe I could do anything…
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Elsie Reed Eatman
1930-2014 Elsie Reed Eatman was a community activist, involved in various protests and strikes, especially for housing. Much of Elsie’s work focused around Housing and Pennington Court. She was the first president of the Pennington Court Tenants Association and vice president of the Newark Tenants Council. She co-wrote a history of Pennington Court with Walter…
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Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant
1935-2018 Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby 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 wrote The best kind of loving : a black woman’s guide to finding intimacy Besides her writing, Gwendolyn taught at public schools in East Orange,…
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Modina Boyd Watson
1926-1994 (Davis, Pulley) Modina Boyd was 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,…