Myrtle C. Williams

Apr 3, 2022

in 1890-1909 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Business & Entrepreneur, Entertainers, Theater and Music

1900- 1957

Myrtle C Williams grew up in Newark on Chestnut St. She was the first “colored girl” to finish a 4 year commercial course in 1919 when she graduated East Side High and played a piano solo at the graduation. Myrtle entered Columbia University.

In 1921 she was appointed stenographer for the Mayor’s Department. Upon her death the NJ Afro American suggested this made her “the first colored women employed at City Hall.”

On the side, Myrtle was an orchestra conductor and businesswoman, featured in The Messenger in 1925. She performed at various events.

Myrtle is later listed as working at 31 Green St, now the municipal court, which was the Board of Education building. Newspaper obituaries state she was a clerk for the Newark Board of Education for many years and retired in 1949. In 1945, Sally Cooke Young wrote about her promotion to Principal Clerk saying she has “been at the Board of Education since we were in pinafores.”

In 1937, Mildred married Valentine Cobacha (sometimes listed Cobacka or Cobbachia) in Indiana. Valentine was a Filipino postal clerk, making this an early interracial marriage. In the 1940s, Valentine was chairman of the National Association of Postal Employees.

Myrtle died in Jun 1957. An obituary in Club World News noted she “possibly holding the longest term of employment of any Negro at City Hall.”