1941-
Rebecca Doggett has had a long varied career in community organizing, social services, government, education and corporate. She was a founder of Tri City Citizens Union for Progress in 1966 and in the 1970s. In 1965, she was first President and later Executive Director of the Newark Preschool Council. In 1979, she was appointed first Director of the Essex County Office of Citizen’s Services. In 1984 she was the first Black female executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In the 1990s, she was auditor of the Newark Public Schools and later Special Assistant for Community Development.
Rebecca Doggett grew up in Orange, NJ. She graduating Upsala College. By 1962, she was the youngest member of a “New Negro Group” the Non-Partisan Organization for Liberal Action, working on elections and voter registrations. In 1963, she became the secretary and the group picketed with the NAACP over school issues in Orange.
In 1964, Rebecca married Edward Andrade and that same year was Executive Secretary of a new Community Mobilization Center, sponsored by the Urban League, among other groups. The goal was to help reduce neighborhood problems for the “Negro population.” By 1965, Rebecca was President of the Newark Preschool Council, though she was just 24! She soon became Executive Director and serveduntil 1971. She said, “Our main purpose has been to generate a new philosophy and get people excited about community involvement.”
Meanwhile, Rebecca and her husband founded Tri-City Citizen’s Union for Progress in Paterson, Jersey City and Newark in 1966, and incorporated in 1968. In 1972, the group sponsored a housing project in Newark and also worked on issues of education, youth and leadership development and Rebecca was soon the executive director. The group even had a solar energy project in 1977.
Rebecca was involved with many other causes during the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1960s, Rebecca was also chairman of the Crusade for Learning and a member of the Committee for Negro Progress and involved with CORE. In the 1970s, as federal cuts loomed, she served as Exec Director of the Emergency Committee to Save Child Care, testifying before the state. This committee was associated with the Greater Newark Urban Coalition. She was also involved with the Newark Coalition for Neighborhoods, National Association for Neighborhoods, and United Community Corp. In the 1980s she was involved with the Metropolitan Ecumenical Ministries (MEM), including its Project Schools.
In 1979, Rebecca was appointed director of the Essex County Department of Citizen Services, including youth, senior services, welfare and social services. She was honored by Essex County Exec Peter Shapiro in 1982 for her work in the position, including cost savings and significant improvements. Shapiro said she made “giant strides” in service delivery.
In 1984, Rebecca left the County and received an Executive Post with Port Authority as Human Resources Director, by 1990 Director of the Office of Business and Job Opportunity. In 1990, she also married Joe Thomasberger.
In 1993, Rebecca served as auditor general for the State, during the takeover of the Newark schools. In 1995, she retired from Port Authority and became Acting Special Assistant for Community Development for the Newark Public Schools. She said, “This is an opportunity to really be part of a team that is committed to change for the children.”
In the early 2000s, Rebecca founded the Essex Newark Construction Careers Program and was a Senior Fellow to the NJ Institute of Social Justice. Rebecca has received many awards for her work.
Bibliography
Tri City Peoples Collection @ NPL
Library digital collections 1 2 3 4
A-25, Andrade, Rebecca, Newark News Morgue, Newark Public Library
Photo from Al Henderson Collection, Newark Library.
Census records
Alexander, Dolores, “New Negro Group…” Newark News Sept 24, 1962
“Picketing in Orange” Newark News Jun 15, 1963
“New center to aid Negroes” Star Ledger Aug 2, 1964
“2000 soon…” Star Ledger Aug 20, 1965
Spetter, Allan “Head Start…” Start Ledger Sept 2, 1965
“Head start exec” Star Ledger Nov 4, 1967
Photo, Star Ledger Feb 28, 1968
Eldridge, Douglas “Preschool Group Looks to Future” Newark News Jan 10, 1971
Eldridge, Douglas “Problem Center Formed” Newark News Aug 2, 1964
“Preschool Aide to Be Honored” Newark News Jun 28, 1968
“Preschool Council Elects Officers” Star Ledger Jan 12, 1971
Byrd, Frederick “Urban Stability” Star Ledger Mar 6, 1972
Maitlan, Robert “Jerseyeans Receive..” Star Ledger Mar 15, 1973
Terrell, Stanley, “Protest on Tap” Star Ledger Apr 4, 1974
“Atlanta planner…” Star Ledger Apr 4, 1976
“Child care talks” Star Ledger Nov 6, 1974
Bishop, Gordon, “Power to the people…” Star Ledger Jun 12, 1977
Peterson, Lisa “Shapiro Picks…” Star Ledger Aug 29, 1979
“Shapiro Picks…” Star Ledger May 15, 1979
“Group to laud” Star Ledger Nov 2, 1979
“A super saver” Star Ledger Mar 22, 1982
Leusner, Donna “Andrade to Step down” Star Ledger Nov 18, 1984
“Ministry organizes…” Star Ledger Sept 29, 1986
Baehr, Guy, “PA Awards…” Star Ledger Jan 12, 1990
“Newark takeover” Star Ledger Sept 10, 1993
Stewart, Angela, “Exec Tapped” Star Ledger Aug 20, 1995
“Building Schools” Star Ledger Feb 13, 2004
“Group to Discuss” Star Ledger Mar 27, 2005
“40 years…” Star Ledger Mar 24, 2005
Lucas, Caryl “States auditor” Star Ledger Jul 11, 1993