James Whitehead, Jr., the first African American Lockheed U2 pilot, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1934. From a young age Whitehead was surrounded by a strong military presence in his family including relatives who served in World War II. Coming of age during that war he … Read MoreJames T. Whitehead, Jr. (1934- )
The work of James Edward Maceo West transformed the way people around the world hear and transmit sound. In 1962, West, then a research scientist at Bell Laboratories, developed the foil electret microphone in partnership with his colleague Dr. Gerhard M. Sessler. Until that time, most microphones, which … Read MoreJames Edward Maceo West (1931- )
The 1964 Elizabeth, New Jersey uprising lasted from August 11 to 13. The three-day uprising occurred simultaneously with a separate clash in nearby Paterson, New Jersey and both, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were the aftershocks of the larger uprisings in New York City, New York (July 18-23), … Read MoreElizabeth, New Jersey Uprising (1964)
The first African American to chair a department of the Harvard Medical School, Dr. Harold Amos was an esteemed teacher, researcher, and mentor at the institution for more than four decades. Amos dedicated much of his career to supporting the advancement of historically underrepresented individuals and communities … Read MoreHarold Amos (1918-2003)
The 1964 Paterson, New Jersey uprising lasted from August 11 to 14. The uprising occurred simultaneously with a separate uprising in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey and both, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were the consequence of the larger uprisings in New York City (July 18-23), Rochester, New … Read MorePaterson, New Jersey Uprising (1964)
William Chester Jordan is an author and award-winning historian of medieval Europe. Jordan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 4, 1948 to Johnnie Parker Jordan and Marguerite Jane Mays Jordan. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ripon College in Wisconsin in 1969 and earned his doctorate from Princeton University in New Jersey in … Read MoreWilliam Chester Jordan (1948- )
The 1964 Jersey City, New Jersey Uprising began August 2 and lasted three nights until the morning of August 5. The uprising began in the predominantly black neighborhood of Lafayette in Jersey City after police arrested 26-year-old African American Delores Shannon for disorderly conduct and being drunk in … Read MoreThe Jersey City Uprising (1964)
Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham, Jr., who eventually served on the United States Court of Appeals, was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1928. His mother, Emma Lee Higginbotham, was a maid and his father, Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham Sr., was a factory worker. Higginbotham attended racially segregated schools in Trenton, … Read MoreA. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. (1928-1998)
The 1967 Plainfield, New Jersey, Riot was among the over 150 urban uprisings that transpired throughout the nation in the late 1960s. As with many other uprisings during this time, underlying resentments that had been mounting in neglected communities contributed to the civil unrest that occurred. Frustrations and … Read MorePlainfield, New Jersey Riot (1967)
Physicist Elmer S. Imes, an internationally recognized early authority on infrared spectroscopy, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 12, 1883, the son of Benjamin Imes, a minister, and the former Elizabeth Wallace, an ex-slave. Both of his parents were alumni of Oberlin College in Ohio and worked as missionaries in … Read MoreElmer Samuel Imes (1883-1941)
