Highlighting women from across Queens - from Long Island City to Jamaica - whose contributions reshaped their neighborhoods. These educators, activists, and public servants broke barriers to create systems of change. Their names mark more than physical places; they represent legacies of collective action. We invite you to explore these stories and consider how we choose which contributions to celebrate in our public spaces.

In honor of Black History Month 2025, this collection spotlights individuals featured in the Queens Name Explorer whose names carry historical significance. From outspoken ministers to pioneering musicians to female leaders in public service, this small sampling provides a glimpse into the histories of Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing, St. Albans, Jamaica, Hollis, and Kew Garden Hills. This collection coincides with an exhibit running from January 30 to April 20, 2025 at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, Queens, NY 11101.

More info coming soon. If you have information about a named place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map!

Private William Earl Gray (1947-1967), was a Corona resident who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country during the Vietnam War. Born in Stanton, Tennessee, Gray moved to New York with his family, including four sisters and five brothers, in 1956. He attended Brooklyn Automotive High School, where he enjoyed playing basketball. At 18, Gray enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served as a Private First Class with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, beginning his tour of duty in December 1966. Tragically, he was severely wounded in combat in Gia Dihn, South Vietnam, in February 1967 and soon died from his injuries. The playground, located on 98th Street between Northern Boulevard and 32nd Avenue, officially came under the Parks Department's care in May 1967, when they obtained a permit from the Department of Real Estate. Its development was funded by a Federal Urban Beautification Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Edward Fisher (1904-1970), a neighbor, friend, and mentor to Gray, and a member of the East Elmhurst – North Corona Community Board 3, spearheaded the effort to name the park after Private Gray following his death. Mayor John V. Lindsay and Parks Commissioner August Heckscher attended the dedication ceremony in the summer of 1968. In 1990, the Parks Department installed new play equipment with safety surfacing, along with benches and plantings. However, the City did not officially transfer ownership of the property to the Parks Department until 1992.

Sheikh Hamoud Saeidi (1937-2023), a good samaritan who had once saved a girl from a kidnapping, was killed by a person on a shooting spree while heading to his mosque. Born on January 25, 1937 in Yemen, Saeidi moved to New York City in the 1970s. He worked to eventually own several bodegas and delis in the city, employing dozens. Once, when he saw a person in a van attempting to lure a small girl inside with candy and toys, he intervened. The van drove away, but Saeidi remembered the license plate and reported it to the police, who caught the suspect. On July 8, 2023, a man on a scooter randomly shot several people, killing Saeidi and injuring three others. The 25-year-old shooter, Thomas Abreu, was later caught and arraigned on charges including murder and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. Saeidi was the central figure in his family. He and his wife were married for nearly 60 years, and they had six children, 30 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren. Nearly 2,000 people, including Mayor Eric Adams, filled a mosque for the funeral of this beloved member of the Yemeni community. “This person did not kill one person only, he did not kill my father only, he killed the whole community, my whole family," his son, Main Saeidi, told the news at the time. Council Member Lynn Schulman proposed co-naming this street, which is the site where Saeidi was killed, in his honor in 2023, and an unveiling ceremony took place on June 26, 2024.

Lieutenant Frank McConnell (1896-1918) was the first Richmond Hill resident killed in World War I. A star member of the Princeton crew team, McConnell was killed on July 26, 1918 in northern France during the Second Battle of the Marne. This battle marked a turning point of the war. On July 18, 1918, the Allied commander, General Ferdinand Foch, counterattacked German troops with forces that included McConnell’s division. At Château-Thierry, American troops won their first decisive victory of the war by forcing German troops back across the Marne in what was one of the first large-scale retreats by the German army.

Guillermo Vasquez (1953-1996) was a leading gay rights, AIDS, and Latino community activist in Queens who emigrated from Colombia in 1972. A member of Queens Gays and Lesbians United, Vasquez would go on to serve on the board of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a statewide organization that advocated for LGBT rights. In 1993, he helped organize the first Queens Pride Parade as a member of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee and served as a translator for Spanish-speaking participants. Vasquez passed away due to AIDS-related complications in 1996. The corner of 77th Street and Broadway was co-named “Guillermo Vasquez Corner” next to the site of the Love Boat, a former gay Latino bar where he educated the community about HIV/AIDS.

Thomas Gerard Brophy (d. 2005) served with the NYPD for 16 years and was assigned to the 109th Precinct covering Flushing and Whitestone, Queens. He died of 9/11 related illness at age 36 in April 2005 as a result of his involvement in the rescue recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.

Lance Corporal Michael D. Glover (1978-2006), a native of Belle Harbor, died during combat operations in Iraq as part of the Marine Forces Reserve. Born January 19, 1978, Glover grew up on Beach 134th Street, moving to Garden City, NY when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Xavier High School and then studied business at the University of Albany, graduating in 2001. He spent a year at Pace Law, but dropped out to join the Marines in 2004, as a response to how he felt following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The attacks impacted him and his community deeply. His uncle, Peter Hayden, was a fire chief who led rescue operations at the site, and one of his close friends who worked in the World Trade Center died during the attack. He sought out opportunities to help throughout his life. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, he drove to the city with supplies and helped with boat rescues, for which he was awarded the Navy And Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve in Albany, he was on patrol in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on August 16, 2006 when he and his platoon commander, Captain John McKenna of Brooklyn, were surprised by insurgent fire and killed. Glover was loved by many. He had a tight-knit family and developed friendships during every period of his life. Hundreds of community members came out to honor him for his funeral services at Saint Francis De Sales Church in Belle Harbor on August 26, 2006. This street near his childhood home, at Beach 134th St at the corner of Beach Channel Drive, was named in his honor on August 3, 2013, and is just one of a few memorials to Glover in the area. There is also a flag pole located near the corner of Beach 129th Street and Newport Avenue was dedicated to him on June 14, 2024.

Firefighter Paul Gill (1967-2001) died during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

English explorer and navigator Henry Hudson (1575-1611) is credited as the first European to “discover” the North River, later named for him. On September 2, 1609, Hudson, the captain of the Dutch ship Halve Maen (Half Moon), directed his ship to drop anchor in the lower bay of what is now known as New York Harbor. Henry Hudson had been hired by the Dutch East India Company to find a sea route through North America to the Far East. The ship sailed up the river that now bears his name, docking off Spuyten Duyvil and attempting travel even further upstream before abandoning the quest, realizing that the river was narrowing. Hudson’s last voyage was in 1611 when, after discovering Hudson’s Bay and claiming it for England, his crew mutinied and cast him adrift. The Dutch East India Company soon afterward establish an outpost that became New Netherland, and eventually the metropolis we know as New York.

Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (1943-1993) was born in Richmond, Virginia, and began playing tennis at the age of 10. In 1966 he graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he won the United States Intercollegiate Singles Championship and led his team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship. At the 1968 U.S. Open, Ashe defeated several competitors to win the men’s singles title. By 1975, he was ranked the number-one tennis player in the U.S. After this string of athletic successes, he began suffering heart problems. Retiring from the sport, he underwent heart surgery in 1979 and again in 1983. During one of his hospital stays, Ashe was likely given an HIV-tainted blood transfusion and he soon contracted AIDS. Despite his illness, he remained involved in public life. His participation in many youth activities, such as the National Junior Tennis League and the ABC Cities Tennis Program, and his role in protests against South African apartheid earned Ashe recognition as 1992 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, long after his athletic career had ended. He died of pneumonia in New York at age 49.

Francis Lewis (1713-1802) was a merchant, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Born in Wales, he attended school in England before working in a mercantile house in London. In 1734, he came to New York to establish a business. While working as a mercantile agent in 1756, Lewis was taken prisoner and sent to prison in France. Upon his return to New York, he became active in politics and made his home in Whitestone, Queens. A member of the Continental Congress for several years before the Revolutionary War, Lewis played a significant role in the nation's founding.

Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero (1909–1998) was a double bass player who worked as a musician at the famous Stork Club, a New York City nightclub. On January 14, 1953, he was arrested in a case of mistaken identity outside his Jackson Heights home and charged with two armed robberies of a nearby insurance office. Eventually exonerated, Balestrero later sold his story, which became the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Wrong Man (1956). Balestrero was born on September 29, 1909, in Manhattan. He was the son of Italian immigrant parents Peter and Rosa (Cereghino) Balestrero and the first of their two children. Known as “Manny” to his friends and family, he began studying violin by the age of five, later switching to double bass. A working musician, he played for many New York City clubs and radio programs of the era. He married Rose Giolito, and together the couple raised two sons, Gregory and Robert. Following his arrest in 1953, Balestrero struggled to prove his innocence. A key point of suspicion against him was the argument that he needed money for his wife's $325 dental work. He went to his local insurance office, located at what was then the Victor Moore Arcade (now the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue subway stop in Jackson Heights), to borrow against his policy. He was later wrongly identified as the armed robber who had held up the office twice before. Balestrero was defended in court by then State Senator Frank D. O’Connor, who went on to serve as president of the City Council and then on the State Supreme Court. During the trial, a juror made a remark that implied a presumption of Balestrero’s guilt in open court, resulting in a mistrial. Shortly afterward and before Balestrero's second trial began, the real thief, Charles J. Daniell, was caught in the process of robbing a delicatessen in Astoria. Daniell confessed to more than 40 robberies, including the two for which Balestrero was accused. As a result of the ordeal, Balestrero’s wife Rose experienced a nervous breakdown which led to her spending time in a sanatorium. Following her release in 1955, Balestrero moved his family to Florida. He sued the city for false arrest, asking for $500,000 but accepting a settlement of $7,000. He sold the film rights to his story for $22,000, and the money from the film went to repaying loans for Rose's care. His wife died in 1982, and Balestrero eventually moved to a nursing home in North Carolina where he died on February 27, 1998. The family’s ordeal was featured in a Life magazine story, where it caught the attention of Hitchcock and became the main source material for the film. Shot in many of the actual locations where the events occurred in and around Jackson Heights and Manhattan, Hitchcock’s film starred Henry Fonda and Vera Miles as Manny and Rose Balestrero. On September 27, 2014, a ceremony was held to co-name the corner of 73rd Street and 41st Avenue, about a half block from the former Balestero family home, as Manny “The Wrong Man” Balestrero Way

Peter G. Van Alst (1828 – 1900) was a surveyor who helped to build the roads and infrastructure of western Queens. Van Alst was born in Dutch Kills on May 28, 1828, and was a member of the large extended Van Alst family, a prominent Dutch farming family who moved to the area in the early 1700s and resided there until the 1870s, when they spread out and moved elsewhere. Van Alst received his education at the District School and the Astoria Institute. He apprenticed as a surveyor for a few years, and worked independently until 1872, when the city legislature appointed him to serve as a commissioner, surveying and supervising the construction of several roads in Long Island City, Queens. In 1874, Van Alst and three fellow Long Island City citizens comprised the First Ward Improvement Commission, which was in charge of raising the grades of Jackson Avenue from Vernon Avenue to the courthouse from three to eight feet, which profoundly affected the daily life of the city. Van Alst’s job consisted primarily of constructing maps, which revealed detailed organizations of street lines, grades, and sewage lines of the Long Island City area.

Rev. Dr. Timothy P. Mitchell (1930-2012) was pastor of Flushing’s Ebenezer Baptist Church for 47 years, from 1961 until his retirement in 2008. His father, Rev. James B. Mitchell, had also been pastor of the church from 1930 to his death in 1947. Mitchell was born in Whitestone and graduated from Flushing High School. He continued his education at Queens College, Hartford University and the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. Prior to his position at Ebenezer, he served as pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Hartford. Mitchell had a strong interest in social justice and participated in many regional and national organizations, including the social service committee of the National Baptist Convention and the special affairs committee of the New England Baptist Missionary Convention. He marched on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 and was one of the principal strategists of King’s Poor People’s Campaign in 1968. In his later years, Mitchell took on causes including police brutality and affordable housing for senior citizens. He also worked on the presidential campaigns of Rev. Jesse Jackson and the mayoral campaign of David Dinkins.

Nathaniel E. Schneider (1896–1969) was born and educated in New York City. During World War I, he served in France as a Sergeant Major of the 102nd Field Artillery. After the war, he worked variously as a magician, a set designer for the Ziegfeld Follies and other vaudeville acts, and a writer for radio. He belonged to several Democratic Clubs and held leadership positions in local civic groups, serving as president of the Elmhurst Allied Civic Associations, president of the Forest Hills Homeowners Association, and president of School Board 47. He was also a member of the Forest Hills and Kew Gardens Chamber of Commerce. Schneider was highly active in Veterans’ affairs. He held leading positions in two American Legion Posts, Maspeth Post No. 783 and Continental Post No. 1424. He edited post publications and was involved in American Legion affairs at the county level. In 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt invited Nat, his wife Dorothy, and their sons Bruce and Robert to attend the opening of the World’s Fair in recognition of Schneider’s contributions to the local community.

Jacob August Riis (1849-1914), best known as a groundbreaking journalist and photographer, was also an advocate for parks and playgrounds and a resident of nearby Richmond Hill. Riis was born on May 3, 1849, in Ribe, Denmark, and immigrated to New York in 1870. After working various jobs, he was hired by the New York Tribune as a police reporter in 1877. He began documenting poverty, especially in Manhattan's Lower East Side and Five Points areas. Starting around 1887, Riis brought along a camera, and in 1890, his book How the Other Half Lives was released. It contained dramatic photos illustrating the challenging lives of immigrants in the Lower East Side, alongside his written essays. The book had a significant impact across the country, especially in New York, where Theodore Roosevelt was the Police Commissioner at the time. Riis's work inspired Roosevelt to support legislation aimed at improving living conditions in the slums before he became president. While reporting on the struggles of New Yorkers, Riis came to believe that play had a therapeutic effect on people. As a result, he became a champion for small parks and playgrounds, particularly where little greenspace existed, and he served as secretary of the Small Parks Committee. Riis was also a leader in the fight against tuberculosis. In 1904, he helped create Christmas seal stamps, using the funds raised to develop a children’s tuberculosis hospital in Coney Island, Brooklyn. As a leader of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, this hospital provided a model he hoped to replicate in Queens. After some campaigning, the city approved the acquisition of the Rockaway property in 1911. While on a speaking tour in 1914, Riis fell ill at a stop in New Orleans and returned to his summer home in Massachusetts to attempt recovery. Not long before his death on May 26, 1914, Riis published an article that described the area—which would be named for him after his passing—as "a country of tumbled sand-hills overgrown with beach grass and fragrant bayweed that may easily be transformed into attractive parkland." Two other locations in Queens are also named for Riis: Jacob Riis Triangle in Richmond Hill and a community center (settlement house) in Queensbridge.

Police Officers Thomas M. Langone (1962-2001) and Paul Talty (1960-2001) were both assigned to the 109th Precinct in Flushing. They were killed at the World Trade Center during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Officer Langone's brother Peter, a firefighter, also perished in that disaster.

Martin M. Trainor (1924 – 2009) was a resident of Woodside, Queens best known as the Chairman and co-founder of the neighborhood’s community services organization "Woodside on the Move", and former president of Community Board 2. He was also a member of the Anoroc Democratic Club, St. Sebastian’s Church, and the local Knights of Columbus. He was an attorney and senior partner at the law firm of Menagh, Trainor, Mundo and Falcone, where he represented many local New York City unions and their members, in particular, Local #3 I.B.E.W.

Luke the Evangelist, or Saint Luke, was a first-century Greek physician and writer. He is widely considered to be the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, two substantial portions of the New Testament that were central to the early formation and expansion of Christianity. Most of what is known of Luke is taken directly or inferred from his own writings, as well as a small portion of the letters of Saint Paul, and also based on tradition. Born in Antioch, a major city in ancient Syria, Luke is considered by some scholars to be a gentile convert to Christianity, possibly due to exposure to the teachings of Jesus during a time when the early church was rapidly spreading throughout the Roman Empire. He was a travel companion to Saint Paul, accompanying him in evangelizing the teachings of Jesus across Ancient Greece and Rome. He remained with Paul during Paul’s imprisonment and eventual death in Rome around 64 CE. Luke continued to preach and write until his death, possibly as a martyr, at the age of 84, in Boeotia, a region of Central Greece. Composed in Greek, Luke’s writings are often described as methodical and detailed, with an engaging and polished style. He is considered the most literary of the New Testament writers, with a talent for vivid storytelling and historical precision. The Gospel of Luke provides an account of the life of Jesus and includes such well-known parables as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Scholars note Luke’s emphasis on the compassion of Jesus toward the marginalized, including women, the poor, and sinners. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles is an early history of the Roman Catholic Church. It begins where the Gospel ends, with the Ascension of Christ to heaven, and describes the missionary work of the Apostles, especially Saint Paul, providing a window into the early history of Christianity. Known as the patron saint of physicians, Luke is also revered by artists. An eighth century tradition claims that he painted Mary, Paul, and Peter, and illustrated the Gospels. However, scholars largely consider this to be a legend. He is often represented by the ox in Christian iconography, which is said to symbolize the sacrifice and service of Jesus, as portrayed in Luke’s Gospel. Located at 16-01 150th Place in Whitestone, Saint Luke School is for grades pre-K through eight. Classes were originally offered in the basement of Saint Luke Church in 1910. On October 29, 1916, a new school building was opened in a ceremony officiated by Bishop Charles E. McDonnell.

John Bowne (1627-1695) was an English emigrant who arrived in in New Netherland, or Vlissingen (now Flushing) in 1649. He fought against Governor Pieter Stuyvesant's edict to restrict religious freedom by allowing Quakers to meet in his home. Bowne was arrested, fined and imprisoned for months by Gov. Stuyvesant and even deported due to his religious activities, though he was later set free by the Directors of the West India Company. He returned to his home later and acquired more land, including that designated for the Flushing Quaker Meeting House and a burial ground, where he was buried upon his death in 1695. Flushing had the previous name of Flushing Creeke by the original inhabitants who lived there, the Matinecock people, part of the larger Algonquin nation. While the Matinecock people are said to have sold land to the Dutch, and possibly to Bowne as well, there was also documented violence against them prior to this, as well as a smallpox epidemic that devastated the community years later in 1652. Members of the Matinecock tribe remain in Queens today.

James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael (Mickey) Schwerner were three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi in June 1964, where they were volunteering for the Freedom Summer Project. At the time of their deaths, Goodman was a student at Queens College and Schwerner’s brother, Steve Schwerner, was the director of the college’s counseling program. The three men were primarily involved in registering Black voters, but on the day of their disappearance were investigating the burning of a Black church that had been used for voter registration. They were abducted near the town of Philadelphia, Mississippi, and the case was initially treated as a missing persons investigation. After two months, their bodies were discovered; members of the KKK as well as local law enforcement were charged with the killings, but only seven of 18 defendants were convicted, on lesser charges of conspiracy. However, the case was reopened in 2004 after new evidence came to light and one defendant, Edgar Ray Killen, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter. He died in prison in 2018 at the age of 92. The Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower sits atop the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library on the campus of Queens College. It was dedicated to the three men in 1989, shortly after the library's construction. A campaign to furnish the tower with a real bell carillon, rather than electronic chimes, was spearheaded by Queens College music professor David S. Walker, and a five-bell peal was commissioned and cast at the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry in the Netherlands. The carillon was dedicated in November 1990.

Nina Adams (1944-2015) was president of the Queensbridge Tenant Association and received many awards in recognition of her community work. She represented approximately 12,000 residents of the Queensbridge Houses, and lobbied city, state and federal officials for programs to benefit them. She started the Queensbridge Outreach program, which organizes after-school activities and field trips to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., for children from Queensbridge. During the 1980s, she took in many children under her own care to keep them from wandering dangerous streets after school.

Detective Anastasios Tsakos (d. 2021) was a 14-year veteran of the NYPD’s highway patrol unit, the 43 year old was killed when he was struck by an intoxicated driver as he directed traffic away from another fatal accident on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. Tsakos was born in Dover, N.H. and then moved with his parents to Greece, their home country, where he lived until he was 14. The family then came to Astoria, Queens, where Tsakos graduated high school. Tsakos earned his undergraduate degree in aviation administration from Dowling College on Long Island - he had a dream to fly airplanes and helicopters. After college, he worked at his father’s Port Washington diner for a while, and then returned to Greece and enlisted in the Greek army, where he became second lieutenant. In 2007, he moved back to the U.S. and joined the NYPD with the goal of flying an NYPD helicopter. He worked in the 75th and 83rd precincts before joining the highway patrol unit.

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, also known as Dr. José Rizal (1861-1896), is revered as a national hero of the Philippines. Born into a prosperous landowning family on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna, Rizal was a physician, writer, and fervent Filipino patriot. A highly educated and multi-talented individual, Rizal studied in Manila and at the University of Madrid. Trained as an ophthalmologist, he also excelled as a prolific writer, novelist, and polyglot fluent in numerous languages. His influential novels, "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo," ignited the Filipino people's demand for reforms against Spanish colonial rule. Much of his writing occurred during his European residence from 1882 to 1892. Deeply committed to his nation's welfare and independence, Rizal was a passionate patriot and nationalist. He aimed to highlight the rich history of the Philippines' indigenous people before Spanish colonization, notably by publishing an annotated edition of Antonio Morga’s “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.” Rizal mastered twenty-two languages and traveled extensively, building friendships across diverse races, creeds, social strata, and professions. As a leader in the reform movement of Filipino students in Spain, Rizal contributed essays and numerous reform-oriented articles to La Solidaridad, a newspaper published in Barcelona. He also gained membership in both the Anthropological Society and the Geographical Society of Berlin. In 1888, José Rizal visited New York City, staying at the Fifth Avenue Hotel overlooking Madison Square Park. During this brief period, he continued to advocate for his country's independence and worked on his writings. Rizal's short stay in New York marks a significant historical point, underscoring the interconnectedness of the Filipino struggle for independence with broader global movements for freedom and self-determination. Upon his return to the Philippines in 1892, Rizal established the Liga Filipina in Manila, a nonviolent reform society advocating for moderate social reforms through legal means. However, the governor disbanded it. By this time, Spanish authorities had already declared him an enemy of the state due to the publication of his novels. This led to his exile to Dapitan for four years. By 1896, the rebellion against Spanish rule in the Philippines, fomented by the militant secret society Katipunan, had become a full-blown nationwide revolution. Around this time, Rizal volunteered his services as a doctor in Cuba and was granted leave by Governor-General Ramón Blanco to minister to victims of yellow fever. However, Rizal was arrested en route to Cuba via Spain and imprisoned in Barcelona on October 6, 1896. He was sent back to Manila the same day to stand trial, implicated in the revolution through his association with members of the Katipunan. His unwavering pursuit of reform culminated in his martyrdom on December 30, 1896, when he was executed by firing squad in Manila. His enduring legacy resonates throughout the Philippines, within the Filipino diaspora, and among global advocates for social justice. He is honored with a street in Woodside, a neighborhood long known as “Little Manila” due to its numerous Filipino restaurants and stores and the presence of one of New York City's largest Filipino communities.

Vincent G. Fowler (1953-1999) was born in New York to Vincent J. and Dorothy Fowler. His father was a Battalion Chief, and his 3 brothers: Gerard, Andy and John were all firefighters. He also had 2 sisters: Karen and Ellen. He attended St. Claire's grammar school in Rosedale and graduated from Christ the King High School in 1971. He attended St. Joseph's Seminary in Princeton, NJ and graduated from Farmingdale State College in 1975. He lived in Suffolk County with his wife Mona and three daughters, Dina, Amy and Stephanie. He coached his daughters in softball and enjoyed camping, hiking and fishing.   Lieutenant Fowler worked for years to insure that firefighters got the support they needed when a colleague was killed in the line of duty and took it upon himself to revise the procedures for handling a firefighter's death, recommending that bereavement counseling be available for colleagues as well as family members. Captain Fowler died on June 4, 1999 from injuries sustained while battling a fire in Ozone Park, Queens. He was cited for his bravery twice during his career and awarded the Medal of Valor posthumously.

In 1970, Iccey Elvalina Gibbs Newton (1939-1993) and her husband moved to Woodside where they raised four children. She helped form the Woodside Tenants Association and then worked for NYCHA for 20 years. She started tenant patrols in Woodside Houses and served as District Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of America. She served on Community Board 1 from 1991 until her death.

Harriet (Zeamans) Kupferberg (1924–2008) and Kenneth Maurice Kupferberg (1919–1993) were dedicated philanthropists who were influential figures in their Flushing community. Kenneth was a businessman and research physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government research program in World War II that led to the development of the atomic bomb. Harriet was an educator and community leader. Together, the couple were advocates for the preservation of Holocaust history, and Harriet’s gift of $1 million to Queensborough Community College in 2006, given in both their names, helped to endow the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center. Located on the Queensborough campus, the Center uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate current and future generations about the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping. Kenneth was born to Romanian immigrant parents who came to the United States in 1919 and settled in Flushing in 1926. His father, Charles Kupferberg, was a cabinetmaker, and his mother, Anna (Weiss) Kupferberg, a homemaker. One of seven children, Kenneth graduated from Flushing High School in 1937 and was in the first graduating class of Queens College in 1941, majoring in physics. He attended Columbia University for a period until he was drafted. Later, he was assigned to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he was joined on the top-secret work by his twin brother, Max, and another brother, Jesse. Eventually, Kenneth received a master’s and doctorate from New York University, where he taught physics while pursuing advanced degrees. In 1942, along with his brothers Max, Jesse, and Jack, he founded the Flushing-based Kepco, Inc., an electronics manufacturing business. Kenneth held 14 patents in the field of regulated power supplies, and he was serving as director at Kepco at the time of his death in 1993. A native of Queens, Harriet was the daughter of Flushing residents Harold Roscoe Zeamans and Lilly Silverstein Zeamans. She attended PS 20 and Bayside High School. Sixteen when World War II started, Harriet witnessed her father work to help extricate Jews from Eastern Europe in the years prior to the beginning of the conflict. Harriet received a degree in education from New York University and a master’s from Queens College. She went on to teach at Horace Mann Lincoln School in the Bronx and in the Great Neck Public School System. An active member of her community, she served as president of the Long Island Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Flushing Council Women’s Association, and as secretary to the Flushing Hospital’s community advisory board. For 36 years, Harriet was a member of the Queensborough Community College Fund Board. Harriet and Kenneth were founding members of the Temple Beth Sholom in Flushing, and Harriet also served as a board member. As a couple, they were also involved in the restoration of the John Bowne House in Flushing and served as trustees. Harriet died in 2008, and, at the time of her death, she was survived by children Anne, Sarah, and Mark, and eight grandchildren. The opening ceremony for the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center took place on October 19, 2009, and the Center is located at 222-05 56th Avenue.

Rep. Benjamin S. Rosenthal (D-NY) represented northeast Queens in the U.S. Congress from 1962 until his death in January 1983. Born in Manhattan, Rosenthal attended New York City public schools, Long Island University and City College before serving in the U.S. Army during WWII. He received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1949. In 1962, Rosenthal won a special election to the Eighty-Seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused when Rep. Lester Holtzman won a seat on the state Supreme Court; Rosenthal was then reelected to the 11 succeeding Congresses. During his congressional tenure, Rosenthal was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and a champion of consumer protection causes. He was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee for Commerce, Consumer, and Monetary Affairs.

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a towering figure in the arena of equality and women's rights, especially in the movement to grant women the right to vote. Born in 1820, she was raised with the Quaker idea that all people are equal under God. Her parents and several siblings were active in the abolition movement, and Anthony herself became a leading speaker and activist in that cause at a young age. When the women's suffrage movement was born following the seminal Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY (1848), Anthony joined the cause with enthusiasm and quickly became its most visible advocate. With her friend and fellow activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anthony gave speeches and organized protests around the country, and published a newspaper, "The Revolution," focused on women's rights. In 1872, Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote in the presidential election, and the resulting trial brought significant national attention to the women's suffrage movement. Thereafter, the organization founded by Anthony and Stanton -- the National Woman Suffrage Association -- focused on calling for a constitutional amendment to give women the right to vote. Anthony died in 1906, 14 years before the 19th Amendment was passed, guaranteeing women's voting rights. Her grave in Rochester, NY, attracts many visitors who often leave thank-you notes and other memorials for her work on women's behalf. In 1979, she was selected as the first woman featured on a U.S. coin, the Susan B. Anthony dollar.

On May 29, 1919, Nancy Leo, the oldest of five children, was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her parents, Francesco Leo and Irene Fiore, emigrated from Bari, Italy, in 1917. After working on the railroad and then in the ice and coal business for some time, Francesco went into the food business, opening his first store in Brooklyn, on Lorimer and Skillman Avenues. Nancy and her sisters, Mary, Lily and Grace, and their brother, Al, attended P.S. 132 in Brooklyn. They often came to Corona, Queens, for "vacation" since Corona at that time was still mainly farms and countryside. In the early 1930s, the family moved to Corona where Nancy's parents set down roots and opened Leo's Latticini, later to become known as "Mama's," an affectionate nickname given to Nancy when she was raising her daughters. Nancy Leo worked at Leo's Latticini alongside her parents for some time. Then, during World War II, she became one of the first pioneer women to help in the war effort. In November 1942, Nancy completed the airplane assembly course at Delehanty Institute. She then joined the ranks of women riveters working for American Export Airlines on some of the first non-stop transatlantic flight planes carrying passengers, cargo and mail overseas. A few years later, Nancy took a vacation to visit her aunts in Italy and met her future husband, Frank DeBenedittis, who was born in Corato, Bari, Italy. They were married on August 29, 1948, in Rome's St. Peter's Basillica. Years later, when Nancy's parents retired, she and Frank took over the family store and continued in the food business. They worked very hard serving the community while raising their loving family. They had three daughters, Carmela, Irene and Marie, all of whom attended St. Leo's Elementary School in Corona. Carmela, the oldest, married Oronzo Lamorgese and owns Leo's Ravioli and Pasta Shop in Corona. Their daughter, Marie Geiorgina, who is married to Fiore DiFelo, is a teacher at P.S. 16 in Corona. They have one child, Mama's first great-grandchild. Irene, a former New York City public school teacher, joined the family business in order to keep the family traditions alive. Marie, though the youngest, has been in the store the longest. She, like her mother and grandmother, is very business-minded and also an excellent cook who strives for quality in all she does. In 1985, Frank, who was a major part of the family business, passed away at the age of 73. He was sorely missed by everyone. After Frank's passing, Nancy, with her daughters, decided to continue on with the family business and for years Nancy became known as "Mama" to everyone. After so many years of dedication to family and community, Mama passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. Upon her passing, there was a true expression of love and appreciation by all her patrons, neighbors and friends for all she had done for the community. When many of the original Corona residents moved away to "better neighborhoods," Mama stayed and lived and worked with the community's people. She instilled in all her family a sense of discipline, respect for each other and good character. She was truly a wonderful role model for all. Throughout her lifetime, Nancy saw immense change. From ice and coal to refrigeration and gas heat, from radio and television all the way to today's world of computers. She made everyone around her appreciate all the little things in life that are special and "Mama," Nancy DeBenedittis, was truly a special person.

Robert A. Van Wyck (1847-1918) was an influential political figure in New York during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in New York City, he was the son of Attorney William Van Wyck. Van Wyck began his academic pursuits at the University of North Carolina before completing his education at Columbia Law School, graduating in 1872. Initially a businessman, he transitioned to law and eventually became a city court judge in 1880. After serving as Chief Justice of New York, Van Wyck entered Democratic Party politics. Elected Mayor of New York in 1897 with the backing of Tammany Hall's Richard Croker, he oversaw the unification of the five boroughs into modern-day New York City. During his tenure, Van Wyck worked to improve the city's fragmented administrative system. Following his term, he retired to Paris, France, where he resided until his death in 1918.

Horace Harding (1862-1929) was born to an influential publishing family. He entered the banking world and moved up through connections on his wife's side. Harding served as a director for multiple entities including American Express and numerous railway trusts. Harding enjoyed art collecting and spent time cultivating the Frick collection. Harding was extremely influential in Long Island and supported Robert Moses' "Great Parkway Plan" to build a highway from Queens Blvd. to Shelter Rock in Nassau County. He also supported the Northern State Parkway and construction of the Long Island Expressway. His support of new roads happened to coincide with his desire for an easier pathway to his country club. Harding died at 65 from influenza and blood poisoning.

John Thompson Hoffman (1828 - 1888), was a politician who served as 78th Mayor of New York City (1866 to 1868) and 23rd Governor of New York State (1869 to 1873). Hoffman was born in 1828 in Ossining, NY. After attending Union College he studied for his law degree and passed the bar in 1849 and entered into practice. He was a member of the Young Men’s Tammany Hall General Committee, a member of the New York State Democratic Central Committee, and served as New York City Recorder from 1861 to 1866. Hoffman served as mayor of New York City from 1866 to 1868. From 1866 to 1868 he was Grand Sachem, or leader, of the Tammany Hall organization. In 1868, Hoffman was elected New York State Governor with the help of William “Boss” Tweed (1823-1878)  of Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall politicians secretly hoped Hoffman, might eventually win the United States presidency, but in 1871, with allegations of corruption circling, public support began to wane for the Tammany Machine. Hoffman’s presidential aspirations evaporated soon thereafter. In failing health, Hoffman journeyed abroad in search of a cure and died in Wiesbaden, Germany on March 24, 1888.

Karol Rathaus (1895-1954) was a distinguished composer of orchestral and chamber music in addition to operas and film scores. Considered a child prodigy, he began writing music at age 7 and by 14 was composing for full orchestra. Rathaus was born to a Jewish family in Tarnopol, Austria, a town now part of Ukraine. After serving in the Austrian Army during World War I, he resumed his studies with Austrian composer Franz Schreker, first in Vienna and then in Berlin, where he settled and launched his professional career. By 1934, Rathaus had achieved considerable success with his varied compositions, including the score for the now-classic film, The Brothers Karamazov (1931). However, fearing the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitic violence, Rathaus fled Berlin in 1932, spending several years in Paris and then London, and continuing to compose. When he emigrated to the United States in 1938, he left behind a number of unpublished manuscripts that were destroyed in the London Blitz. Rathaus lived for a short time in Hollywood, to be near the film industry, but ultimately settled in New York in 1940. For the last 14 years of his life, Rathaus was professor of composition at Queens College, CUNY. In addition to teaching, he received numerous commissions and wrote works for the New York Philharmonic, the St. Louis Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera. He died in 1954 at the age of 59, succumbing to recurring illness and fatigue. His papers, including many music manuscripts, are housed in Queens College’s Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) is one of the most well-known American novelists. He was born to a ship's captain and his wife in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. His ancestors were staunch Puritans, supporting rigid religious worship, and his family's history served as inspiration for his most famous work, The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne grew up in Salem and visited Maine for extensive periods of time during his youth, where he studied at Bowdoin College. He achieved early success writing short stories, and was later inspired by his Transcendentalist contemporaries, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau. Other important works include The House of the Seven Gables and The Marble Faun. Hawthorne passed away in 1864.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Armstrong and his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson, purchased their home in Corona in 1943, shortly after they were married, and lived there for the remainder of their lives. I.S. 227, a public middle school serving grades 5 through 8, is located approximately one mile from their home, which is now the Louis Armstrong House Museum, offering public tours, concerts and educational programs.

Peter’s Field is named for two of the city’s most prominent historical figures: Peter Stuyvesant (1610-1672) and Peter Cooper (1791-1905). Peter Stuyvesant, a Calvinist minister’s son, born in The Netherlands, joined the Dutch West India Company at the age of 22. After becoming the director of the company’s Caribbean colonies of Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire in 1643, Stuyvesant led a victorious attack on the island of Saint Martin; he gravely injured his right leg and was forced to have it amputated. The wooden leg he wore from then on earned him the nickname “Old Peg-Leg.” Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam in 1647 as the Director General of New Netherland and quickly worked to limit the sale of liquor, enforce his own church’s domination, and persecute Lutherans, Quakers, and Jews. Stuyvesant bought a farm, the Bouwerie (the namesake of the Bowery), in 1651, and built his home, White Hall, in 1655 at what is now the intersection of Whitehall and State Streets. Often remembered as a violent despot, Stuyvesant also encouraged commerce and helped form New Amsterdam’s municipal government until the British seized New Netherland in 1664. Following his withdrawal from public life, he retired to his farm where he lived until his death in February 1672.  New York City native Peter Cooper, an inventor with little formal education, began his career as a cloth cutter during the War of 1812. After becoming a prosperous glue manufacturer, Cooper built the country’s first steam engine, the Tom Thumb, at his Canton Iron Works factory in Baltimore. Deeply involved in New York City politics, he worked to disentangle the fire and police departments from their political connections, to supply better water and sanitation, to improve prison conditions and to provide the poor with public education. The namesake of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (formed between 1857 and 1859), Cooper was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1876, when he ran on the Greenback ticket.

Henry Engelhard Steinway was born Heinrich Engelhardt Steinweg in Germany on February 15, 1797 . He fought in the Napoleonic Wars and opened up a piano-making business before moving to America and starting a shop there. He moved his company, known as Steinway & Sons from Manhattan to Astoria, Queens, forming the "Steinway Village." This factory is still operating today.

Photos are of signs displayed on the front of the school building.

Queens Public Library Connection Helen Marshall (1929-2017) was the first African American Queens Borough President from 2002 – 2013. Marshall was born in Manhattan to immigrant parents of African descent from Guyana. The family moved to Queens in 1949, settling first in Corona and then in East Elmhurst. Marshall graduated with a B.A. in education from Queens College. After teaching for eight years, she left to help found the Langston Hughes Library in 1969, where she was the first Director. She served as Director for five years, leading the library to become a vital resource on African American History in Queens. She later served in the State Assembly for 8 years and then served on the City Council for 10 years, before becoming the first African American and the second woman to serve as the Queens Borough President. She supported job training programs and economic development and was a devoted supporter of the Queens Public Library. In 2004-2005 she dedicated $27 million of discretionary funds toward library expansions and improvements, including new branches and the (now named) Helen Marshall Children's Library Discovery Center at the Central Library in Jamaica. In 2020 as part of an NYC Parks initiative to expand the representation of African Americans honored in parks, East Elmhurst Park was renamed for Helen Marshall. Other places in Queens named for Helen Marshall are: Helen Marshall Boulevard, Helen M. Marshall Children’s Library Discover Center, and The Helen M. Marshall School.

Lewis Howard Latimer was an African American inventor and humanist. Born free in Massachusetts, Latimer was the son of fugitive slaves George Latimer and Rebecca Smith, who escaped from Virginia to Boston in 1842. Upon arrival, George Latimer was captured and imprisoned, which became a pivotal case for the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts. His arrest and the ensuing court hearings spurred multiple meetings and a publication, “The Latimer Journal and the North Star,” involving abolitionists like Frederick Douglass. The large collective effort eventually gained George his freedom by November 1842. Against this backdrop, Lewis Latimer was born in 1848. Latimer’s young life was full of upheaval as his family moved from town to town while tensions in the country continued to mount before the Civil War broke out in 1861. In 1864, Latimer joined the Union Navy at age 16. After the conclusion of the war, Latimer was determined to overcome his lack of formal education; he taught himself mechanical drawing and became an expert draftsman while working at a patent law office. He went on to work with three of the greatest scientific inventors in American history: Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram S. Maxim and Thomas Alva Edison. Latimer played a critical role in the development of the telephone and, as Edison’s chief draftsman, he invented and patented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb. As an expert, Latimer was also called to testify on a number of patent infringement cases. Outside of his professional life, Latimer wrote and published poems, painted and played the violin. He was one of the founders of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens and was among the first Civil War veterans to join the Grand Army of the Republic fraternal organization. He also taught English to immigrants at the Henry Street Settlement. Latimer Gardens is a public housing development administered by the New York City Housing Authority. Constructed in 1970, it consists of four 10-story buildings with a total of 423 apartments.

Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair (1950-1986) was the second Black astronaut in the U.S. to fly to space. In 1978, NASA selected him out of thousands to embark on the 10th space shuttle mission. On his second mission to space on January 28, 1986, he and six other of his crew members were killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion. Born and raised in Lake City, South Carolina, he excelled academically. At just nine years old, he attempted to check out advanced science and calculus books from his local library but was met with hostility from the librarian due to his skin color. Overcoming discrimination in the South, he became valedictorian of his high school and soon took a special interest in physics. He earned his Bachelor's of Science from North Carolina A\&T State University and a PhD in laser physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. McNair would soon accumulate several academic awards, including Presidential Scholar, NATO Fellow, and Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year Award. McNair has since become a hero to those underrepresented in education. Following the late astronaut's death, Congress endowed the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, dedicated to encouraging underrepresented ethnic groups and low-income students to enroll in PhD programs.

Luis Alvarez (1965-2019) was a retired NYPD bomb squad detective who died from complications of cancer linked to 9/11-related illness. He worked with other first responders during the search and rescue operation at Ground Zero. He also worked tirelessly for an extension of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Shortly before his death, Alvarez, alongside television host Jon Stewart, testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee in Washington to replenish the fund.

William H. Latham (1903-1987) was a Consulting Park Engineer under Robert Moses, and one of the few aides with whom Moses would directly interact. Born in 1903, Latham graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in civil engineering. Hired by Moses in 1927, Latham, along with several other associates hired during that period known as the “Moses Men,” became legendary throughout state and city government for his ability, loyalty and determination. In 1954, Moses selected Latham to oversee construction of the Niagara Project, a hydroelectric dam on the St. Lawrence River in Lewiston, N.Y.; it was the world's largest such project at the time. Latham remained as the dam's resident engineer until his retirement in 1971.

Luz Colon (d. 2003) was an advocate for new immigrants in Queens. Born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, she grew up in East Harlem and later moved to Queens. She graduated from John Jay College and served as the executive director of the Community Conciliation Network, a not-for-profit organization in Corona, and as the vice president of the Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Queens. In 1997, she became the director of the mayor’s Queens citizenship and immigration office upon its opening, and served in that role until her sudden death from a brain aneurysm in 2003. Luz Colon Place, at the corner of Baxter Avenue and Layton Street, was co-named in her honor in 2006. The street name marks the spot where Colon set up her “Citizenship Van” in the 1990s, from which she helped thousands of immigrants through the naturalization process.

Samuel J. LeFrak (1918-2003) was born on February 12, 1918 in Manhattan to Harry and Sarah Schwartz Lefrak. His grandfather had founded a construction company called the LeFrak Organization in France in 1883 which he then brought to the United States. Samuel grew up with his father and grandfather running the family business and he took it over after graduating from the University of Maryland. Noticing a need for more affordable housing in the city after World War II, he dedicated his life and his business to creating that housing in New York City. Under Samuel’s leadership, the LeFrak Organization specialized in building six-story apartment buildings featuring two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments. He used what he called the “Four S Principles” when designing and building: Safe, Shopping, Schools, and Subways. During his lifetime his company built over 150,000 rental units in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. He received honorary doctorates from the Pratt Institute, New York Law School, Colgate University, Michigan State University, Queens College, St. John’s University and the University of Maryland. He ventured into supporting music and other artistic ventures saying, ““Music is my life and this is where I get my fulfillment. Samuel passed away in 2003. His most iconic venture, LeFrak City serves as a reminder that building affordable housing is possible when developers are dedicated and willing.

Frank P. LoCicero (1918-1997) lived in Bellerose, Queens from 1950 until his death. LoCicero was an active member and later president of the Bellerose Hillside Civic Association, which fought to maintain the suburban character of the neighborhood. LoCicero was born in Manhattan and studied art at Haaren High School. At age 17 he became the youngest person to have a sculpture exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Following graduation from college, he was hired by Norcross Greeting Cards as its graphic designer. During World War II, LoCicero enlisted in the U.S. Army, spending five years in Hawaii drawing aerial maps for the Army before resuming work at Norcross. He married his wife Marie in 1946 and they had two sons, Ronnie and Ricky. In 1950, the family purchased a home in Bellerose, New York, and soon after arriving, Frank became active at St. Gregory the Great Church, joining the Holy Name Society and Nocturnal Adoration Association. He also became a member of the Bellerose Hillside Civic Association, and was later voted its president. During his tenure as president, Frank led successful campaigns against undesirable projects that were proposed to be situated at the Creedmore Psychiatric Center, such as a prison and a sanitation garage. He also was responsible for editing and distributing a monthly newsletter.

David Norman Dinkins (1927-2020), the first Black mayor of New York City, was inaugurated on January 1, 1990 and served until January 31, 1993. Dinkins was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and grew up in Trenton and Harlem. After graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, earning the Congressional Gold Medal. He earned an undergraduate degree at Howard University, then attended Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1956. He practiced law privately from 1956 to 1975. He represented the 78th District in the New York State Assembly in 1966, and served as president of the New York City Board of Elections from 1972 to 1973. He served as a city clerk for ten years. On his third run, he was elected Manhattan borough president in 1985, serving until 1989. Elected the 106th mayor of New York City on November 7, 1989, Dinkins defeated three-term incumbent mayor Ed Koch and two other challengers in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Rudy Giuliani in the general election. Economic decline and racial tensions, including the Crown Heights riot of 1991, led to Dinkins's defeat by Republican Rudy Giuliani in the 1993 election. Dinkins was a professor of professional practice at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs from 1994 until his death, served on numerous boards, and remained active in Democratic politics. Highlights of his administration included the cleanup of Times Square, the Beacon Schools program, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and the "Safe Streets, Safe City" plan. Dinkins was responsible for several initiatives that continue to bring significant revenue to New York City: the 99-year lease signed with the USTA National Tennis Center for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Fashion Week, Restaurant Week, and Broadway on Broadway.