Text courtesy of Walter Mugdan, president of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee. The name “Udalls Cove” is a bit of a misnomer. In 1833 Richard Udall bought from the Allen family a grist mill, located about a mile north of the Douglaston peninsula in a much smaller cove on the eastern shore of Little Neck Bay where a stream enters. The stream had been dammed up at its mouth to create a mill pond. When the tide was low, Udall let water flow from the pond to the bay to turn his mill wheel. When the pond was drained empty he would close the dam gate and wait for the tide to rise. When the tide was high he would open the gate and let the sea water from the bay flow into the pond. This would turn his mill wheel again, but in the opposite direction. Gears and belts inside enabled the mill machinery to run in the correct direction regardless of which way the mill wheel was turning. Udall’s mill, now a museum, still stands on the little cove in front of the mill pond. But his name was eventually assigned to the larger cove a mile south that lies between the Douglaston peninsula and the Village of Great Neck Estates. Strangely, the correct name of the cove is Udalls – without an apostrophe.

Lyndon B. Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 and grew up in rural Texas. Johnson served in the House of Representatives for six terms, from April 10, 1937 to January 3, 1949. He also served in the Senate from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1961, becoming the youngest Minority Leader in Senate history in 1953, and then Majority Leader in the following year. As a Senator, one of Johnson’s greatest achievements was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights law in 82 years. He also pushed the United States on space exploration. In 1961, he resigned to serve as Vice President for John F. Kennedy. After John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, Johnson was sworn in on the same day, and became the 36th President of the United States. The next year he ran for President against Barry Goldwater and won with the widest popular margin in American history. In the wake of Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson resolved to finish what Kennedy was unable to complete. He pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through the Senate, and moved on to focusing on his goal to “build a great society, a place where the meaning of man’s life matches the marvels of man’s labor”. His agenda included aid to education, a war against poverty, and the removal of obstacles to the right to vote. Although Johnson managed to achieve much of his agenda, one of his greatest obstacles was the Vietnam War. Johnson’s goal was to end Communist aggression, and while he pledged in his campaign to limit military involvement in Vietnam, he instead increased the number of U.S. troops. Along with the controversy surrounding the war, controversy around Johnson’s domestic policy also grew, as his Great Society failed to materialize and racial tensions increased significantly, especially in 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Tensions escalated, as did the casualties, and Johnson declared he would not run for re-election in the election of 1968, resolving to focus on achieving peace through negotiations. When he left office, peace talks had begun, but he died suddenly of a heart attack at his Texas ranch on January 22, 1973.

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.

Manuel de Dios Unanue (1943-1992) was a Cuban-born journalist and radio host who was killed in New York City in 1992. De Dios was born in Cuba in 1943 and moved to the United States in 1973, after time spent in Spain and Puerto Rico, he settled in Elmhurst, Queens. He worked as a journalist for several Spanish-language newspapers in New York City, before becoming editor-in-chief of El Diario La Prensa, the largest Spanish-Language newspaper in NYC, in 1984. De Dios was best known for his investigative reporting on the Colombian drug trade. He wrote extensively about the drug cartels that operated in Queens, and he named names. His reporting made him a target of the drug traffickers, and he was slain on March 11, 1992, by a hitman for the Colombian drug cartel in the Meson Asturias restaurant on 83rd Street in Queens.

Mary Vavruska (1932 – 2015) was a well-known Jackson Heights community activist that served the community for over 50 years and was instrumental in the building of Louis Armstrong Middle School, I.S. 227. She worked as the chair of Community Board 3 for many years, and was especially active on issues of land use, economic development, and education. She helped initiate the building of the 115th Police Precinct on Northern Boulevard. Vavruska also helped form the Jackson Heights Community Corp. and organized and implemented volunteer services for the homeless at the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church. She was an active PTA member and championed the Department of Education to receive continual financial support for the maintenance of the Paired Schools under the Princeton Plan to integrate the schools between Jackson Heights, Corona, and East Elmhurst after the decentralization of school districts. She received the Volunteer of the Year from the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors, the Community Service Award from The Asociacion Benefica Cultural Father Billini and the Small Business Person of the Year from the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Celebrating places in Queens named for important Hispanic figures! National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. It's a time to honor the history, traditions, and diverse contributions of Hispanic Americans whose heritage is rooted in Spain and Spanish speaking countries and territories. We recognize the power of this collective heritage to shape a vibrant, inclusive future for all through music, art, literature, activism and shared stories. Please click the Add/Edit button to help us complete these entries by adding photographs and memories of these honored individuals.

Walter Bowne (1770-1846), served as a State Senator and as New York City Mayor. As Mayor (1828-1832), Bowne is remembered for his strict policies aimed at preventing cholera epidemics. Following reports of an outbreak in a neighboring town during the summer of 1832, Bowne established a stringent quarantine policy regulating travel in and out of the metropolitan area. Bowne, like others of his time period, believed that cholera was spread through direct human contact. He required that all ships maintain a distance of at least 300 yards from municipal ports and that carriages remain at least 1.5 miles from the city limits. Bowne's well-meaning attempts to prevent a cholera outbreak failed, and hundreds of New Yorkers died of the disease. It was not until 1883 that the German physician Robert Koch discovered that cholera spreads through contaminated water or food. By that time, cholera epidemics had been largely contained by the construction of the Croton Aqueduct and the provision of clean water for consumption and bathing.

The entrance to Hortense Powdermaker Hall on the campus of Queens College.

Police Officer Gadell (1963-1986) had only served on the police force for 11 months before he was killed by gunfire in the alleyway on Seagirt Boulevard in Queens. We was just 22-years old. His death led to reforms to better equip NYPD officers.

James Nicholas Pappageorge (1972 – 2001) grew up on 95th Street in Jackson Heights. he attended day school at the Transfiguration of Christ Elementary and went on to Newtown High School. Having been deeply involved in a variety of sports since childhood that included volleyball‚ softball and football‚ Jimmy went on to pursue a career in physical therapy at Hunter College. After graduation he became an emergency medical technician, working at the scene of traumatic accidents and fires. He then became a paramedic and later, a firefighter. He graduated in July 23‚ 2001 from the Fire Department’s academy and was assigned to Engine 23 in Manhattan. He died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001.

Lieutenant Peter J. Farrenkopf (1952-2009), a 30-year FDNY veteran, died on October 18, 2009, from glioblastoma, a condition his doctors attributed to his work at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. Farrenkopf, a resident of 207th Street in Bayside, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2009 and passed away just 90 days later. He served over 30 years with the FDNY Marine Company and was recognized as a victim of the 9/11 attacks. Farrenkopf began his firefighting career at Engine 84/Ladder 34 in Harlem. Following his promotion, he joined the Marine Division, where he handled numerous projects, including the Summer Boat program, transporting grieving family members to the World Trade Center site, and a boat ride for President Bush to Ellis Island aboard Marine 1. He also coordinated with the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks. Farrenkopf was instrumental in improving the FDNY's relationship with the Coast Guard by arranging a meeting with the port captain. This collaboration led to better communication, a clearer understanding of each agency's roles, and the inclusion of an FDNY representative in monthly harbor meetings and on the Port of NY/NJ Harbor Safety Committee. In June 2012, Councilmember Dan Halloran unveiled the street sign for the Lt. Peter J. Farrenkopf Place on 207th Street at 26th Avenue in Bayside, a lasting tribute to a dedicated public servant.

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.

Leonard P. Stavisky (1925–1999) was a history and political science professor, a politician in New York City and State, and a civic leader in his neighborhood in Flushing. Stavisky was born in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools. He earned three university degrees: a Bachelor of Science from City College of New York in 1945, and both master’s and PhD degrees from the Graduate Faculty of Political Science of Columbia University, in 1946 and 1958, respectively. A university professor by background, Leonard Stavisky had more than 25 years of experience teaching and in administration at Columbia University, the State University of New York, the City University of New York, Colgate University, Long Island University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He began his career in politics in 1954 by serving as a member of the New York City Council. Between 1972 and 1977, he served as a member of the State Charter Revision Commission for the City of New York, and in 1965, Stavisky was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he represented Flushing and served as the Chairman of the Education Committee for eight years. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 1983 in a special election. He was reelected several times and remained in the State Senate until his death in 1999 due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was survived at the time by his wife, New York State Senator Toby Ann (Goldhaar) Stavisky, and a son, Evan. Senator Stavisky served as National Vice-Chairman of the Commission on Organization of the American Jewish Congress, Trustee of the Municipal Lodge of B’nai B’rith, the New York League of Histradrut, and the Settlement Housing Fund, Honorary Trustee of the National Amputation Foundation, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement, Inc. On a more local level, Stavisky served as the Chairman of the Whitestone Library Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Latimer Gardens Community Center, the Bland Houses Community Center, the Flushing Boys Club, and the North Flushing Senior Center. He also served on the Advisory Boards of the Queens Council On The Arts, the Iris Hill Nursery School, and Save The Theatres, Inc. On a citywide level, he served on the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Library, the Board of the New York City Employees Retirement System, the New York City Health Insurance Board, the Mayor’s Committee on Scholastic Achievement, and the Mayor’s Committee on Coordination of Services to Families and Children. On May 19, 2002, a street sign was hung at a co-naming ceremony to designate the corner of 29th Road at 137th Street in Flushing in the Senator’s honor. P.S. 242 Leonard P. Stavisky Early Childhood School in Flushing is also named for the Senator, and both locations are a short walk from where he and his family lived.

Leonard P. Stavisky (1925-1999) was a history and political science professor, a politician in New York City and State, and a civic leader in his neighborhood in Flushing. Stavisky was born in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools. He earned three university degrees: a Bachelor of Science from City College of New York in 1945, and both master’s and PhD degrees from the Graduate Faculty of Political Science of Columbia University, in 1946 and 1958, respectively. A university professor by background, Leonard Stavisky had more than 25 years of experience teaching and in administration at Columbia University, the State University of New York, the City University of New York, Colgate University, Long Island University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He began his career in politics in 1954 by serving as a member of the New York City Council. Between 1972 and 1977, he served as a member of the State Charter Revision Commission for the City of New York, and in 1965, Stavisky was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he represented Flushing and served as the Chairman of the Education Committee for eight years. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 1983 in a special election. He was reelected several times and remained in the State Senate until his death in 1999 due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was survived at the time by his wife, New York State Senator Toby Ann (Goldhaar) Stavisky, and a son, Evan. Senator Stavisky served as National Vice-Chairman of the Commission on Organization of the American Jewish Congress, Trustee of the Municipal Lodge of B’nai B’rith, the New York League of Histradrut, and the Settlement Housing Fund, Honorary Trustee of the National Amputation Foundation, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement, Inc. On a more local level, Stavisky served as the Chairman of the Whitestone Library Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Latimer Gardens Community Center, the Bland Houses Community Center, the Flushing Boys Club, and the North Flushing Senior Center. He also served on the Advisory Boards of the Queens Council On The Arts, the Iris Hill Nursery School, and Save The Theatres, Inc. On a citywide level, he served on the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Library, the Board of the New York City Employees Retirement System, the New York City Health Insurance Board, the Mayor’s Committee on Scholastic Achievement, and the Mayor’s Committee on Coordination of Services to Families and Children. Originally opened in September 2001, P.S. 242 was named for Senator Leonard P. Stavisky in a dedication ceremony held at the school on May 14, 2004. The facility is located at 29-66 137th Street in the Mitchell-Linden section of Flushing. Leonard Stavisky Place is also named in his honor. It is located near the Whitestone Expressway at the corner of 29th Road at 137th Street in Flushing. Both locations are a short walk from where he and his family lived.

Edwin Hoyt (1804-1874) was a businessman who lived in Astoria in the 1800s. he was the millionaire senior partner in Hoyt, Sprague, and Co., a dry goods business, with Governor William Sprague of Rhode Island. Hoyt’s son, Edwin Chase Hoyt, and Governor Sprague’s son both married daughters of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln, and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. When Hoyt died on May 15, 1874, at the age of 70, all prominent dry goods businessmen kept their doors closed on the morning of his funeral out of respect for the deceased.

Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto (1917-2007) was born in Brooklyn to Italian parents but moved with his family to Glendale, Queens, in his youth. He played baseball at P.S. 68 in Glendale and Richmond Hill High School, which he left before graduating to play in the major leagues. Although disregarded by some local teams because of his height (5’ 6”), he convinced the New York Yankees to sign him in 1937. After proving himself in the minor leagues, Rizzuto played shortstop for the Yankees starting in 1941 and, after serving in the Navy from 1943 to 1945, played the remainder of his career with the team from 1946 to 1956. His superb defense and offensive contributions helped the team win 10 American League pennants and eight World Series during his 13 years with the club. After finishing second in MVP voting in 1949, he followed with a career year in 1950 in which he achieved career highs in multiple categories, including hits (200), batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.418) and runs (125), while winning the AL MVP Award. As a shortstop, he led all AL shortstops in double plays three times, putouts twice and assists once. By the time he retired in 1956, he left the game with a batting average of .273, 1,588 hits, 149 stolen bases, 38 home runs, 563 RBI and five All-Star Game selections. Rizzuto was hired quickly afterward by the Yankees as a broadcaster in 1957 and would announce for the team for 40 years, retiring in 1996. He was beloved by new generations of fans who adored his style – his “Holy Cow!” signature line is recognizable to this day. The Yankees retired Rizzuto's uniform number 10 in 1985 and placed a plaque in his honor in their stadium's Monument Park. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, recognizing his career of more than 50 years in the game. Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto Park opened in 1938 as Smokey Oval Park, a reference to the Long Island Railroad terminus, which was a landing area of soot and ash from the railway smoke. The park was renamed in 2008 to honor Rizzuto.

Samuel Jayson LeFrak (1918-2003) was a major real estate developer of middle-income housing in the post-World War II era. He led the LeFrak Organization (originally spelled Lefrak and pronounced le-FRAK) for more than four decades in building apartments and homes both in and around the New York City area, while later leading successful ventures in other businesses, including oil and gas exploration, and entertainment. Among his most iconic ventures was LeFrak City, an apartment development in southeastern Corona that was built from 1962 to 1971. The community offers 4,600 units and is home to about 15,000 New Yorkers. LeFrak was born on February 12, 1918, in Manhattan to Harry LeFrak, who migrated from France, and Sarah (Schwartz) LeFrak, originally of Belarus. He grew up in Brooklyn, attending Erasmus High School in Flatbush, and he graduated from the University of Maryland in 1940. That same year, he began working full time in his family’s business, and he later studied finance at Columbia University and the Harvard Business School. In 1941, he married Ethel Stone, who attended Barnard College. Harry LeFrak launched the LeFrak Organization as a construction company in 1905 and was joined a few years later in running the business by his father, Aaron, who had been an architect and builder in France. Samuel LeFrak took over as president of the company in 1948, eventually ceding that role to his son, Richard, in 1975, while retaining the title of chairman. Recognizing the growing need for affordable middle-income housing in New York City after World War II, LeFrak devoted his life and career to meeting that demand. Under his 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—that properties should be safe, and close to subways, shopping, and schools. During his lifetime, his company built nearly 200,000 rental units in New York’s five boroughs and the greater metropolitan area. He was knowledgeable in housing and energy technology, serving in an advisory role to New York City mayors, New York governors, and U.S. presidents. He served on key national and state councils and also represented the U.S. internationally, advising various countries on land development. LeFrak later ventured into the music business, co-founding a recording label called The Entertainment Company, and working with artists such as Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Glen Campbell, before that business broke up in 1984. A philanthropist of considerable means, he left a lasting mark on the cultural and educational landscape, with numerous buildings and spaces bearing his and his wife’s names. Among these many sites are the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Concert Hall, located at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, and the Queens Public Library at Lefrak City. He received numerous honorary doctorates, including recognition from Pratt Institute, New York Law School, Colgate University, Michigan State University, Queens College, St. John’s University, and the University of Maryland. LeFrak died from complications of a stroke on April 16, 2003, at his home in Manhattan. He was survived at the time by his wife, Ethel (who died in 2013), their children, Denise, Richard, Francine, and Jacqueline, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A part of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, the 489-seat Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Concert Hall is located at 153-49 Reeves Avenue in Flushing.

Dr. René Dubos (1901-1982) and his wife Jean Dubos (1918-1988) were prominent environmentalists who had a vision of global environmentalism achieved through local action. René Dubos coined the phrase “Think Globally, Act Locally.” Dr. René Dubos was born in Saint-Brice-sous-Fouret, France, on February 20, 1901. After studying microbiology at Rutgers University, he isolated a microorganism that led to the first commercially manufactured antibiotic. He met his wife, Jean Porter Dubos, who was born in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in 1918, when she worked with him at the Dubos Laboratory at the Harvard Medical School. In 1942, René Dubos moved to the Rockefeller Institute, now known as Rockefeller University, in New York, and Jean joined him there, where they built a laboratory to study tuberculosis. The couple married in 1946. The Duboses co-wrote several books about the philosophy of the human environment, including the 1950 book “The White Plague: Tuberculosis, Man, and Society,” which was notable for being among the first books about the social history of medicine. René coined the phrase “Think Globally, Act Locally,” a principle the Duboses enacted in Queens. In 1970, René opposed an extension of the John F. Kennedy International Airport runway into Jamaica Bay, instead supporting restoration of the Bay. After René died in 1982, Jean took up the movement to create what is now Dubos Point. After some disputes over the land's ownership were resolved, the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation took over the area in 1988 and converted it into a wildlife sanctuary. The same year, Jean Dubos died of ovarian cancer at her home in Manhattan at the age of 70.

Program booklet for the dedication of the Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower in 1989.

Tom Seaver (1944-2020), also known as “The Franchise” and "Tom Terrific," signed with the New York Mets in 1966 and pitched for the team from 1967 to 1977. He won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1967 and Cy Young Award in 1969. During his time with the team, he was selected to ten All-Star teams, led the league in strikeouts five times, and had five one-hitters and five 20-win seasons. He also led the "Miracle Mets” to win the World Series in 1969 and appeared again in the 1973 World Series. Fans were heartbroken when Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in June 1977, where he continued to dominate. He finally pitched a no-hitter in 1978 and recorded his 3,000th strikeout in 1981. He found himself back on the Mets in 1983 and finished his career with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 1984 to 1986. When he retired in 1987, he had a record of 311-205, with a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. Seaver was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1992 and wears the New York Mets cap on his plaque in the Hall. After retiring from playing, Seaver continued with baseball as an announcer, working for both the New York Yankees (1989-1993) and New York Mets (1999-2005) before retiring again to run Seaver Vineyards in California. The Mets retired Seaver's uniform number, 41, in 1988. Shortly before his death in 2020, the New York Mets changed their address to 41 Seaver Way, naming the part of 126th street outside the ballpark in his honor. On April 15, 2022, a statue of Seaver created by sculptor William Behrends was unveiled in front of the stadium. The bronze and stainless steel work, which stands 10 feet high and weighs more than 33,000 pounds, depicts Seaver in his trademark pitching stance.

Stanislaw Kozikowski (1895-1967) fought in the United States Army during WWII and was awarded the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross. The citation read: “The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Stanislaw Kozikowski, Private, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Binarville, France, October 2–7, 1918. During the time when his company was isolated in the Argonne Forest and cut off from communication with friendly troops, Private Kozikowski, together with another soldier, volunteered to carry a message through the German lines, although he was aware that several unsuccessful attempts had been previously made by patrols and members of which were either killed, wounded or driven back. By his courage and determination, he succeeded in delivering the message and brought relief to his battalion.” After his discharge from the Army, he continued to serve his country working a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for over 30 years, mostly in Shop 31, which is today the home of New Lab.

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.

Bishop James Ferguson (1925 – 2018) Began working with the community organization Elmcor Youth and Adult Center in the East Elmhurst/Corona neighborhood, starting with the Junior Choir caroling in front of Elmcor during the Christmas of 1982. The then “Rev” James Ferguson began an outreach ministry consisting of twice weekly bible study and monthly outreach every fourth Sunday, which helped many local residents deal with issues such as drug addiction and instability. He also initiated and sponsored the Corona East Elmhurst Clergy Association (CEECA). CEECA is a monthly meeting that addresses troublesome activity within the Corona, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights communities that were brought to the attention of the clergy by the local police precinct. Bishop James is credited with implementing the Gospel Explosion, which is an outdoor event where various churches worship in front of their church conveying the same message to the community at a set time during the month of July. He is also responsible for implementation of the Gospel Crusade which is an event held during the month of August near or on Junction Boulevard with a Health Fair component to meet the needs of the community.

Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy (1935-2002) served as principal of the Blessed Sacrament School from 1967 to 2002. She aided many recent immigrants from South America, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba by providing access to good and affordable education.

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 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.

Felix J. Cuervo (1919-1992) founded and served as president of the Native New Yorkers Historical Association, a group that led tours and installed memorials to honor local historical figures and events. Born on June 25, 1919 in Brooklyn, Cuervo served in the Navy in World War II and briefly attended Columbia University and New York University. He worked as a personnel administrator for several federal and state agencies until his retirement in 1983. In 1962, he embraced his love of this city and organized the Native New Yorkers Historical Society, through which he was one of the first to provide historical walking tours in New York City. The organization's research and tours highlighted famous and lesser-known–and all fascinating–New Yorkers. Cuervo was instrumental in the installation of plaques to mark historic spots including the site of the famous Armory Art Show of 1913; the former Triangle Hofbrau restaurant, where actress Mae West got her start; and the home of President Chester A. Arthur, where he took his oath of office, and where he died four years later. Cuervo passed away on August 8, 1992 after suffering from cancer. He was 73 years old, and had lived in Richmond Hill for many years. This street, located near his family home, was co-named in his honor in 1993. Cuervo had once told The New York Times that his ambition was to "someday see New York City's buildings covered with little plaques, starting in the Battery and working all the way uptown. Then people on Sunday afternoons can walk through the city and realize what great things have taken place in so many of our buildings. And they can feel the same excitement that I felt when, as a boy, I used to walk with my father through old New York." We sincerely hope he would have appreciated the Queens Name Explorer!

Adrian Onderdonk (1795-1831) and Ann Wyckoff (1798-1863) Onderdonk were the heads of the last family line to own this house, which is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City, and which served as a benchmark in litigation to determine the border between Queens and Kings counties. Adrian was born on June 20, 1795 in Cow Neck, now Manhasset on Long Island, as the sixth generation of Onderdonks, with his family originally from Brabant, Holland. Adrian purchased a farm on April 27, 1821 from the estate of George Ryerson for $600, and in the first years of his ownership, Adrian added a small frame addition to the stone house, whose features are like Dutch homes of the time. The 50-acre farm would have been bounded roughly from Flushing Avenue to Catalpa Avenue, and from Woodward Avenue to Seneca Avenue. Settler ownership of the land dates back to 1662, and includes a who's who of early New York families. It was first granted to Hendrick Barentz Smidt in the Town of Bushwick, which had been founded in 1661 by Peter Stuyvesant. Paulus Vander Ende bought the farm in 1709 and built the vernacular stone house with a wooden Dutch gambrel roof, a combination of Dutch and English styles. Vander Ende's daughter Jane and her husband Moses Beadel inherited the farm in 1796. Their son, Moses Jr., inherited the farm next. When he married Jane Remsen, whose family owned a large farm in what would later be Glendale, he sold the Ridgewood farm to the Van Nuys family. Around 1810, they sold it to John Cozine, who resold it on November 7, 1812, to George Ryerson. From 1661 to 1796, the site was part of land known as "The Disputed Territory," claimed by both Bushwick in Kings County and Newtown in Queens County. An arbitration committee finally decided the exact boundary in 1769. Arbitration Rock, a literal boulder, served to mark the boundary between the two towns. It was found buried on the property in the 1990s and excavated from the ground in 2001, and now sits on the property as a reminder of the long dispute between the boroughs. Adrian and his wife Ann, who was from the Wykoff family, had daughters Dorothy Ann in 1820 and Gertrude in 1825. Adrian died at the age of 36 on July 2, 1831. Ann and the children continued to live on the farm, with Dorothy Ann leaving for marriage in 1838, and Gertrude doing the same seven years later. Ann lived there until around 1849. She passed away at age 70 on November 16, 1863. Adrian and Ann Onderdonk are interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery. By the time Gertrude sold the property in 1912, she and her sister had sold off much of the land in lots, so it was only the house and a large yard around it. With changes to the area, what had once been farmland soon became industrial. The farm became home to a stable and a glassworks, and eventually even a manufacturer that created components for the Apollo Space Program. However, by the 1970s, the house was abandoned. When it nearly burned down in 1975, locals came together to form the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society to restore and preserve the home. The house and the property were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and then to the ew York State Register in 1978. The house became a New York City landmark in 1995. It is now a museum with a permanent exhibit on the archaeology of the Onderdonk site, plus more about the history and culture of the area. The Historical Society is housed on the site, and provides a historical and genealogical research library, and events throughout the year.

Thomas Anthony Casoria (1972 – 2001), grew up in Whitestone, Queens and went to Holy Cross High School in Flushing, Queens, where he played second base and was captain of his baseball team and an all-city football player. Once in the Fire Department, he switched to softball and played second based on the department team. Serving in Engine Co. 22 in Manhattan, Casoria died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. In a radio contact minutes before the towers’ collapse, he was heard carrying down the body of a paraplegic along with other firefighters. He died one month before his wedding, scheduled for October 13, 2001.

Firefighter Carl Francis Asaro (1961 - 2001) died on September 11, 2001, during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, he was a member of Battalion 9 in Manhattan. Asaro grew up in Whitestone, Queens.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was well-known for being ahead of his time in the world of natural science. He sought to find cash crop alternatives to discourage straining labor of cotton picking. In addition, he invented tools and methods to make agriculture more efficient. As a Black man born in the early 1860s, Carver faced significant barriers to obtaining his education and pursuing his research interests. He developed his understanding of agricultural labor for three years on his own plot of land before becoming the first Black student at Iowa State University. After graduating Iowa State in 1896 with a Master of Science Degree, he went on to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute. Carver taught for 47 years passing down lessons such as crop rotation and other farmer techniques. Carver was a prodigy in learning, specifically curious as to the different uses of produce like peanuts, and the invention of new products. His many contributions include glue, the Jesup Wagon, a vehicle to carry agricultural exhibits to town, instant coffee, shaving cream, and 325 uses for peanuts. George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences in particular was established after the closing of Springfield High School by the NYC school board in 2007. Springfield High School became an educational campus housing George Washington Carver, as well as Excelsior Preparatory High School, and Queens Preparatory Academy. G.W.C. High School is most known for maintaining Springfield’s veterinary program.

John J. Florio (1967 – 2001) was killed during fire and rescue operations at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Florio grew up in Middle Village, Queens and graduated from St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows in 1985. He attended Nassau Community College before joining the FDNY and worked at a fire company in Queens before he was transferred permanently to Engine 214, Ladder 111 in Brooklyn. An athletic person‚ Florio pumped iron and he played halfback on the FDNY football team. The father of two coached his son’s Little League team and his football team in Oceanside where he had moved with his wife. Florio was huge fan of the band Metallica‚ Florio corresponded with the group’s lead singer‚ James Hetfield, and an emotional letter from the rocker was read at Florio’s funeral.

Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968), also known as "The Duke" was one of Hawaii's best-known athletes, but he may not be well known outside the surfing community. Born in 1890, Kahanamoku is known as the father of modern surfing - but he is legendary in the Rockaways, where he visited briefly in 1912. Ask almost any Rockaways surfer and you will get the same account: the Duke demonstrated surfing here in 1912, putting the Rockaways on the world surfing map for good. At age 21, he entered his first organized swimming competition using a new stroke now called the American crawl to win easily. In 1912, he arrived in California and introduced surfing. Kahanamoku was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1912, winning gold and silver medals in Stockholm. He was also on the Olympic teams of 1920, 1924 and 1928, and holds the distinction of winning gold medals in 100-yard freestyle in two different Olympics, 1912 and 1920. In his native Hawaii, Kahanamoku was elected sheriff for nine consecutive terms by the people of Honolulu. He also acted in a number of Hollywood movies. His street in the Rockaways is a major access road to a part of the beach that has been set aside for surfing.

Claire Shulman, née Kantoff (1926-2020) was born February 23rd, 1926 in Brooklyn, NY, to a Jewish family. She attended Adelphi University and was one the first women in their nursing program, graduating in 1946. Shulman worked as a registered nurse at Queens Hospital, where she met and married Dr. Melvin Shulman. The couple had three children: Dr. Lawrence Shulman, Dr. Ellen Baker (née Shulman), and Kim Shulman. Claire Shulman started her political career as president of the Mothers Association of her local public school, P.S.41. She served on multiple non-partisan community boards before being appointed the director of Queen Community Boards in 1972 and was later appointed Deputy Borough President in 1980. She was initiated as the Seventeenth President of the Borough of Queens and the first woman to lead the Borough in 1986. As Borough President, Shulman went on to win four terms and participate in the revitalization of downtown Jamaica and Western Queens, as well as championing the development of cultural institutions, The Queens Museum of Art, The Hall of Science, Museum of the Moving Image, and Flushing Town Hall. Shulman also helped to secure funding for 30,000 new school seats in Queens and for the completion of the Queens Hospital Center. She also raised funding for infrastructure in senior living, public libraries, and cultural programming. Shulman left the Queens Borough Presidency in 2001 due to term limits but remained active in the Queens community until her death from cancer on August 16th, 2020.

Ronald Spadafora (1954-2018) was a 40-year veteran of the FDNY who supervised rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero and was the chief of safety for the entire 9/11 recovery operation. He died of 9/11 related illnesses.

Reverend Robert Ross Johnson (1920-2000) was the pastor of St. Albans Congregational Church for nearly forty years. He was born in Spokane, Washington in 1920. He attended Whitworth College in Spokane, where he was one of only two Black students, and received his Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. He held positions in churches in New York State, Chicago, and Brooklyn before he was asked to start a Congregational church in St. Albans in 1953. As the founding pastor of St. Albans Congregational Church, Rev. Johnson was deeply devoted to his community. He formed a partnership with a nearby supermarket to ensure quality food products for his congregants and founded the Family Life Center (now named in his honor), a multiuse space next door to the church providing educational and family services. During the Civil Rights Movement, St. Albans Congregational Church became a center for education and information on the movement. In 1963, Rev. Johnson organized a caravan of buses to travel from St. Albans to Washington, D.C. to bring his congregation to join the March on Washington and hear Martin Luther King Jr. speak. He was committed to interracial dialogue in his community, organizing home-exchange visits between Black and white families to break down racial stereotypes. He was also a strong advocate for education, spearheading a campaign at St. Albans to financially support six historically Black colleges in the American South. He was a member of the New York City Board of Higher Education and helped establish York College as a four year institution. He was married to Ernestine Norwood Johnson for 54 years and they had three children. Rev. Robert Ross Johnson Boulevard is located at the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Marne Place, the site of St. Albans Congregational Church and the Family Life Center.

Milton “Milt” Hinton (1910 - 2000), a long-time resident of Addisleigh Park, was a legendary bass player who played with many of the greats of jazz and pop. He was also a skilled photographer who took nearly 60,000 negatives of performers on the road or in the studio, which have been exhibited around the world. Milton John Hinton was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and grew up in Chicago. With his mother’s encouragement, he began studying the violin, but pivoted to string bass because opportunities for Black violinists were limited. After working for several years with a jazz band in the Chicago area, Hinton was hired by the Cab Calloway Band in 1936. With the Calloway band, he became one of the first jazz bassists to be featured on records as a soloist. During his 60-year career, Hinton, nicknamed the “The Judge,” performed and recorded with many legendary musicians including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Erskine Tate, Art Tatum, Jabbo Smith, Eddie South, Zutty Singleton, Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, John Coltrane, Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Paul McCartney, Andre Kostelanetz, Guy Lombardo, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Billy Holiday and Barbara Streisand. He was one of the most recorded artists in history, as estimates of the records and albums he recorded range from 600 to well over 1,000. At the height of his popularity, Hinton entertained presidents and dignitaries at the White House; served as chairman of the International Society of Bassists, The National Association of Jazz Educators and the Jazz Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts; and held charter memberships in the Duke Ellington Fellowship at Yale University and the Newport Jazz Festival Hall of Fame. As a photographer, he published two lavishly illustrated volumes of memoirs ("OverTime: the jazz photographs of Milt Hinton," 1991, and "Bass line: the stories and photographs of Milt Hinton," 1988), and his still photography and home movies were featured prominently in Jean Bach's 1995 jazz documentary, "A Great Day in Harlem." Hinton's approximately 60,000 photographs now comprise the Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection. Hinton died on December 19, 2000, in Queens, where he had been a pillar of the St. Albans community for many years.

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. This honorary street naming identifies this block of 107th Street as the location of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, formerly the home of Armstrong and his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson. After Lucille’s passing in 1983, she willed the home and its contents to the city of New York, which designated the City University of New York, Queens College to administer it. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and a New York City Landmark in 1988. The archives became accessible in the 1990s, and the historic house opened for public tours in 2003. It also now serves as a venue for concerts and educational programs.

Walentyna Janta-Połczyńska (1913-2020) and Aleksander Janta-Połczyński (1908-1974) were heroes in the fight against Nazism. Walentyna was one of the last surviving members of the Polish government in exile, formed after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939. She became a personal secretary to General Władysław Sikorski, the prime minister of the Polish government in exile and commander of the Free Polish Armed Forces. She translated and prepared reports by Jan Karski, the underground courier who delivered eyewitness accounts of atrocities against Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, and helped organize Dawn, a clandestine radio station that broadcast to Poland from an intelligence complex in England. Aleksander Janta-Połczyński was a second lieutenant of the Polish Army cavalry.   They later moved to New York and opened an antiquarian bookstore. They also opened their home to Polish artists and writers who escaped the postwar Communist dictatorship. Walentyna was known as the first lady of American Polonia, active in Polish-American cultural institutions such as the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America and the Kościuszko Foundation. Jan was president of the American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs and a board member of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America. The street co-naming is actually for the couple's accomplishments, and the sign is in error, as it should read Polczyński, which denotes the couple, rather than just for Walentyna. After Walentyna passed away at the age of 107, the community rallied to save their 1911 home, which was on a plot of land owned by Cord Meyer's brother and partner, Christian Meyer. In the process, they documented the home, filming top to bottom as well as the garages—the very place where their manuscript business was conducted. They also held rallies, a heart bombing, a vigil, and submitted a landmarking application with support letters from Polish groups, organizations, elected officials, etc., making a strong case on many levels. Despite these efforts, the Landmarks Preservation Commission did not calendar the home. Subsequently, Councilman Shekar Krishnan wrote a scathing letter to the Commission, stating the agency must reevaluate its decision-making process and be more transparent in the future.

Thomas J. Manton was born in Manhattan and attended private Catholic schools in Queens and Brooklyn before becoming a flight navigator in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1951 to 1953. He graduated from St. John’s University in 1958 and was a member of the New York City Police Department from 1955 to 1960. He was admitted to the bar in 1963 and became a practicing attorney. In 1970, Manton was elected to the New York City Council, where he served from 1970 until 1984; he was then elected as a Democratic representative to Congress from 1985 until 1998. As co-chairman of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs, Manton helped persuade President Bill Clinton to meet with Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army, in 1995. Manton also was the chairman of the Queens Democratic Organization for 20 years.

Greg Stein (1948-2021) was an LGBTQIA+ rights and AIDs advocate in Queens. He served as a treasurer for the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee for more than two decades and was treasurer of the AIDS Center of Queens County nearly from its inception. Stein served on the board and volunteered for the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens. In a 2018 Queens Memory Project oral history interview, Stein described how the experience of having friends with HIV inspired him to become an AIDS and LGBTQIA+ advocate. Stein taught math at Russell Sage Junior High School in Forest Hills, was a member of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, and served as a lectern at Queen of Angels Church in Sunnyside.

Walter G. Hynes (b. 1954) died on September 11, 2001 during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Dr. James Darius Dillingham (1865-1939) was an educator and school administrator whose 40-year career included 34 years of service as the first principal of Newtown High School. He was a defender of co-education in secondary school, arguing that it played a crucial role in readying students for adult life. An innovator in the field of vocational training, Dillingham instituted the only course in agriculture in any New York City high school while at Newtown. In addition, he sponsored a four-year music course and established other courses in subjects like merchandising. Serving as principal until 1935, he retired from Newtown High School at the age of 70. Dillingham was born in Berkley, Massachusetts, to Ajes D. and Lucinda I. (Harris) Dillingham. He attended Bristol Academy in Taunton, Massachusetts (now the Old Colony History Museum), and graduated from Amherst College in 1887. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar, but preferring teaching to law, he continued his studies at the School of Pedagogy at New York University, graduating in 1892. Dillingham began his teaching career in Toms River, New Jersey, and later taught in Jersey City. In 1894, he came to Queens, where he became the first principal of Corona High School. On August 7, 1901, he married Harriet Mahaffy of Salem, New York, a teacher and vice principal who also served two years as assistant principal at P.S. 16 in Corona. In 1898, Corona High School merged with what was then Newtown Union School to form Newtown High School, and Dillingham took over as principal. He obtained significant support for the school during his tenure, with funds allocated for two major construction projects, one in 1920 for $1,250,000 and another expansion effort in 1932 for $900,000. Beginning with 60 students, the school was serving more than 8,000 students by the time Dillingham retired in 1935. Dillingham and his wife lived at 41-47 Denman Street in Elmhurst, and she predeceased him in 1933. Active in civic affairs, he served as a director of Corona National Bank, a trustee of Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, and in several fraternal organizations including the Masons, Elks, and Odd Fellows. When Dillingham retired, he returned to live on the family homestead, a 200-acre farm in Berkley, where he was joined by his brother, John. On August 3, 1939, he died at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence at the age of 73. A marker commemorating Dillingham’s 34 years of service as principal stands at Newtown High School, located at 48-01 90th Street in Elmhurst.

Dr. Marie Maynard Daly (1921 - 2003) was a groundbreaking American biochemist who shattered barriers in science. Born in Corona, Queens, Daly's father immigrated from the West Indies and began studying chemistry at Cornell. However, he faced financial hardship and had to leave his studies to become a postal clerk. Daly's mother, a Washington D.C. native, fostered her daughter's love of learning by reading to her extensively. This instilled a strong value in education and inspired Daly to pursue her own passion for chemistry. Daly earned her B.S. from Queens College and her M.S. from New York University, both in chemistry. She then went on to complete her Ph.D. at Columbia University, becoming the first African-American woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry. Daly went on to a distinguished career as a professor and researcher, primarily at Yeshiva University. Her research delved into crucial topics like protein synthesis, heart disease, and the circulatory system. Beyond her impactful research, Daly was a champion for diversity and representation in science. Recognizing the challenges faced by minority students, she established a scholarship fund at Queens College to support aspiring chemists and physicists from underrepresented communities. Daly's dedication to science and advocacy was widely recognized. She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and honored by the National Technical Association as one of the Top 50 Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology in 1999.

Rep. Benjamin S. Rosenthal (1923-1983) 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. The Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library is the main library on the Queens College campus and was named upon its opening in 1988 to honor Rep. Rosenthal. The 350,000-sq.-ft., six-story building also houses the school’s Art Library and Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Its hilltop location provides striking views of the Manhattan skyline to the west. Rep. Rosenthal’s papers are housed in the library’s Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Kingsland Homestead is the former home of Captain Joseph King (1757-1843), a British sea merchant and commercial farmer who settled in Queens. Located in Flushing, the two-story home with attic was dubbed “Kingsland” by Captain King when he purchased the property in 1801 from his father-in-law. The Dutch Colonial style farmhouse consists of twelve rooms, and it is considered one of the earliest examples of the residential style of construction common in Long Island in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kingsland Homestead was designated as a historic landmark in 1965. The home was originally built around 1785 for Charles Doughty, himself the son of Benjamin Doughty, a wealthy Quaker who purchased the land in Flushing. King married Charles Doughty’s daughter and bought the farmhouse from him, settling there to raise livestock and to grow corn and wheat for sale. Together with his wife, the couple had two children, Mary Ann and Joseph. King’s family and his descendants continued to live in the farmhouse until the 1930s when hardships of the Great Depression forced them to sell. In 1965, the home was declared a New York City historic landmark, the first structure in Queens to receive this honor. Three years later, when plans for a shopping center put the home at risk of demolition, it was moved from its original site (at 40-25 155th Street near Northern Boulevard) to its current location about one mile west at Weeping Beech Park in Flushing (at 143-35 37th Avenue). The structure now serves as the home of the Queens Historical Society.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) took up multiple pursuits in his life including writing, inventing, and representing the U.S. in the government. As a child and young adult, Franklin did not have access to formal education but independently studied through books, experiences, and relationships. Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and started off working under his father as a candle maker and then his brother as an anonymous writer. In 1723, he left his family life in Boston and moved back and forth between London and Philadelphia. After 18 months he settled in Philadelphia he supported himself by owning a print house and managing a news publication ‘Pennsylvania's Gazette’. The paper gained the colonies’ favor and became one of the major newspapers competing with brands like The Essex Gazette, The Connecticut Journal, and The New York Gazette. Franklin retired from the communications and media business in 1748. Leaving him with time to explore other sectors of his life. He began to pour into shaping his country by becoming a part of the conversations in Congress. Spending 28 years as a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, concocted the Albany Plan which fought against imposing British taxes, and collaborated to create a draft for the Declaration of Independence. Amongst his political endeavors, he continued his education in research of electricity, eventually inventing the lightning rod in 1752. Franklin’s love of education was not only harbored in personal studies but manifested in the establishment of a library and school which are now known as the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, Benjamin Franklin High School For Finance & Information Technology was established by the NYC School board. It specializes in allowing its students to get professional certificates in computer science.

Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837-June 24, 1908) served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the first to serve non-consecutive terms, and the first Democrat elected after the Civil War. Born in New Jersey and raised in upstate New York, Cleveland became a lawyer in Buffalo in 1859, and soon after pursued politics as a reformer. He served as the Assistant District Attorney and then Sheriff of Erie County, Mayor of Buffalo, and New York Governor. As governor, he took on Tammany Hall, the political machine based in New York City, even though it had supported him in the election. A sex scandal threatened to bring him down during the 1884 presidential election, but he admitted to the possibility that he had fathered a child with a woman out of wedlock, and with that bit of honesty he held onto his supporters. (Cleveland had the mother institutionalized against her will so he could take custody of the child, who he named Oscar Folsom Cleveland.) In the election of 1888, Cleveland won a larger share of the popular vote, but the business-backed Benjamin Harrison defeated him in the Electoral College. The Republican alienated many in his party, and, in 1892, Cleveland defeated Harrison. During his second term, Cleveland faced a nation suffering from its worst depression. During this period, he sent federal troops to break an enormous railroad strike and arrest its leaders. His other social attitudes were varied. He was opposed to temperance, spoke against injustices facing the Chinese in the West, sympathized with the South in its reluctance to accept African Americans as equals, thought Native Americans should assimilate, and never supported women's right to vote. He is remembered for his record-breaking use of the presidential veto, through which he attempted to balance the power of the executive and legislative branches. The high school was built and named in his honor in 1931.

Russell Risley Sage (1816 – 1906) Was a financier and President of the Chicago, St. Paul & Milwaukee Railroad, he played a large part in organizing the railroad and telegraph systems in the United States. He also served as a delegate to the Whig Convention of 1848, where he supported Henry Clay. Sage served two consecutive terms in the U.S. Congress (1853–57). Sage was born in Oneida County New York, his first job was as an errand boy in his brother's Troy, NY grocery store, very motivated he soon opened his own wholesale grocery business. He was elected as an alderman in Troy, while also serving as a treasurer in Rensselaer County from 1844 to 1851, 1852 he was elected to Congress on the Whig ticket and served for five years until he took over as vice president of the La Crosse Railroad in Wisconsin, a company he had invested in. He also had money invested in Western Union Telegraph. He relocated to New York City in 1863 where he engaged in the business of selling puts and calls, as well as short-term options known as privileges. He has been credited with developing the market for stock options in the United States and inventing the "spread" and "straddle" option strategies, for which he was dubbed "Old Straddle" and the "Father of Puts and Calls."  In 1891, a man entered Sage’s office and demanded $1.2 million, threatening Sage with dynamite. When Sage refused, the man unleashed an explosion that left him dead, but Sage was mostly unharmed. The event was in all the newspapers. By the time of Sage’s death in 1906, he had amassed a large amount of money which he left to his wife Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage (1828 - 1918), and it is largely due to her efforts that so many institutions in New York benefitted from his fortune. Olivia donated large sums to the YMCA, the YWCA, the Women’s Hospital, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a memorial to her husband, she had built the First Presbyterian Church of Far Rockaway, at 1324 Beach 12th Street, where they used to vacation. Olivia also founded the Russell Sage Foundation in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States,” and helped to sponsor the Regional Plan Association’s (‘RPA’) project to develop a regional plan for New York City in 1929, which would provide Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) with many of the basic ideas that shaped his career.

Joseph Lisa Sr. (1898-1977) was a Democratic leader in Queens. His 26 years of community and political service included seven years as a New York State Assemblyman, representing the 31st and 34th districts. Born on October 16, 1898, Lisa and his wife, Marion, lived in Corona and raised three children: James, Charles, and Joseph Jr. For a time, he worked as the proprietor of a bar and grill in Queens Village. Lisa served in the New York State Assembly from 1969 to 1976, retiring in 1977. His son, Joseph Lisa Jr., succeeded him as a district leader and was later appointed to the New York State Supreme Court. On August 31, 1981, a New York State blue spruce was planted in Lisa's memory during a dedication ceremony at William F. Moore Park in Corona. A commemorative stone tablet at the site reads: "THIS TREE PLANTED IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH LISA SR. DEMOCRATIC LEADER FROM 1950-1976."

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