2019-2020 Inductees

New Jersey Hall of Fame announces its incoming class of inductees

The New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF) has announced who the inductees are for the incoming Class of 2019-2020 – a who’s who of some of the Garden State’s best and brightest.

The 12th annual induction ceremony will be a 1-hour virtual pre-recorded ceremony that will take place on Sunday, October 18th, 2020, and will be broadcast on several television, radio and prominent social media platforms throughout New Jersey. The Class of 2019-2020’s Unsung Hero will be announced in early October.

“These Garden State heroes perfectly represent what makes our state great,” says Jon F. Hanson, chairman of the NJHOF. “It’s our privilege to honor these inductees for their outstanding contributions to our state.”

The New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2019-2020 is (with name, N.J. town):

Arts & Letters

Charles Addams*

Westfield, NJ
(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer*

New Brunswick, NJ
Stephen Crane*

Newark, NJ
Fran Lebowitz

Morristown, NJ
Mort Pye*

Tewksbury, NJ
Alfred E. Driscoll*

Haddenfield, NJ

Public Service

Milton Friedman*

Rahway, NJ
Dr. Virginia Apgar*

Westfield, NJ
General Martin Dempsey

Bayonne, NJ
Sister Jane Frances Brady

Paterson, NJ

Enterprise

Fairleigh Dickinson*

Rutherford, NJ
Linda Bowden

East Brunswick, NJ
Steve Kalafer

Flemington, NJ
The Borg Family

Hackensack, NJ
Joseph Simunovich*

Hackensack, NJ

Sports

Richard “Rick” Dennis Barry III

Roselle Park, NJ
Elisha “Eli” Nelson Manning

Summit, NJ
Gerry Cooney

Fanwood, NJ
Robert Mulcahy, III

Mendham, NJ
C. Vivian Stringer

Piscataway, NJ

Performing Arts

Ed Harris

Tenafly, NJ
Ernie Kovacs*

Trenton, NJ
Emily “Cissy” Houston

Newark, NJ
Clerow “Flip” Wilson*

Jersey City, NJ
John Amos

Newark, NJ
The Nelson Family

Jersey City, NJ
Danny Aiello

Ramsey, NJ

* – Being honored posthumously.

In the case of someone who has been selected for the Hall but not inducted due to not being able to attend a previous ceremony, the NJHOF may add to the list of inductees prior to the Oct. 18 ceremony.

Charles Addams*

Westfield, NJ

January 7, 1912 – September 29, 1988

Born and raised in Westfield, New Jersey, Charles Addams is best known for his darkly humorous and macabre cartoon characters and more than half a century of contributions to The New Yorker. While his life’s work is estimated to contain several thousand pieces of artwork, he is most famous for creating The Addams Family, born in a 1938 edition of The New Yorker before becoming television shows, books, a Broadway musical, and feature films. His childhood home on Elm Street and another on nearby Dudley Avenue in Westfield are said to be the inspiration for the famous Addams Family house. Addams died of a heart attack in his car outside of his apartment, deemed appropriate by his wife, who called him “a car buff.”

(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer*

New Brunswick, NJ

December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918

While remembered primarily as the author of the short poem “The Trees,” Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and educator whose work celebrates the natural world and his faith. Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Kilmer began his education at Rutgers before transferring to Columbia. After graduation, Kilmer spent a time teaching at Morristown High School but by 1909, had abandoned this pursuit in favor of writing. He moved to New York City, where he worked for stints at Funk and Wagnalls, the New York Times Review of Books, and New York Times Sunday Magazine. In 1912 he moved with his family to Mahwah, New Jersey, where he resided until his service and death in World War I.

Stephen Crane*

Newark, NJ

November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900

An American poet, novelist, and short-story writer, Stephan Crane was prolific throughout his short life and has since been credited with marking the beginning of American Naturalism. Crane’s career began shortly after his birth in Newark, New Jersey, having started writing at age four and publishing several articles by age 16. Crane contributed notable works in the Realist tradition and Impressionism. Some of his best-known works include The Red Badge of Courage, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, and “The Open Boat.” Four years after accepting an offer to travel to Cuba as a war correspondent, Crane, who was plagued by financial difficulties and lifelong struggles with ill health, died of tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium in Germany at 28 years old. Stephen, was a true son of New Jersey. His 3^rd Great- Grandfather, also named Stephen, was one of the Elizabethtown Associates in 1665, founding New Jersey as an English Colony. Stephen’s namesake and great-grandfather, Stephen Crane, was a New Jersey Delegate to the First Continental Congress in the American Revolution. Stephen is buried in the Crane Family plot in Evergreen Cemetery, Hillside, NJ.

Fran Lebowitz

Morristown, NJ

October 27, 1950 –

Morristown, NJ

The daughter of furniture store proprietors, Lebowitz was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and attended Episcopalian day school until she was kicked out for “non-specific surliness.” After skipping college to head to Manhattan, Lebowitz worked odd jobs, including being a taxi driver, apartment cleaner, and a salesperson for advertising space in “Changes” magazine. It was in that same magazine that her first works – film and book reviews – were published. Since then, the American author, public speaker, and occasional actor has become known for both her sardonic social commentary on American life as well as her aversion to technology.

Mort Pye*

Tewksbury, NJ

1918 – December 1, 1997

Tewksbury, NJ

Credited with building a “struggling city daily into the state’s biggest paper” by the New York Times upon his death in 1997, Pye served as the Newark Star-Ledger editor for more than 31 years. Pye was described as both “a journalistic titan and a soft-spoken, unassuming man,” and known for using the paper to promote good in New Jersey, including supporting the completion of Interstate 80 in the late 1960s and the opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark in the 1980s.

Alfred E. Driscoll*

Haddenfield, NJ

October 25, 1902 – March 9, 1975

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alfred E. Driscoll attended Williams College and Harvard Law School. After establishing his legal career, Driscoll entered into politics, serving as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1938 to 1941 when he was named the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner. Driscoll next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 5, 1946, and reelected to a second term in 1949. During his tenure, the state constitution was revised to change the governor’s term to a four-year term, state agencies were restructured, and an “equal pay for equal work” bill was sanctioned. After leaving office, Driscoll served as vice chairman of the President’s Commission on Intergovernmental Relations from 1954 to 1955, President of the National Municipal League from 1963 to 1967, and chaired the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the New Jersey Tax Policy Commission from 1969 to 1975. He was also the President of Warner-Lambert, now part of Pfizer.

Milton Friedman*

Rahway, NJ

July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006

Recipient of the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and the complexity of stabilization policy, Milton Friedman forever changed the study of economics. A talented student, he graduated from Rahway High School before his 16th birthday and was awarded a competitive scholarship to Rutgers University, where he specialized in mathematics and economics. Having been offered an additional scholarship to do graduate work, Friedman attended the University of Chicago and completed a fellowship at Columbia University. Friedman was among the intellectual leaders of the Chicago school of economics, a neoclassical school of economic thought associated with the work of the faculty at The University of Chicago, where he recruited and mentored several students and young professors who went on to become leading economists. Beyond his academic achievements, Friedman served as an advisor to President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. His complete works, which remained in progress through his death at the age of 94, include monographs, books, scholarly articles, papers, magazine columns, television programs, and lectures covering various economic topics and public policy issues.

Dr. Virginia Apgar*

Westfield, NJ

June 7, 1909 – August 7, 1974

In the early 1950s Virginia Apgar devised a rapid 5-criteria rating system for assessing the vitality and appropriate management of newborn infants. Her colleagues renamed these criteria as the mnemonic A-P-G-A-R in her honor. The “Apgar Score” was adopted worldwide by obstetric teams, resulting in the reduction of infant mortality rates and a foundation neonatology. While known primarily for this achievement, she was also a leader in the 1940s emerging field of anesthesiology and the study of birth defects after 1960. Apgar majored in zoology at Mount Holyoke College, where she supported herself with several part-time jobs, played on seven sports teams, reported for the college newspaper, acted in dramatic productions, and played violin in the orchestra while acing her classes. In 1929 she began her medical training at Colombia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons as one of nine women in a class of 90. Trained as a surgeon, she was advised, as a woman, to become an anesthesiologist. Dr. Apgar was the first woman to head a division at Presbyterian Hospital, attended over 17,000 births before 1950, received her Master’s in Public Health, and led the National Foundation-March of Dimes Division of Congenital Malformations. She published over 60 scientific articles, numerous short essays for newspapers and magazines, and a book, Is My Baby All Right? Apgar never retired and remained active until shortly before her death.

General Martin Dempsey

Bayonne, NJ

March 14, 1952 –

GEN(R) Dempsey attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as an Armor officer upon graduation in 1974. During his time in the Army, he commanded at all levels of the military and finished out his career as the 18^th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the senior military leader to the President. He served in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, accumulating 42 months in combat. GEN(R) Dempsey retired in 2015 and in March 2016, he was inducted into the Irish-America Hall of Fame. Later that year, Queen Elizabeth II made him an Honorary Knight of the British Empire.

His post-military career includes a teaching position at Duke University in public policy and leadership, a role as the Special Advisor to the Commissioner of USA Basketball, and as a director on the Boards of TAPS and The Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Sister Jane Frances Brady

Paterson, NJ

November 14, 1935 –

The former President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center for three decades, Sister Jane Brady had a vision for St. Joseph’s place in healthcare. Over her 30 plus years as its CEO, Sister Jane steadily developed an array of new programs. A special part of St. Joseph’s mission has always been care for the poor, for immigrants, and for children. St. Joseph’s Hospital was opened in Paterson in 1867. Its transformation from a hospital to a large multi-specialty medical center occurred during Sister Jane’s tenure as CEO. Specialties included cardiac diagnostics, cardiac catheterization, and cardiac surgery including pediatric. A large renal dialysis program, treating over 500 patients including several dialysis facilities at the Hospital and in Wayne. St. Joseph’s had the first neonatal intensive care unit in the area, a perinatal obstetrical center for high risk births, a large nuclear medical division of radiology, a pediatric intensive care unit. The growth included a State Designated Children’s Hospital, a Level 2 trauma center, a family health center in downtown Paterson, a network of pediatric specialty offices in Bergen and Passaic county, an ambulatory care center at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, a long term care and rehab facility in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. During her time as President of St. Joseph’s, Sister Jane lobbied passionately in Trenton to expand healthcare access for the poor. She served as the President of the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey which included all urban hospitals in the State. The Alliance successfully lobbied to have charity care recognized for reimbursement for the hospitals. Sister Jane stepped down as President and CEO of St. Joseph’s in 1999. Following her retirement from St. Joseph’s, Sister Jane spent 10 years as a volunteer and a member of the Board of Trustees at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside New Jersey. She then went on to serve 10 years as a C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocate) in the Morris County Family Court.

Fairleigh Dickinson*

Rutherford, NJ

August 22, 1866 – June 23, 1948

Long before he was known as Colonel Fairleigh Stanton Dickinson Sr., he was a young man growing up in North Carolina who worked for two years as a sailor on a square-rigger before moving to Elizabeth, New Jersey. There, he attended night high school while working at the Singer Sewing Machine Co. In 1887 Dickinson partnered with Maxwell Becton to found the Fortune 500 medical technology company Becton Dickinson. Dickinson was inducted into the United States Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel, working with the Army Medical Corps to supply surgical instruments. He later served on the War Department’s business council and was the medical and surgical committee chairman for both the Army and Navy. From 1927 until his passing in 1948, he served as the President of the Rutherford National Bank. Committed to serving the community, Dickinson was a charter member and President of the Rutherford Rotary Club and a member of the Masons, the Knights Templar, and national and regional councils of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1942 used his wealth to found what is now Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Linda Bowden

East Brunswick, NJ

Bowden took an unconventional path to the banking industry, beginning her career as a teacher for seven years in Wyckoff, New Jersey, and authoring two children’s math books. Having built her career with steadily increasing levels of leadership responsibility in New Jersey, Bowden ultimately assumed responsibility for all wealth management markets at Wachovia Bank. She joined PNC as the NJ Regional President in 2009. Bowden is regarded with respect as a model of class and character throughout the business community, serving on nine board committees of various groups, including as the board chair for the N.J. Chamber of Commerce. Bowden also received recognition among the “25 Women to Watch” by US Banker magazine and both “Best 50 Women in Business” and “Power 100” by NJBIZ newspaper, signs of her commitment to excellence and her community. Under her leadership, New Jersey has consistently been one of PNC’s top-performing regions. In September 2020, Bowden announced her upcoming retirement as New Jersey Regional President of PNC Bank after more than a decade.

Steve Kalafer

Flemington, NJ

An entrepreneur, businessman, film producer, and philanthropist, Kalafer entered the automotive industry in 1973 and has since built one of the most respected and successful franchises in the United States. As Chairman, Kalafer has brought Flemington Car and Truck Country Family of Brands’ 16 brands and eight locations prestigious national recognition, including Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award National Finalist and New Jersey Automotive Dealer of the Year and the People Magazine Award for Outstanding Service. Kalafer also founded Princeton/American Communications, the Healthcare Information Network, Pharmagistics, RVA Consulting, LLC, and the Somerset Patriots Baseball Team. He is deeply involved in civic undertakings and has served as a member of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, Economic Master Plan Commission for New Jersey, Department of Treasury’s transition team under the McGreevy Administration. Steve is also a board member of the New Jersey Manufacturer’s Insurance Company, Co-chair of the Chairman’s Council of the Actors Fund of America, the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson/Barnabas Health, and Chairman Emeritus of the Somerset Healthcare Foundation.

The Borg Family

Hackensack, NJ

John Borg, June 10, 1883

Donald G. Borg, January 19, 1906

Malcolm A. Borg, January 28, 1938

Jennifer A. Borg, May 14, 1965

Stephen A. Borg, May 13, 1968

Four generations of the Borg Family, including John, Donald, Malcolm, and Jennifer and Stephen, dedicated themselves to strong journalism and investigative work, telling the story of life in northern New Jersey through the pages of The Record. After purchasing the daily newspaper in 1930, the Borg family expanded its media empire to include four television stations, magazines, and weekly newspapers serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. The Borg Family sold the TV stations in 2000 and all publications, including The Record, to the Gannett Company in 2016.

Joseph Simunovich*

Hackensack, NJ

April 25, 1939 – June 18, 2019

Simunovich stood for more than four decades as a towering figure in New Jersey business, government, health care, and politics. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey before being raised in West New York, Simunovich attended Colgate University to obtain his bachelor’s degree before heading to Fairleigh Dickinson University Graduate School for his master’s in Business Management. Throughout his lifetime, Simunovich was an executive Bell Atlantic New Jersey, New York Telephone (Verizon), and President and Chief of Staff for SUEZ North America. He began his service at the Hackensack University Medical Center Board of Governors in 1991 and held a variety of roles, including as the founding chair of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall Board of Governors. Active in governmental and civic associations, Simunovich served in leadership positions for 9 New Jersey Governors, was the longest-serving vice-chairman of the NJ Economic Development Committee, a Hudson County Freeholder for 12 years and Director and Chairman of the Board for 3 years. During his tenure as Chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, he guided the historic cost-saving consolidation of the Garden State Parkway with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, oversaw the removal of Parkway toll booths to speed traffic flow, and the implementation of E-Z Pass. Additional associations included the Bergen County Economic Development Corporation, the New Brunswick Development Corporation, the National Association of Water Companies, the National Council of Public-Private Partnerships, the Leadership Committee of the Bergen County Workforce Investment Board, and New Jersey City University. With a deep-rooted commitment to service, lifetime honors included the United Hospital Fund of New York Distinguished Trustee Award, the New Jersey Hospital Association Trustee of the Year Award, and NJBIZ Magazine’s Icon of the Year Award.

Richard “Rick” Dennis Barry III

Roselle Park, NJ

March 28, 1944 –

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in history by the NBA, Barry ranks among the most prolific scorers and all-around basketball players. He is the only player to lead the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), American Basketball Association (ABA), and National Basketball Association (NBA) in points per game in a season, holds the record for most points in an NBA finals game, and is the all-time leading scorer in ABA history. He is widely known for his unorthodox but effective underhand free throw style with which he achieved a .900 percentage in 1980. Barry graduated from Roselle Park High School and attended the University of Miami before being drafted by the San Francisco Warriors as the second pick in the 1965 draft. Barry played for the NBA’s San Francisco/ Golden State Warriors, New York Nets, and Houston Rockets and the ABA’s Oakland Oaks, Washington Caps, and Virginia Squires throughout his career. He is the father of former professional basketball players Brent Barry, Jon Barry, Drew Barry, and Scooter Barry, and current professional player Canyon Barry.

Elisha “Eli” Nelson Manning

Summit, NJ

January 3, 1981 –

While attending high school in New Orleans, Manning passed for 7,389 yards and 89 touchdowns before playing college football at Ole Miss. The youngest son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and brother of Peyton Manning, Manning made his own name in football with an impressive college career and selection as the first overall draft pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers before being traded to the New York Giants during the same draft. Manning’s impressive career is regarded for its longevity and durability, having started in 210 consecutive games over his 16-season career and never missing a game due to injury. He was named MVP in two underdog Super Bowl victories against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI. As of his retirement in January 2020, he holds the Giants franchise records for most passing yards, touchdown passes, and completed passes in a career. Manning lives with his wife Abby and their four children in Summit, New Jersey.

Gerry Cooney

Fanwood, NJ

August 4, 1956 –

Born into a blue-collar Irish-Catholic family on Long Island, Cooney and his brother Tommy were encouraged to become fighters by their father. As an amateur fighter, Cooney won international tournaments in England, Wales, and Scotland and the New York Golden Gloves titles with a career record of 55 wins and three losses. When he went professional with his first paid fight in February 1977, Cooney became known for his left-hook and imposing size, beating Billy Jackson by knockout in one round. Cooney compiled a professional record of 28 wins and three losses with 24 knockouts. He is a two-time heavyweight contender and is ranked number 53 on The Ring’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.” After his boxing career, Cooney founded the Fighters’ Initiative for Support and Training, an organization that helps retired boxers find jobs. He also supports the first union for boxers, JAB, and the Hands Are Not for Hitting” program, aiming to prevent domestic violence.

Robert Mulcahy, III

Mendham, NJ

Born: 1936

From Millburn High School in Millburn, New Jersey, Mulcahy headed to Villanova University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Following graduation, he served in the Navy, and at just 23 years old, Mulcahy ran successfully for a Mendham, New Jersey Councilman seat. Committed to serving his community, he later served as Mayor of Mendham, New Jersey’s first Corrections Commissioner, and Chief of Staff to former NJ Governor Brendan Byrne. In 1979 he was appointed President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, a position he held for 19 years before beginning his tenure as the Athletic Director at Rutgers University in 1998. Mulcahy used his personal and political contacts to raise the Athletic Department’s endowment and obtain state funding for a massive renovation of Rutgers’ athletic facilities and won increased television coverage for the school’s football team.

Mulcahy is known for his love and pride for New Jersey, and was instrumental in saving the Pinelands, New Jersey hosting the World Cup and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, Pope John Paul II’s visit to celebrate mass at Giants Stadium, and bringing the NY Jets and the NHL Devils to New Jersey.

C. Vivian Stringer

Piscataway, NJ

March 16, 1948 –

Vivian Stringer continues to be a pioneer, visionary and leader approaching her fifth decade of success on the hardwood, a legacy cemented in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside fellow greats Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton and Jerry Sloan. Stringer made history in 2018 as she eclipsed the monumental 1,000 career victory milestone, one of five NCAA Division I women’s basketball coaches to reach the elite plateau. With 49 seasons on the sidelines, Stringer became the first coach in NCAA basketball history to take three different schools to the Final Four, including Rutgers’ two trips in 2000 and 2007. She has compiled an overall record of 1041-421, which ranks fifth all-time among NCAA women’s basketball coaching victories. A noted administrator, Stringer was vital in the development of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and has served as a voting member of the WBCA Board of Directors and the Amateur Basketball Association of the United States. For more on C. Vivian Stringer, a three-time National Coach of the Year and gold medalist as a coach for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team, visit ScarletKnights.com/CVS.

Ed Harris

Tenafly, NJ

November 28, 1950 –

Memorable performances in critically acclaimed films, including Apollo 13, The Truman Show, Pollock, and The Hours and countless other television and movie appearances, most recently on Westworld, have earned Harris remarkable stardom since his days as the senior captain on the Tenafly High School football team. Known for transforming into his characters and pulling the audience in, Ed Harris has earned a reputation as one of the most talented actors of our time. Throughout his acting career, Harris has won a Golden Globe and received nominations for several awards, including multiple Academy Awards and Oscars, a Primetime Emmy, and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play. Harris made his directorial debut in 2000 with the drama biopic Pollock.

Ernie Kovacs*

Trenton, NJ

January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962

An inspiration to generations of comedians, including Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel, Kovacs was a comedian, actor, and writer known for his visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style. Some of his quirky behaviors included having pet marmosets, wrestling a jaguar on his live Philadelphia television show, and hiring a taxi cab driver to enter his apartment with his own key, cook the two of them breakfast, and then drive Kovacs to the WABC studios so that he didn’t have to eat breakfast alone. While he received Emmy nominations during his lifetime, it wasn’t until after his tragic death in a car accident that he was formally recognized – the 1962 Emmy for Outstanding Electronic Camera Work and the Directors Guild Award came shortly after. Kovacs was inducted posthumously into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame and awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television.

Emily “Cissy” Houston

Newark, NJ

September 30, 1933 –

Born Emily Drinkard, “Cissy” Houston was the youngest of eight children in a family which encouraged education, church involvement, and singing. Growing up in Newark, Houston lost her mother when she was five and her father when she was 18, at which time she went to live with her older sister Lee and her husband, Mancel Warrick. The Warrick’s had a son, Mancel Warrick Jr., and two daughters, Marie Dionne and Delia Mae “Dee Dee” Warwick, both legendary American singers in their own right. Having performed regularly as a child, Houston pursued her musical talents, first with a successful career singing backup for artists including Ray Hamilton, Aretha Franklin, and Elvis Presley, and later embarking on a Grammy Award-winning solo career. Houston’s versatile cross-genre singing style has kept her in high demand as a session musician. Houston is the mother of world-renowned Soul/R&B/Pop singer Whitney Houston, songwriter Michael Houston, and NBA player Gary Garland. She has authored two books, How Sweet The Sound and Remembering Whitney.

Clerow “Flip” Wilson*

Jersey City, NJ

December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Wilson was the ninth of 19 children. Forced into the foster system after his parents separated when he was just three years old, Wilson was bounced around homes before lying about his age to join the United States Air Force at 16 years old. Known for his outgoing personality, joking, and “flipping around with the fellows,” while stationed in Guam during the Korean War, his buddies gave him the nickname “Flip.” Honorably discharged in 1954, he worked for a time as a bellhop and made extra money playing a drunken patron between regularly scheduled acts at the San Francisco Manor Plaza Hotel, which proved to be the start of his Grammy and Emmy Award-winning performing career. It wasn’t long before Wilson became a regular comedic act at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem and began touring with the Playboy Clubs. His fame skyrocketed after comedian Redd Foxx dubbed him the funniest comedian at the time on The Tonight Show. Wilson’s career included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, and numerous TV specials, a week-long hosting gig on The Tonight Show, and more, but is most well-known for hosting The Flip Wilson Show. Unbeknownst to the public, Wilson was not only the first African American entertainer to head an acclaimed, Emmy-winning variety series, but also owned the series with his manager and producer. The Flip Wilson Show was the 2^nd most popular series of the year when it premiered in 1970, lending to the reputation Wilson had built for himself during the 1960s as the hottest comedian on television. When the show went off-air, Wilson continued to act in television and theatrical movies, including Uptown Saturday Night, a 1976 television musical adaptation of Pinocchio, and The Drew Carey Show. Other notable appearances include Wilson’s collaboration with Gladys Knight on “Charlie& Co.” and on Queen Latifah’s show, “Living Single,” in the early 1990s. Wilson’s family has lived in Jersey City for more than a century. Commemorating Wilson’s style of always doing it “his way,” Kearney Avenue was renamed Flip Wilson Way in February 1999.

John Amos

Newark, NJ

December 27, 1939 –

Known best for his roles in Good Times, Roots, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The West Wing, and The District, Amos is a multiple award-winning actor born in Newark and raised in East Orange, New Jersey. Before making his big break as a television and Broadway performer, Amos attended college and played football at Colorado State. He qualified as a social worker with a degree in sociology and was a Golden Glove boxing champion. Amos also played football professionally in both the American and Continental Football Leagues. He credits Kansas City Chiefs Coach Hank Stram for pushing him in towards writing after being released from his training camp. Amos is a veteran of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard and Honorary Master Chief of the United States Coast Guard.

The Nelson Family

Jersey City, NJ

Ozzie March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975; Rick May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985; Harriet July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994; David October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011

Ozzie Nelson’s orchestra, where Ozzie* and Harriet* met, first gained national network radio exposure in the early 1930s. The couple married in 1935 and continued their musical careers in radio together, building their portfolios on shows such as The Red Skeleton Show, The Fred Allen Show, and Suspense. In March 1944, Red Skeleton was drafted, and Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own situation family comedy. Thus, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was born, first as a radio show (1944 – 1955) and later a television series (1952 – 1966), which included their sons, David and Ricky*. The series strove for realism and featured exterior shots of the Nelsons’ real southern California home, and in 1962 became the first primetime scripted series on American television to reach the 10-year milestone. Having run for fourteen seasons, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which averaged 29–30 episodes per season, remains among the longest-running live-action American television sitcom.

Danny Aiello

Ramsey, NJ

June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019

Before breaking into a film & television acting career in the early 1970s, Aiello served in the United States Army, as President of the New York Local 1202 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and a bouncer at the legendary NYC comedy club, The Improv. Aiello appeared in numerous motion pictures, including The Godfather Part II, The Front, Once Upon a Time in America, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and Harlem Nights. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Salvatore “Sal” Frangione in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing. Multi-talented, Aiello also appeared on Broadway several times, recorded numerous albums featuring a big band, and published an autobiography before his passing.