Gregory Family Photos

Collection

Identifier: MG Nwk Gregory -(Digital)

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This digital collection was scanned from one photo album. Some photos were scanned separately at a higher resolution as well. Additionally, it contains one poster of a 1926 "Negro Literature" Exhibition, donated by Eugene Gregory to Newark Public Library.

The bulk of the album photos show Musette on the Bordentown campus. Other photos show Eugene and other family members, as well as other locations such as Washington DC and Mount Vernon/

Dates

bulk c. 1900-1921 (Musette's death date), photo of baby c. 1927

Creator

Gregory, Eugene Monroe, 1874-1953 (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Non-commercial use is allowed. Contact the Newark Public Library for high resolution scans for non-commercial use3. Contact Joel Thomas for commercial use.

Biographical / Historical

Musette Brooks (1876-1921) and Eugene Gregory (1874-1953) were married in Washington DC in 1904. Both came from upperclass Black families. Musette, of Washington DC, was the daughter of a government clerk. Eugene, born in PA, and in DC from at least 1886, was the son of a Professor/Dean at Howard University: James Monroe Gregory. Eugene was a lawyer who had graduated from Harvard University and Columbian School of Law, George Washington University. Musette was a teacher in the Public Schools.

By the time of the marriage of Musette and Eugene, Eugene's father James was principal of Bordentown Industrial and Manual Training School in New Jersey. Eugene and Musette lived in Trenton for several years. By 1910, the couple lived 172 N. 11th Street in Newark.

Musette was a suffragist and activist. She was a leader in the Urban League of Newark and Vice President of the Newark Branch of the NAACP. She was on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Suffrage Ratification Committee during the suffrage struggle. She was secretary of the NJ State Federation of Colored Womens Clubs and President of the Phyllis Wheatly Society in Newark. She was also Assistant Chairman of Soldiers Day activities in Newark during WWI. Gregory also did much work in New York. She was superintendent of the Working Girls Home and the colored mission of St. John the Divine and director of the Music School Settlement in New York.

Musette had tuberculosis and went to a sanitarium in Mt. McGregory New York where she died on July 26, 1921.

Eugene remarried in 1924 to Minnie Ockrey and the family moved to Montclair. They had one daughter Anne. Tragically both Minnie and Anne died in 1928.

Eugene remarried once more to Anne and they lived in NJ until he died in a car accident in Freehold in on Jan 9, 1953.

Musette Gregory was highlighted in a 2022 Newark mural, "Lifting As We Climb" : http://www.blacknjwomenvote.com/