Gus Heningburg Papers

Collection

Identifier: MG Nwk Heningburg

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the correspondence, wri tings, and reports of community activist Gus Heningburg. There are original photographs documenting his professional and family life, including studio portrait photographs. There are also photographs of general Newark locations and events, including images of Newark International Airport. Many of the materials pertain to The Greater Newark Urban Coalition, which was led by Heningburg. There are check stub booklets, meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports that document the activities of this organization from the late 1960s through the 1980s. There is ephemera from Newark organizations and events, including flyers and brochures.

Much of the collection contains documents that cover issues of racial discrimination, urban and poverty issues, crime, bi-lingual education, minority employment, housing and thejustice system. There is a folder of materials pertaining to the Stella Wright Homes Tenant Strike of 1974. A significant portion of the collection contains newspaper clippings that cover a variety of Newark events and organizations, including the Newark Construction Trades Training Corporation, Newark Love Festival of 1969, and the Newark Teachers Strike of 1971 as well as more general state and federal issues.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1968 - 1978
1967 - 2000

Creator

Heningburg, Gus (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or repri nt materials from this collection must obtain permission.

Biographical / Historical

Gustav "Gus" Heningburg is a Newark, NJ based community activist and leader who had a distinguished career encompassing civil rights, community leadership, higher education, public affairs, and broadcast journalism. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work for the betterment of Newark's urban community.

Gustav Heningburg was born May 18, 1930 at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. From 1946 to 1950 he attended the Hampton Institute, in Hampton, Virginia, attaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He later attended Teachers College at Columbia University. He served in the U.S. Army in the 1950s serving in Europe and the United States and attaining the rank of Captain in the Army Reserve. Early in his career, he worked at the United Negro College Fund as the Director of Alumni Affairs and for Harold L. Oram, Inc., a fundraising and public relations firm where he worked on behalf of the NAACP.

In 1968 he became the first President and CEO of the Greater Newark Urban Coalition, a local chapter of the National Urban Coalition, The GNUC worked to mobilize government, community, and business leaders to solve major urban problems. A main focus of this organization was to help create training and employment opportunities for minorities. Heningburg is most widely known for his success helping to integrate the workforce at Newark International Airport during the expansion project in the 1970s. He created the widely praised "Newark Plan"which provided training and employment for African-American and Hispanic construction workers. Another of his notable achievements was in helping to settle the nation 's longest public housing rent strike at Newark's Stella Wright Homes in 1974. He served as president of the Greater Newark Urban Coalition for 12 years.

In addition to his work as a community activist, Heningburg was also the host of an award winning television public affairs program, Positively Black. The show was one of the longest running programs on WNBC Television, in New York. He also served as Senior Correspondent on the New Jersey Nightly News, which aired daily on NJN Public Television.

In 1980, Heningburg established his consulting firm, Gustav Heningburg Associates, which provided consultation services in the areas of communications, public policy analysis and development, government relations, lobbying, and affirmative action. Among the firm's past and present clients are Marriott Hotels, Hartz Mountain Industries, Henderson Industries, City National Bank, Continental Airlines, Chemical Waste Management , Newport Development Corporation, Major League Food Service and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In 1987, he was nominated by Governor Tom Kean and confirmed by the Senate to serve a four year term as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority.

During his illustrious career, Heningburg has received numerous awards and honors including honorary degrees from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Ramapo College. He was also the recipient of the first Pride in New Jersey Alice Paul Humanitarian award in 1987, considered the highest honor the bestowed by the State of New Jersey.

Extent

17.76 Linear Feet (33 Hollinger boxes, 4 Paige boxes) : Fileroom & Offsite

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of documents pertaining to Gus Heningburg, a Newark , NJ, based civil rights and community activist, and former head of the Greater Newark Urban Coalition.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated to The Newark Public Library by Gustav Heningburg, 2001.

Separated Materials

Citations for items cataloged at Newark Public Library include the call number. Citations for materials in New Jersey Information Center's document collection state the appropriate collection.

BOOKS and PAMPHLETS:

1. Action-Housing, Inc. A Report on Neighborhood Urban Extension the Fourth Year, 1966: Homewood-Brushton, Hazelwood-Glenwood, Perry Hilltop. Pittsburgh, PA.: Action-Housing , Inc., 1968.

2. Action-Housing , Inc. Tenth Annual Survey of New Housing Constructed For Sale and Rent in the Pittsburgh Area, 1967-1968. Pittsburg, PA.: Action Housing, Inc., 1968.

3. Business and Industrial Coordinating Council (Newark, N.J.). Skill Escalation and Employment Development: Project SEED ... Final Report to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Manpower Policy, Evaluation and Research (OMPER), Division of Program Demonstration; December 1, 1966-February 29, 1968. Newark , N.J.: The Council, 1968. (NJ REF 331.2592 Sk3)

4. Centaur Management Consultants. Economic Development Framework for the City of Newark, New Jersey. Washington , D.C.: Centaur Management Consultants, 1973. (NJ REF 330.1 C332)

5. The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. Public Affairs Division. Practical Politics Seminar: Participant's Handbook. N.p.: The Division, [c.1969?].

6. Council on New Jersey Affairs. Housing Challenges and Opportunities: A Report on the Summer Institute. Princeton, N.J.: Center of Domestic and Comparative Policy Studies, Program for New Jersey Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton Universi ty, 1991. (NJ REF 363.556 H81)

7. Detroit High School Study Commission. Report of the Detroit High School Study Commission. [Detroit: Board of Education, 1968].

8. Downs, Anthony. Who are the urbanpoor? CED Supplementary Paper; no. 26. [New York]: Committee for Economic Development, 1968. (MAIN STACKS 339 D75)

9. First National Bank of Boston. Fiscal Analysis of the City of Newark New Jersey Made by the First National Bank of Bostonfor the Housing Authority of the City of Newark. Newark, N.J.: Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency, 1966. (NJ REF: Newark Documents)

10. Greater Newark Urban Coalition, and George Hampton. The Local Public Work's [sic] II Minority Participation Program : A Congressional Afterthought : A Report by the Greater Newark Urban Coalition. [Newark, N.J.]: The Coalition, 1980. (NJ REF 352.53 G798

11. . Greater Newark Urban Coalition. Guide to Minority Businesses in Newark. [Newark, N.J.: The Coalition, 1970?]. (NJ REF 658 G79)

12. The Guidefor New Jersey Public Television. September 1979. Trenton, N.J.: Friends of New Jersey Public Television, 1979. (NJ REF: New Jersey Documents)

13. Heningburg, Alphonse. Human Resources Center Guidelines: A Functional Approach to Learning and Living. Saint Albans, N.Y.: Saint Albans Congregational Church, 1967.

14. Housi ng Authority of the City of Newark (New Jersey). Annual Report and Statistical Data Pertaining to Public Housing, 1968. (NJ REF: Newark Documents)

15. Model Cities Program (Newark, N.J.). Newark--Center of Megalopolis: Comprehensive Land Use and Building Condition Study. [Newark, N.J.: s.n.], 1973. (NJ REF: 307.120974932N42c)

16. New Jersey. Division of State and Regional Planning. Bureau of Statewide Planning. New Jersey Open Space Policy Plan. [Trenton, N.J.:, 1967]. (NJ REF: New Jersey Documents)

17. New Jersey. Governor's Economic Recovery Commission, and Edward R. Eberle.. Governor's Economic Recovery Commission: Facts, Causes, Recommendations. [Newark]: The Commission, 1976. (NJ REF 330.9749 N46)

18. Newark (N.J.). Office of the Mayor. Community Development Administration. Newark model citiesprogram Part One. Newark, N.J.: The Administration, 1969. (NJ REF 307.340974932 N42)

19. Newark , (N.J.). Central Planning Board, and Candueb, Fleissig, Ad ley & Associates. Master Plan 1964, City of Newark, N J. [Newark, N.J.] : The Board , 1965. (NJ REF 307.120974932 M39) 20. Newman, Dorothy K. The Negroes in the United States; Their Economic and Social Situation.Bulletin 1511. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Office, 1966. (NJ REF 326 Un39)

21. Nonprofit Housing Center of Urban America Inc., and Greater Newark Council of Churches. A Proposal to Create The Newark Community Development Corporation: An Interim Report. Washington, D.C.: The Center, [1968?]. (NJ REF 363.582 P945)

22. Plans for Progress Vocational Guidance Institute, and Bert A. Goldman. Proceedings of the Second Plansfor Progress Vocational Guidance Institute: Held at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina, July 31 through August 11, 1968 [I E. 1967}. [Greensboro, N.C.: The University, 1968].

23. Regional Plan Association (New York, N.Y.), and Dick Netzer. Public Services in Older Cities: A Report of the Second Regional Plan. New York: The Association , 1968. (NJ REF 307.760974 R263)

24. Seton Hall University. Center for Urban Research . An Administrative Study of Agencies Concerned With Urban Renewal in Newark, New Jersey. Newark, N.J.: Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency, [1968?]. (NJ REF: Newark Documents)

25. Seton Hall University. Division of Business Research. Economic Base Study, City of Newark, New Jersey. Newark, NJ.: Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency, 1964. (NJ REF 330.9 Se7)

26. Tacoma Area Urban Coalition. A Bibliography of Afro-American Print and Non-Print Resources in Libraries of Pierce County, Washington. Tacoma, WA: Tacoma Community College Library, 1969.

27. Troy, Leo. Project SEED: An Experimental Training Programfor the Hard-Core : A Report and an Evaluation. [New Brunswick, N.J.]: Rutgers-the State University, [1968]. (NJ REF 331T75)

28. [Turning Point booklet]. Washington, D.C.: Urban America, Inc., [1968].

29. United States. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare. Office of the Under Secretary. White-Nonwhite Differentials in Health, Education, and Welfare. Washington , D.C.: Department of Health, Education , and Welfare, Office of the Under Secretary, 1965.

30. Urban America. One Year Later; An Assessment of the Nation's Response to the Crisis Described by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Forewords by John W Gardner and Terry Sanford. New York: Praeger, [1969]. (MAIN STACKS 307.7640973 On2 1969)

31. Urban Land Institute. City of Newark, New Jersey Report to the Newark Housing Authority Findings and Recommendations Second Session, September, 1965 by a panel of the Urban Land institute on the Land Use and Marketability Aspects of the Community Renewal Program: Panel Sessions, Robert Treat Hotel, Newark, New Jersey, September 20-23, 1965. Newark, N.J.: Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency, 1965. (NJ REF: Newark Documents) 32. Watters, Pat. Events al Orangeburg: A Report Based on Study and Interviews in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in the Aftermath of Tragedy. Atlanta: Southern Regional Council , 1968. (MAIN STACKS 323.2 W31)

33. Wilbur Smith and Associates. Traffic and Transportation Community Renewal Program, Newark, New Jersey. , Newark, N.J.: Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency, 1967. (NJ REF 388.40974932 T67)

34. Wolfgang, Marvin E. Crime and Race: Conceptions and Misconceptions. New York: Institute of Human Relations Press, American Jewish Committee, 1964.

MAPS

1. A Map of Newark including the Downtown Area and Airport/Seaport. Newark, N.J.: Newark Economic Development Corporation , [c.1968?]. (NJ REF: Newark Maps)

2. City of Newark New Jersey. Newark, N.J.: Newark Public Information Office, [c. 1987?]. (NJ REF: Newark Maps)

Bibliography

Biography of Gustav Heningburg. [Pamphlet in collection, Box I Folder I ] June 1971.

Gustav Heningburg, President Gustav Heningburg Associates, Inc. [Promotional flyer in collection, Box 1 Folder 1] n.d.

"Political Movers and Shakers Pay Tribute to Social Activist Gustav Heningburg at NJPAC Gala Roast." Rutgers University Institute on Ethnicity Culture and the Modem Experience. 22 October 2008. /ethnicity.rutgers.edu/version002/scripts/rutgers/index23a8.html?section=news&fuse=mai n&id=20>

Processing Information

PROCESSING NOTES This collection contains many newspaper clippings, some of which have been photocopied, and others are in poor condition and are in need of photocopying. Many were originally mounted on construction paper and included in scrapbooks.

Published materials originally included in this collection were removed for inclusion in the library's holdings and are listed in the Separated Materials section of this finding aid. Check the library's online catalog or The New Jersey Information Center's document card index to locate these materials.The catalog and the card indexes designate the Gus Heningburg Papers as the source of the separated items.