The JANUARY CLUB was a small group of black writers, both men and women, who privately financed the publication of their own writing from 1930-33. Many such literary societies developed in other communities at this time as a result of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement among AFRICAN AMERICANS during the 1920s.
JAPANESE. Cleveland's Japanese-American community began after World War II, when significant numbers began settling in the area. Prior to this, only a few Japanese called Cleveland home (18 in 1940). Most Japanese immigrated to the Pacific Coast between 1890-1924, developing "Little Tokyos" in West Coast communities. The Japanese Exclusion Act of 1924 halted further immigration.
JASPER, AUSTIN LEONARD "JACK" (15 March 1906 – 6 July 1996) was a schoolteacher and one of the first African American volunteers for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in Anniston, Alabama, and later a BSA professional serving Black scouts in Cleveland, Ohio. Born in Woodlawn, Virginia, to Daniel W. and Martha E. (Thomas) Jasper, Jasper had eight siblings and attended high school in Washington, DC.
The JAYCEES, a leadership-training organization for men and women ages 18-36, was organized in 1938 as the Cleveland Junior Chamber of Commerce chapter for men only, with Charles J. Ford as the first president. Two years later, the group affiliated with the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. Although abbreviations of the organization's name had been used, such as J.C. or JayCees, the term Jaycee was officially sanctioned in 1947.
JAZZ. Cleveland began to participate in and contribute to the evolution and popularity of jazz music when the New Orleans jazz musicians moved to urban areas in the north and east after World War I.
The JAZZ TEMPLE was an influential establishment in the Cleveland JAZZ scene. Founded in 1962 by Winston Willis, the Jazz Temple’s existence was cut short due to several threats and acts of violence in 1965.
JEFFERSON is a southwest Cleveland neighborhood and Statistical Planning Area (SPA). It is bounded on the north by Berea and Triskett Rds., on the east by W. 117th and W. 140th Sts., on the south by Worthington and West Aves., and on the west by Triskett Rd.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES probably arrived in the Cleveland area in the late 1800s, as traveling speakers sent by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania. The ministry understands the Bible to prophesy that Jehovah will soon replace the present political system with a divine government under the rule of Jesus Christ, a paradise on Earth.
JELLIFFE, ROWENA WOODHAM (23 Mar. 1892-5 Apr. 1992) became a pioneer in the field of interracial theater as an outgrowth of her career as a social worker and co-founder of KARAMU HOUSE.
JENNINGS HALL, 10204 Granger Road, began in September 1941. The building was dedicated on March 17, 1942 and opened in Aprirl 1942 to provide a home for elderly persons with small incomes. The home was established from the estate of Msgr. Gilbert P. Jennings (d. 1941), founder of Saint Agnes Catholic Church. Construction began in September 1941.
JENNINGS, ELIZABETH (ELIZA) WALLACE (21 Dec. 1809-25 Sept.1887), philanthropist who helped establish the CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY and ELIZA JENNINGS HOME, was born in Belfast, Ireland, to James and Margaret Hannah Chambers Wallace. The family immigrated to Petersburg, Ohio in 1820.
JENNINGS, MARTHA F. HOLDEN (26 Dec. 1873-8 Aug. 1962) was responsible for the establishment of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation in 1959.
The JENNY LIND TOUR visited Cleveland on 7 Nov. 1851. The noted Swedish soprano was making a concert tour of America, which had been arranged and promoted by Phineas T. Barnum. Lind initially arrived in Cleveland on Saturday, 25 Oct., on the steamer Mayflower; she stayed at the WEDDELL HOUSE through Sunday before leaving for a concert engagement in Cincinnati.
JERMAN’S CAFE, located on Cleveland’s East Side at 3840 St. Clair, has seen two World Wars, a New Deal and one Indians World Series win. It is possibly the oldest bar in Cleveland. Jerman's, which opened in 1908, was a speakeasy during Prohibition and except for a two-year closure, remains a family business as of 2019.
JERMAN, FRED "MIKE" (16 June 1930-30 March 1993) was a chemical technician who, during his 43 years with BRUSH WELLMAN Technical Laboratories, helped develop high-temperature, high-vacuum, and nuclear reactor technology. He was also a pigeon fancier who helped found the Independence Homing Club.
JERRY VENCL CORLETT MOVERS & STORAGE COMPANY, INC. was established in 1930 by Jerry (Jaroslav) Vencl Sr., a CZECH immigrant to Cleveland. After migrating to the United States in 1922, Vencl worked for his older brother Anton who owned an established moving company in Cleveland.
JETHROE, SAM (20 January 1918-16 June 2001) was an outfielder with the Negro League CLEVELAND BUCKEYES and was considered a candidate to integrate Major League Baseball on several occasions. He integrated the Boston Braves in 1950 at age 32 and was the oldest player to win Rookie of the Year honors.
The JEWISH CHILDREN'S BUREAU was formally established in 1941 but traces its origins to the Infant Orphan Mothers' Society. In 1898 a group of women formed this society to create a home for orphaned infants too young to enter the Jewish Orphan Home. A year later, with $800, the Jewish Infant Orphan Home was organized; in 1901 a facility near Woodland on E. 37th St. was dedicated.
The JEWISH CHRONIC RELIEF SOCIETY, established in 1914 by six women as the Cleveland Ladies Consumptive Aid Society, assisted indigent Jews suffering from tuberculosis and other illnesses for 75 years. In 1923 the organization incorporated as the Cleveland Denver Consumptive Society of the State of Ohio, reflecting aid provided to individuals entering the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives in Denver.
The JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (JCC) was formed in 1948 by a merger of 4 agencies, the Jewish Young Adult Bureau, the Council Educational Alliance, CAMP WISE, and the Cultural Department of the Jewish Community Council (see JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION).
The JEWISH DAY NURSERY was established 20 Apr. 1920 (opened 8 May 1922) by 15 women from the Woodland Ave. neighborhood. Gussie (Mrs. Harry) Teitelman and Rose (Mrs. Sam) Brofman created the nursery to care for the children of working, indigent, and sick parents, children of broken homes, and orphans. Charter members paid an initial $1 and dues of $.15 per month. Within 2 weeks, the Cleveland Jewish Day Nursery Assn.
The JEWISH EDUCATION CENTER OF CLEVELAND was established in 1924 as the Bureau of Jewish Education with the mission of coordinating and enlarging the efforts of the religious schools in the Cleveland Jewish community.
The JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE ASSN. was established in 1875 as the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society which, after a merger in 1883 with the Hebrew Relief Organization, became the Hebrew Relief Assn. It is the principal family-counseling and social-work service agency for Cleveland Jews.
The JEWISH FEDERATION OF CLEVELAND, (formerly Jewish Community Federation) established as the Federation for Jewish Charities in 1903, is the central policymaking and fundraising agency for the Cleveland Jewish community. It was founded to centralize charitable fundraising by Jewish welfare organizations, allowing the agencies to concentrate on service.
JEWISH ORTHODOX HOME FOR THE AGED. See MENORAH PARK CENTER FOR THE AGING.
JEWISH SOCIETY SERVICE BUREAU. See JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE ASSN.
The JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICE (JVS) was initially established to help Jewish job-seekers of all ages join the workforce. It was created in 1939 when the Jewish Welfare Fed. combined the vocational services previously offered by a number of other Jewish organizations to centralize and cope more efficiently with unemployment and discrimination. From its office at 241 Euclid Ave., under the directorship of Abe L.
The JEWISH WAR VETERANS, POST 14, CLEVELAND, OHIO, was a unit of the oldest active veterans society in the U.S. It was organized in Nov. 1919, having been formed at a meeting protesting the pogroms and murders of Jews in Poland. The group was incorporated on 3 Feb. 1920 as the Cleveland Jewish War Veterans. Colors were presented to the post on 7 May 1921. Founders of the post included A. I.
JEWS & JUDAISM. The beginning of the Jewish community in Cleveland is easy enough to date. A group of fifteen Jews from Unsleben, Bavaria, arrived in the city in July 1839.
JICHA, JOSEPH W. (1901-30 Aug. 1960), commercial artist and watercolorist, was born in Austria-Hungary to Rudolph and Helen (Remesch) Jicha, came to Cleveland with his family as an infant. His father was a skilled coppersmith who worked decorations for the CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART.
JIROUCH, FRANK L. (3 Mar. 1878-2 May 1970), sculptor known mainly for his work in Cleveland's Cultural Gardens, was born of a Czech father, Austin Jirouch, and German mother, Mary (Girgur) Jirouch, in Cleveland. Little is known of his early life, but at the turn of the century he and Geo. Fischer worked together as woodcarvers on the Prudential Bldg. in New York City.
JIRSA, FERDINAND "FERD" (18 May 1893-29 Nov. 1971), attorney and active member of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, participated in the local and national Czech Sokol movement.
JOC-O-SOT, or WALKING BEAR (1810-3 Sept. 1844) was a chief of the Fox (or Mesquakie) tribe which resided in the Iowa area. During 1831, Joc-O-Sot fought in the Black Hawk War against the United States when the Fox allied themselves with the Sauk.
The JOCHUM-MOLL FOUNDATION was incorporated in 1961 in Ohio by MTD PRODUCTS, INC., and its subsidiaries.
JOHANNESEN, ERIC (27 Oct. 1926-20 July 1990) was an art teacher, historic preservationist, and author of 5 books on architectural history. Born to Rolf T.H. and Jennie Grace (Dixon) Johannesen in Louisville, KY, Johannesen, at the age of 3, moved with his family to Detroit. Following service in the U.S.
JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY was founded in 1886 as a liberal arts college for men, initially under the name St. Ignatius College. It was operated by priests of the Buffalo Mission of the German Province of the Society of Jesus who had accepted the invitation of Bishop RICHARD GILMOUR to open a college in Cleveland.
The JOHN DEVEREUX MANSION, located at 3226 EUCLID AVE., is a three-story Second-empire style mansion built in 1873 by architect
The JOHN F. AND DORIS E. ERNSTHAUSEN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION was established in Cleveland in 1956 by John F. and Doris E. Ernsthausen. John Ernsthausen founded Norwalk Truck Line Co., one of the first trucking companies in the country, in 1923. The independent foundation supports Protestant religious institutions, services for the aged, higher and secondary education, and community funds, primarily in Ohio.
The JOHN GILL & SONS CO. was one of Cleveland's most important families of builders. The first John Gill immigrated to the U.S. from the Isle of Man in 1854 to become one of the early masonry contractors in Cleveland. The first major structure undertaken by him was the Northern Ohio Lunatic Asylum (1875, demolished 1977). His son John T.
The JOHN HUNTINGTON FUND FOR EDUCATION was incorporated in 1953 from the estate of JOHN HUNTINGTON. In his will Huntington established the John Huntington Art & Polytechnic Trust for 2 major purposes.