Famous Sons & Daughters

Colonel John Stevens. Inventor of the world's first steam powered ferry. Recipient of one of the nation's first patents, in 1791, for a steam engine. Colonel Stevens also designed and built the nation's first steam-driven locomotive, operating it on a circular track in Hoboken. He also received the first American railroad charter and designed the "T" shaped rail, standard to this day on American railroads. Colonel Stevens died in 1838. For more on Colonel Stevens and his contributions to steam ferries, click here.

Alfred Steiglitz. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, during the Civil War year 1864. Died, 1946. A photographer and art dealer, Steiglitz greatly impacted twentieth-century American art and culture. Explore the National Gallery of Art's retrospective to learn more. Biography. 

Dorothea Lange. Lange is best remembered for her photographic work of migrant workers, sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and other victims of the Depression. Her "Migrant Mother" (1936) is one of the classic images of the period. Lange was born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn in Hoboken, New Jersey, of German descent. Biography.

Alexander Calder. 20th-Century American sculptor and artist known for his mobiles. Steve's Institute of Technology alumnus. The Williams Library collection includes a Calder mobile.

Frank Sinatra. Our most famous son. Sinatra's name now graces parks, streets, etc. throughout Hoboken. Born Francis Albert Sinatra in Hoboken, December 12, 1915. Died May, 15, 1998. There are many Sinatra resources on the web; click here for a site featuring a personal Frank Sinatra greeting. 

Daniel Pinkwater. Author and former Hoboken resident Daniel Pinkwater is a commentator on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Pinkwater's books include The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle, and Chicago Days / Hoboken Nights. Biography.