Leonia is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,304, an increase of 367 (+4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,937, which in turn reflected an increase of 23 (+0.3%) from the 8,914 counted in the 2000 census. The borough is a suburb of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, near the western approach to the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George W ...

. Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township. The borough formed during the "

boroughitis Boroughitis (also borough fever or borough mania) was the creation in the 1890s, usually by referendum, of large numbers of small boroughs in the U.S. state of New Jersey, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature to ...

" phenomenon then sweeping Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of

Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held every September. As of the 2020 United States cen ...

.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 80. Accessed May 29, 2024. ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine ranked Leonia the 31st-best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History

Leonia's original inhabitants were the

Hackensack tribe Hackensack was the exonym given by the Dutch colonists to a band of the Lenape, or ''Lenni-Lenape'' ("original men"), a Native American tribe. The name is a Dutch derivation of the Lenape word for what is now the region of northeastern New Jer ...

(Ashkineshacky) of Native Americans. The population was about 1,000 before the Europeans settled in the area. At the time of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Leonia was known as part of the

English Neighborhood The English Neighborhood was the colonial-era name for the towns in eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, along the Hudson Palisades between the Hudson River and the Hackensack River, particularly around its main tributary, Overpeck Creek. The region ...

, a name that survives in neighboring Englewood. It was settled in 1668 mainly by

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

farmers, making it one of the oldest communities in the state. A third of the population was African slaves. It was on the western slope of the Palisades, and started as a quiet farming community. Leonia's proximity to

and its major universities, theaters, and performing venues contributed to its place in the world of art and academics, with many artists and leading thinkers living there in the 20th century. The local economy that had focused on agriculture underwent economic and cultural growth during the late 19th century, marked by the introduction of train service. Leonia was originally called West Fort Lee. In 1865, J. Vreeland Moore and other town leaders chose the name "Leonia" in honor of

General Charles Lee, for whom Fort Lee is named. In 1899, after traveling through Leonia upon arriving in New Jersey by ferry at Edgewater, advertising executive Artemus Ward purchased a large piece of land and established the Leonia Heights Land Company to develop and market housing in the community. His advertising attracted many academics and artists who were drawn to Leonia's small size, culture, and location, leading to the town's nickname, the "Athens of New Jersey". In 1915,

Harvey Dunn Harvey Thomas Dunn NA, also known as J. Harvey Dunn (March 8, 1884 – October 29, 1952), was an American painter and teacher. During World War I, Dunn was an artist-correspondent with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. Most of Du ...

established the Leonia School of Illustration, fostering the artists' colony that emerged over the next decade.Falkenstein, Michelle
"Jersey Footlights"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', July 31, 2005. Accessed November 7, 2018. "Dunn settled in Leonia in 1914 to be near the New York market for illustration and enjoyed a successful career." By the 1930s, it had the highest number of residents per capita in ''

Who's Who in America Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...

'', and 80% of its residents were college graduates. Transportation through the borough was enhanced by access to ferries and trolley systems, and Leonia became a refuge for many of America's most creative thinkers, including five Nobel Prize winners.Cheslow, Jerry
"Well-Read, Well-Shaded and Well-Placed"
''

'', June 15, 1997. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Among the other widely used facilities is the Civil War Drill Hall, a cavernous building constructed by the New Jersey Blues Infantry regiment as a training center in 1859. The hall is now home to the Players Guild of Leonia, established in 1919 and the oldest community theater group in New Jersey." For 200 years, one of Leonia's two major north-south avenues, Grand Avenue (the other is Broad Avenue), was called the English Neighborhood Road. In colonial times, it served as the main inland route between

Paulus Hook Paulus Hook is a community on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is located across the river from Manhattan. The name Hook comes from the Dutch word "hoeck", which translates to "point of land." This "point of land" has ...

, Bergen, and the English Neighborhood. Leonia was a crossroads of the American Revolution and a training ground for

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

soldiers. Historic places in Leonia include the Civil War Drill Hall and Armory and the Cole-Allaire House, constructed around 1765, making it the borough's oldest dwelling, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Vreeland House, constructed in 1786 by Dirck Vreeland and expanded in 1815, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Leonia celebrates "Leonia Day" annually on the third Sunday in May.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough has an area of 1.63 square miles (4.22 km²), including 1.52 square miles (3.94 km²) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.27 km²) of water (6.50%). The borough center's elevation is , but the borough's western part can reach and the eastern part . The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Englewood, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and

. Leonia is designated as a

Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...

, receiving its 21st annual recognition in 2010 from the

National Arbor Day Foundation The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 8,937 people, 3,284 households, and 2,519 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 3,428 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 55.22% (4,935)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.34% (209) Black or African American, 0.16% (14)

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 35.12% (3,139) Asian, 0.01% (1)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.71% (332) from other races, and 3.44% (307) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 16.66% (1,489) of the population.

Korean American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

s accounted for 26.5% of the population. Of the 3,284 households, 34.8% had children under the age of 18; 61.2% were married couples living together; 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.3% were non-families. Of all households, 20.0% were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.13. 22.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.9 males.

Same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in 2000. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $66,271 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,365) and the median family income was $91,129 (+/− $16,890). Males had a median income of $54,754 (+/− $8,175) versus $60,057 (+/− $8,680) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $40,030 (+/− $4,132). About 5.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,343 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 65.74%

, 2.27%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.09%

, 26.06% Asian, 0.01%

, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 12.73% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Leonia borough
,

. Accessed December 16, 2011.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Leonia borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 10, 2012. There were 3,271 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $72,440, and the median income for a family was $84,591. Males had a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The

for the borough was $35,352. About 5.0% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the

, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 Census, 17.24% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

n ancestry, which was the fourth-highest in the United States and second-highest of any municipality in New Jersey—behind neighboring Palisades Park (36.38%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. Additionally, 3.07% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese ancestry, which was the fourth-highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%), Demarest (3.72%) and Edgewater (3.22%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Arts and culture

Leonia is home to the Players Guild of Leonia, New Jersey's oldest continuing theatre troupe and one of the oldest community theatre groups in the state, with continuous performances since 1919. Performances have included comedies, tragedies, classics, and musicals. The Guild's 1940 production of ''One Mad Night'' was the first three-act play performed on television, when it was broadcast on

WPTZ WPTZ (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Plattsburgh, New York, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Burlington, Vermont–Plattsburgh, New York market. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Montpelier, Vermo ...

, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The Children's Show was instituted in 1963 and continues each spring. Between 1968 and 1998, the Guild produced Theatre in the Park. Since 2002, the Guild has produced a Playwright's Showcase featuring original scripts. The Guild operates out of the historic Civil War Drill Hall Theatre on Grand Avenue, which is leased from the borough. Recent productions include ''Lovers and Other Strangers'', ''The Glass Menagerie'', ''Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' and ''Hair''. Upcoming productions include a fall production of ''Guys and Dolls''. Since 2000, Leonia has also been home to Summerstage at Leonia, which produces a Broadway-style family musical each summer in the last two weeks of July. Summerstage performances were originally held in the Leonia High School Little Theater but now take place at the Civil War Drill Hall Theater. Auditions are held in May and open to all in the NYC metro area. Past shows have included ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''Carousel'', ''The Sound of Music'', ''Annie'', ''Oliver'', ''Les Miserables'', ''My Fair Lady'', and ''How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying''. The Leonia Chamber Musicians Society, founded in 1973, is made up of professional musicians who reside in Leonia, and gives classical music concerts four times a year at various venues in the borough. Leonia aims to build its art and cultural environment by displaying outdoor sculpture throughout the community and in the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden, on the grounds of the Leonia Borough Annex. This group sponsors an annual Taste of Leonia fundraiser. Leonia Arts provides a calendar of all arts events in Leonia.

Parks and recreation

Leonia has five public recreational areas, of which only the Leonia Swim Club requires a membership fee. The recreation areas include Wood Park, on the corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road; Sylvan Park and the Leonia Swim Club, both on Grand Avenue near Sylvan Avenue; and the Recreational Center on Broad Avenue, which has an indoor basketball court. Overpeck County Park, a Bergen County park in Leonia, Ridgefield Park, and

, is home to the county's

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

Memorial. Field Station: Dinosaurs is a dinosaur-themed park in Overpeck County Park, just south of Interstate 95, with 32

animatronic An animatronic is a puppet controlled electronically to move in a fluent way. Animatronics are the modern adaptation of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions. Anim ...

dinosaurs.

Government

Local government

Leonia is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, New Jersey's most common form of government. The governing body comprises a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis in the November general election. Voters directly elect a mayor to a four-year term. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 157. Leonia's borough form of government is "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fe ...

/ strong council", in which council members act as the legislative body, with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: Technology * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in object-oriented programming languages. Media * ''Override'' (film), a 1994 sci ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and makes most appointments with the council's advice and consent. , Leonia's mayor is

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

William Ziegler, whose term ends on December 31, 2027.Mayor Bill Ziegler
Borough of Leonia. Accessed February 21, 2024. Members of the Leonia Borough Council are Council President Jordan Zeigler (D, 2026), Scott Fisher (D, 2025), Louis Grandelis (D, 2027), Christoph Hesterbrink (D, 2025), Diane M. Scarangella (D, 2026), and Joanne Choi Terrell (D, 2027).Mayor and Council
Borough of Leonia. Accessed February 21, 2024. "Leonia is incorporated under the Borough form of government; the Governing Body consists of the Mayor and six Council members, all of whom are elected at-large. The Mayor is the Chief Executive and Presiding Officer. The Council consists of the Council President (who presides in the Mayor's absence), and five additional Council members, who together serve as the legislative body of the Borough. Council members serve for terms of three years; the Mayor's term is four years."''2024 County and Municipal Directory''

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey's 5th congressional district New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Democrat Josh Gottheimer, who has served in Congress since 2017. The district stretches across the entire northern border of the state and contains most of Bergen County, as well as p ...

2022 Redistricting Plan

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 8, 2022. and New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. It was in the 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2022.Plan Components Report

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were 4,713 registered voters in Leonia, of whom 2,493 (52.9% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 598 (12.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, and 1,619 (34.4% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. Three voters were registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 9, 2013. Of the borough's 2010 census population, 52.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 67.9% of those over 18 (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 2,451 votes (66.8% vs. 54.8% countywide) to Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

's 1,135 (30.9% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates' 47 (1.3% vs. 0.9%). The borough's 5,065 registered voters cast 3,668 ballots, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Obama received 2,604 votes (65.9% vs. 53.9% countywide) to Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

's 1,273 (32.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates' 30 (0.8% vs. 0.8%). The borough's 5,050 registered voters cast 3,953 ballots, for a turnout of 78.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Leonia
''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

''. Accessed July 13, 2011. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

received 2,468 votes (64.4% vs. 51.7% countywide) to Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

's 1,327 (34.6% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates' 25 (0.7% vs. 0.7%). The borough's 4,878 registered voters cast 3,835 ballots, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

received 50.8% of the vote (1,078 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

with 47.9% (1,015 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (27 votes), among the 2,205 ballots cast by the borough's 4,826 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

received 1,682 ballots cast (60.7% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 901 votes (32.5% vs. 45.8%), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 120 votes (4.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 7 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 2,773 ballots cast by the borough's 4,880 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

Leonia is served by its public system and by a number of private schools. The

Leonia Public Schools The Leonia Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Leonia, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2023–24 school year, the ...

serve students from

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 2,087 students and 191.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 10.9:1.District information for Leonia Public School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 15, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

) are Anna C. Scott Elementary School with 565 students in grades PreK–4, Leonia Middle School with 675 students in grades 5–8 and

Leonia High School Leonia High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from the Borough of Leonia in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Leonia Public Schools. S ...

with 814 students in grades 9–12. Students from Edgewater attend the district's schools for grades 7–12 as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the

Edgewater Public Schools The Edgewater Public Schools is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through sixth grades from Edgewater, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comp ...

. Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the

Bergen County Technical Schools Bergen County Technical Schools (BCTS) is a county technical school district that serves as the vocational / technical education arm of all the school districts within the 70 municipalities in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The ...

, which include the

Bergen County Academies Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey, that serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from all of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was fo ...

in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or

Paramus Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district. St. John the Evangelist School was a

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

for students in grades Pre-K–8, operating under the supervision of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The mother church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Hea ...

. After 72 years and generations of graduates, it was closed in June 2013.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County, by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

and by the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Town ...

. Route 93 (Grand Avenue) runs north-south for through the center of the borough, connecting Palisades Park and Englewood.

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

(the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although ma ...

) curves along the borough's northern border while U.S. Route 1/9 and

U.S. Route 46 U.S. Route 46 (US 46) is an east–west U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey, and runs for . The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 (I-80) and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County, on the ...

briefly enter along the western border with Fort Lee. Effective January 22, 2018, Leonia officials banned nonresidents from using residential streets (defined as all streets except Fort Lee Road, Grand Avenue, and Broad Avenue) during rush hours. But due to complaints from business owners citing decreased revenues, Leonia officials are reconsidering.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

bus route

166 Year 166 ( CLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pudens and Pollio (or, less frequently, year 919 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 166 for this year ...

provides local and express service from Broad Avenue to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, and route

182 Year 182 ( CLXXXII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sura and Rufus (or, less frequently, year 935 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 182 for this year ...

serves the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, with local service offered on the

751 Year 751 ( DCCLI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 751 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming ...

, 755 and

756 __NOTOC__ Year 756 ( DCCLVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 756th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 756th year of the 1st millennium, the 56th year of the 8th century, and the ...

routes.

Rockland Coaches Rockland Coaches Inc., formerly known as The Red and Tan Lines, and locally shortened to Red and Tan, is a commuter coach company owned by Coach USA based in Westwood, New Jersey, that operates commuter bus service between New York City and poi ...

provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on several routes. The

Northern Branch Corridor Project The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposed extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) from its northern terminus into eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, initially proposed in 2001. If built, the new service would use the right-of-w ...

is a proposal to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to restore passenger train service on the CSX tracks, which offered passenger service decades before and is now used for occasional freight service.

's plan would include a station in Leonia.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Leonia include: *

Ailee Amy Lee (born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Ailee, is an American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. Amassing digital sales success in South Korea, she has released four studio albums, six extended plays, and twenty one singles ...

(born 1989), singer *

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...

(born 1936), actorCheslow, Jerr
"Well-Read, Well-Shaded and Well-Placed"
''

'', June 15, 1997. Accessed October 18, 2013. "Much later, its residents included five Nobel Prize winners, among them Enrico Fermi, one of the developers of the atomic bomb, and Willard Libby, who discovered radiocarbon dating; Sammy Davis Jr., Pat Boone and Alan Alda, the entertainers, and Robert Ludlum, the author." *

Arlene Alda Arlene Alda ( Weiss; born March 12, 1933) is an American photographer and writer. She began her career playing clarinet professionally, then moved on to photography and writing children's books. She is married to actor Alan Alda. Early life Alda ...

(born 1933), photographer and author *

Robert J. Alexander Robert Jackson Alexander (November 26, 1918 – April 27, 2010) was an American political activist, writer, and academic who spent most of his professional career at Rutgers University. He is best remembered for his pioneering studies on the trade ...

(1918–2010), political activist who studied the trade union movement in Latin America and dissident communist political parties * Elizabeth Baranger (1927–2019), physicist and academic administrator at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

, whose research concerned shell model calculations in

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...

Freddie Bartholomew Frederick Cecil Bartholomew (March 28, 1924 – January 23, 1992), known for his acting work as Freddie Bartholomew, was an English-American child actor who was very popular in 1930s Hollywood films. His most famous starring roles are in '' Cap ...

(1924–1992), child actorKarels, Carol
''Leonia''
p. 127. Arcadia Publishing, 2002. . Accessed October 21, 2015. "By the 1970s, Leonia was home to may professional musicians, writers, and entertainers. Many - such as Alan Alda, an actor and director; Carmel Quinn a singer; Freddie Bartholomew, a child star; And Robert Ludlum, an actor, producer and author - contributed to the cultural life of the community. Others - such as singer Pat Boone, comic Buddy Hackett, and singer Sammy Davis Jr. - lived here because of its proximity to New York City." * Jeff Bell (1943–2018), Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 2014 * Robert Birmelin (born 1933), figurative painter, printmaker and draughtsman *

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...

(born 1934), singer *

Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain ( ; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author and Travel documentary, travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the huma ...

(1956–2018), chef, author and television personality * Rutherford Boyd (1884–1951), artistAlmenas, Maxim
"Saying goodbye to David Boyd"
''

'', March 4, 2010. Accessed January 3, 2012. "The tours usually ended at 112 Prospect St. — not just because it was Boyd's home, but because it's the oldest standing house in the entire Borough, built in 1760. Many Leonians have ventured to see the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Sites. 'His dad, Rutherford oyd a prominent artist, was attracted to the area because of the network of artists that congregated here,' said son-in-law Bill Ziegler, referring to a time when Leonia was a thriving artist colony. 'He saw the property as he was walking through town one day and decided right then and there to buy it n 1916'" * Verona Burkhard (1910–2004), artist, known for her murals painted for the U.S. Treasury Department * Brendan A. Burns (1895–1989), U.S. Army major general *

Carolee Carmello Carolee Carmello is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series '' Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time Tony Award nominee and a five ...

(born 1962), actress *

Charles Shepard Chapman Charles Shepard Chapman (June 2, 1879 – December 15, 1962) was an American painter, perhaps best remembered for his landscape of the Grand Canyon at the American Museum of Natural History. Early life and education Chapman was born in Morristo ...

(1879–1962), painter best remembered for his landscape of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

at the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

* Kathleen Clark, playwright * Edwin H. Colbert (1905–2001), paleontologist and author *

Dan Colen Daniel Colen (born 1979) is an American artist based in New York. His work consists of painted sculptures appropriating low-cultural ephemera, graffiti-inspired paintings of text executed in paint, and installations. Early life and education Bor ...

(born 1979), artist * Paul Collins (born 1956), rock musician and author, best known for his work in the power pop groups

The Nerves The Nerves were an American power pop trio, formed in San Francisco in 1974 and later based in Los Angeles, featuring guitarist Jack Lee (musician), Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins (musician), Paul Collins. All three memb ...

and The Beat *

Robin Cook Robert Finlayson "Robin" Cook (28 February 19466 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 until his death in 2005 and served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 until ...

(born 1940), physician and novelist *

Sam Coppola Sam Coppola (July 31, 1932 – February 5, 2012) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television, appearing in more than 35 films and nearly 40 television shows, since 1968. Education Coppola was an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg ...

(1932–2012), actor who played hardware store owner 'Dan Fusco' in the 1977 film ''

Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...

'' *

Alexander Dallin Alexander Davidovich Dallin (21 May 1924 – 22 July 2000) was an American historian, political scientist, and international relations scholar at Columbia University, where he was the Adlai Stevenson Professor of International Relations and the d ...

(1924–2000), historian, political scientist, and international relations scholar at Columbia University *

John Darrow John Darrow (born Harry Simpson; 17 July 1907 – 24 February 1980) was an American actor of the late silent and early talking film eras. He is the uncle of actress Barbara Darrow. Biography Born in Leonia, New Jersey in 1907, Darrow began a ...

(1907–1980), actor of the late silent and early talking film eras *

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

(1925–1990), entertainer *

Wm Theodore de Bary William Theodore de Bary ( zh, c=狄培理, p=Dí Péilǐ; August 9, 1919 – July 14, 2017) was an American Sinologist and scholar of East Asian philosophy who was a professor and administrator at Columbia University for nearly 70 years. De Bar ...

(1919–2017),

Sinologist Sinology, also referred to as China studies, is a subfield of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on China. It is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of the Chinese civilizatio ...

and East Asian literary scholar who was a professor and administrator at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

for nearly 70 years *

Priscilla Dean Priscilla Dean (November 25, 1896 – December 27, 1987) was an American actress popular in silent film as well as in theatre, with a career spanning two decades. Career Dean made her film debut at the age of fourteen in one-reelers for Biograph ...

(1896–1987), actress popular in

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

as well as in theatre, with a career spanning two decades * Dorothy Dinnerstein (1923–1992), feminist activist, author and academic * Acheson J. Duncan (1904–1995), statistician and authority in

quality control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

(1884–1952), illustrator *

Gregg Edelman Gregg Edelman (born September 12, 1958) is an American actor. He has starred in numerous Broadway productions earning four Tony Award nominations for his roles in '' City of Angels'' (1990), '' Anna Karenina'' (1993), ''1776'' (1998), and ''Into ...

(born 1958), actor *

Emme Emme may refer to: People: * Ivan Fyodorovich Emme (1763–1839), Russian lieutenant general in the Napoleonic Wars * Otto J. Emme, American politician and World War I veteran * Emme Gerhard (1872–1946), American photographer * Emme Rylan, Americ ...

(born 1963), plus-size supermodel *

Enrico Fermi Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian and naturalized American physicist, renowned for being the creator of the world's first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1, and a member of the Manhattan Project ...

(1901–1954), Nobel Prize–winning physicist *

Morton Fried Morton Herbert Fried (March 21, 1923 in Bronx, New York – December 18, 1986 in Leonia, New Jersey),anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

Ralph Fuller Ralph Briggs Fuller (March 9, 1890 – August 16, 1963) was an American cartoonist best known for his long-running comic strip '' Oaky Doaks'', featuring the humorous adventures of a good-hearted knight in the Middle Ages. He signed the strips R. ...

(1890–1963), cartoonist best known for his long running

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

Oaky Doaks ''Oaky Doaks'' was an American newspaper comic strip, which ran between June 17, 1935, and December 30, 1961. It was distributed by AP Newsfeatures for more than 25 years, illustrated by veteran magazine cartoonist Ralph Fuller and scripted by A ...

''Mattingly, Paul H
''Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community''
p. 228.

Johns Hopkins University Press Johns Hopkins University Press (also referred to as JHU Press or JHUP) is the publishing division of Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and is the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The press publi ...

, 2001. . Accessed May 16, 2016. "Ralph Fuller, one of the mainstays of the Leonia artist colony during the interwar years, was the creator of the highly successful nationally syndicated comic strip, ''Oaky Doaks''." *

Maria Goeppert Mayer Maria Goeppert Mayer (; ; June 28, 1906 – February 20, 1972) was a German-American theoretical physicist who shared the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics with J. Hans D. Jensen and Eugene Wigner. One half of the prize was awarded jointly to Goeppe ...

(1906–1972), Nobel Prize-winning physicist *

Buddy Hackett Buddy Hackett (born Leonard Hacker; August 31, 1924 – June 30, 2003) was an American comedian and comic actor. Known for his raunchy material, heavy appearance, and thick New York accent, his best remembered roles include Marcellus Washburn in ...

(1924–2003), comedian *

Marvin Harris Marvin Harris (August 18, 1927 – October 25, 2001) was an American anthropologist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City. A prolific writer, he was highly influential in the development of cultural materialism and environmental determinis ...

(1927–2001), anthropologist *

Richard Howell Richard Howell (October 25, 1754April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1793 to 1801. Early life and military career Howell was born in Newark, in the Colony of Delaware, and was a descendant of a Virginian old colonist fa ...

(born 1955), a freelance comics artist who drew the second series of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

' ''

The Vision and the Scarlet Witch ''The Vision and the Scarlet Witch'' is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic features the Vision and Scarlet Witch, a couple and longtime members of the Avengers. Publication history Volume 1 Their first key series toget ...

'', which was primarily set in Leonia *

Toomas Hendrik Ilves Toomas Hendrik Ilves (; born 26 December 1953) is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. Ilves worked as a diplomat and journalist, and he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1 ...

(born 1953),

President of Estonia The president of the Republic of Estonia () is the head of state of the Estonia, Republic of Estonia. The current president is Alar Karis, elected by Parliament on 31 August 2021, replacing Kersti Kaljulaid. Estonia is one of the few parliam ...

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

(born 1945), basketball coach * Leland Jacobs (1907–1992), professor emeritus of education who was known for his education in the field of prose and poetry *

Sid Jacobson Sidney Jacobson (October 20, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American writer who worked in the fields of children's comic books, popular music, fiction, biography, and non-fiction comics. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comi ...

(1929–1022), comic books writer who was managing editor and editor-in-chief for

Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alf ...

* Albert Journeay (1890–1972), football player who was captain of the

Penn Quakers football The Penn Quakers football program is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are a NCAA Division I, Division I Footbal ...

team in 1914 * Marshall Kay (1904–1975),

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

and professor at

Marvin Kitman Marvin Kitman (November 24, 1929 – June 29, 2023) was an American television critic, humorist, and author. He was a columnist for ''Newsday'' for 35 years and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1982. Kitman was the aut ...

(1929–2023), television critic, humorist, and author *

Bob Klapisch Roberto Salvador "Bob" Klapisch is a sportswriter for ''the Newark Star Ledger''. He has previously written for ''The New York Times'', ''New York Post'', ESPN, Fox Sports and ''New York Daily News'', and has written six books about baseball includ ...

, sportswriter *

David Klass David Klass is an American screenwriter and novelist. He has written more than 40 screenplays for Hollywood studios and published 14 young adult novels. His screenplays are primarily character-based thrillers for adults, while his novels often ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

Perri Klass Perri Klass (born 1958) is an American pediatrician and writer who has published extensively about her medical training and pediatric practice. Among her subjects have been the issues of women in medicine, relationships between doctors and patient ...

, pediatrician and writer who has published extensively about her medical training and pediatric practice * Dick Kryhoski (1925–2007), first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for five different teams between 1949 and 1955 *

George Lefferts George Lefferts (born George Leffertz; June 18, 1921 – April 18, 2018) was an American writer, producer, playwright, poet, and director of television dramas, motion pictures, radio dramas, and socially conscious documentaries. His original plays ...

(1921–2018), writer, producer, playwright, poet, and director *

Harold Lehman Harold Lehman (1913–2006) was an American artist known for his murals for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Lehman was born in 1913 in New York City. He moved to California as a teenager and attended Manual Arts High School in Los Ange ...

(1913-2006), artist known for his Post-Surrealist paintings, work with the Mexican muralist,

David Alfaro Siqueiros David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...

, and mural artist who created

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

s for the WPA at Rikers Island Penitentiary and the

Renovo, Pennsylvania Renovo is a borough in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Lock Haven. In 1900, 4,082 people lived there, and in 1910, 4,621 lived there, but in the 2010 census the borough population was 1,228. The borough is located o ...

, post office. *

Willard Libby Willard Frank Libby (December 17, 1908 – September 8, 1980) was an American physical chemist noted for his role in the 1949 development of radiocarbon dating, a process which revolutionized archaeology and palaeontology. For his contributio ...

(1908–1980), Nobel Prize–winning scientist who played a lead role in the development of

radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...

Robert Ludlum Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27 Thriller (genre), thriller novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original ''Bourne (novel series), The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copi ...

(1927–2001), author *

Philip Maneval Philip Maneval (born 1956) is an American composer and arts administrator. As a composer, Maneval has written more than 35 solo, chamber music and orchestral works which have been played by groups including the Chicago String Quartet and Miami S ...

(born 1956), composer *

David Mansfield David Mansfield (born September 13, 1956) is an American musician and composer. Mansfield was raised in Leonia, New Jersey. His father, Newton Mansfield was a first violinist in the New York Philharmonic. David played guitar, pedal steel guita ...

(born 1956), stringed-instrument musician and composer *

Vera Maxwell Vera Huppe Maxwell (April 22, 1901 – January 15, 1995) was an American pioneering sportswear and fashion designer. Background and personal life Born Vera Huppe in The Bronx, Maxwell spent part of her childhood in Austria. She attended Le ...

(1901–1995), fashion designer *

John C. McCloy Lieutenant Commander John McCloy, USN (January 3, 1876 – May 24, 1945) was an officer in the United States Navy who was one of only 19 individuals to receive the Medal of Honor twice. He received his first Medal of Honor for action in the Boxe ...

(1876–1945), sailor twice awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

Bob McFadden Robert McFadden (January 19, 1923 – January 7, 2000) was an American singer, impressionist, and voice-over actor perhaps best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His most popular television cartoon characters included M ...

(1923–2000), voiceover actor * Boris Moishezon (1937–1993), mathematician * J. Vreeland Moore (1824–1903), brigadier general of the 1st New Jersey Regiment who played a major role in the borough's formation * Robert F. Murphy (1924–1990), anthropologist *

Norman D. Newell Norman Dennis Newell (January 27, 1909 – April 18, 2005) was a professor of geology at Columbia University, and chairman and curator of invertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Early life and educati ...

(1909–2005), professor of

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

, and chairman and curator of

invertebrate paleontology Invertebrate paleontology (also spelled invertebrate palaeontology) is sometimes described as invertebrate paleozoology or invertebrate paleobiology. Whether it is considered to be a subfield of paleontology, paleozoology, or paleobiology, this d ...

at the

* James Noble (1922–2016), actor *

Christiane Noll Christiane Noll (born October 5, 1968) is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', and had roles in ''Urinetown'', ''Ragti ...

(born 1968), singer and actress known for her work in

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

and on the concert stage * Frank C. Osmers Jr. (1907–1977), represented

New Jersey's 9th congressional district New Jersey's 9th congressional district is an urban congressional district in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is currently represented in Congress by United States Democratic Party, Democrat Nellie Pou following the death of Bill Pascrell in 2 ...

from 1939 to 1943 and 1951–1965 * Clara Elsene Peck (1883–1968),

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

and painter known for her illustrations of women and children in the early 20th century *

Mary Beth Peil Mary Beth Peil (; born June 25, 1940) is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions, the Young Concert Artists Internation ...

(born 1940), actress *

Howard Post Howard Post (November 2, 1926 – May 21, 2010) Alternate source: "'Dropouts' cartoonist Howard Post dies in NJ at 83", Associated Press via ''The Washington Post'', May 24, 2010 was an American animator, cartoonist, and comic strip and comic bo ...

(1926–2010), animator, cartoonist, and comic strip and comic book writer-artist, known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip ''The Dropouts''. *

Carmel Quinn Carmel Quinn (31 July 1925 – 6 March 2021) was an Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954. Biography Quinn was born in July 1925 and educated in Dublin. Her fath ...

(1925–2021), singer * Lucinda Rosenfeld (born 1969), novelist * Ben Ryan (1892–1968),

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

who wrote the music and lyrics to the popular song '' (The Gang that Sang) Heart of My Heart'' * Giorgio Santelli (1897–1985), fencer and

fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...

master who was part of the Italian team that won the gold medal in Men's team sabre at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

and was the largest mid-20th century influence in raising the quality and popularity of fencing in the United States *

Warner R. Schilling Warner Roller Schilling (May 23, 1925 – October 20, 2013) was an American political scientist and international relations scholar at Columbia University (1954–1957, 1958–1996, emeritus 1997–2013), where he was the James T. Shotwell Prof ...

(1925–2013), political scientist and international relations scholar at Columbia University *

Gene Shalit Eugene Shalit (born March 25, 1926) is an American retired journalist, television personality, film and book critic and author. After starting to work part-time on NBC's '' The Today Show'' in 1970, he filled those roles from January 15, 1973 ...

(born 1926), longtime film critic on network television *

Willa Shalit Willa Shalit (born 1955) is an American social entrepreneur and strategic advisor. She is widely recognized for her work as an artist, theatre and television producer, photographer and author/editor. Early life Shalit was born in 1955 in New Yor ...

(born 1955), artist, theatrical and television producer, photographer, author/editor, and social conscious entrepreneurKahn, Toby
"Gene Shalit's Daughter Willa Has Casts of Characters Ranging from Brooke Shields to President Reagan"
''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'', February 10, 1986. Accessed December 28, 2017. "Even as a young girl growing up in Leonia, N.J., Willa was fascinated with faces." *

Arshavir Shirakian Arshavir Shirakian (also Shiragian, ; January 1, 1902 or 1900 – April 12, 1973) was an Armenian writer and assassin who was noted for his assassination of Said Halim Pasha and Cemal Azmi as an act of vengeance for their roles in the Armenian ge ...

(1900–1973),

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

writer who was noted for his assassination of

Said Halim Pasha Mehmed Said Halim Pasha (; ; 18 or 28 January 1865 or 19 February 1864 – 6 December 1921) was a writer and statesman who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1917. He was one of the perpetrators of the Armenian genocide ...

and

Cemal Azmi Cemal Azmi (1868 – April 17, 1922), also spelled Jemal Azmi, was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Turkish people, Turkish politician and governor of the Trebizond Vilayet, Trebizond (now Trabzon) Vilayet (province) during World War I and the fina ...

as an act of vengeance for their roles in the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

Ivory Sully Ivory Sully (born June 20, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Sully grew up in Leonia, New Jersey, and played high school football there at Leonia High School. U ...

(born 1957),

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

football player for

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

and

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

* Al B. Sure! (born 1968), singer, songwriter and producer *

David Syrett David Syrett (January 8, 1939 in White Plains, New York – October 18, 2004 in Leonia, New Jersey) was Distinguished Professor of History at Queens College, City University of New York in Flushing, New York, and a widely respected researcher an ...

(1939–2004), Professor of History at

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...

and researcher and documentary editor on eighteenth-century British naval history and the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Harold Urey Harold Clayton Urey ( ; April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 for the discovery of deuterium. He played a significant role in the ...

(1893–1981), Nobel Prize–winning chemistStaff
"3 Nobel Winners for Town"
''

'', November 4, 1960. Accessed March 30, 2011. * Henry S. Walbridge (1801–1869), member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

who served from 1851 to 1852 *

Lynd Ward Lynd Kendall Ward (June 26, 1905 – June 28, 1985) was an American artist and novelist, known for his series of wordless novels using wood engraving, and his illustrations for juvenile and adult books. His wordless novels have influenced ...

(1905–1985), illustrator and wordless novelist *

Lyndon Woodside Lyndon Woodside (March 23, 1935 in Florence, South Carolina – August 23, 2005 in Englewood, New Jersey) was the 10th conductor of the Oratorio Society of New York. He toured Europe and the Americas, but his home performance space was Carnegie Ha ...

(1935–2005), 10th conductor of the

Oratorio Society of New York The Oratorio Society of New York is a not-for-profit membership organization that performs choral music in the oratorio style. Founded in 1873 by conductor Leopold Damrosch, it is the third oldest musical organization in New York City. The Society ...

In popular culture

Leonia briefly served as the home of

Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...

and

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

in several

storylines from the 1980s, mainly in ''

'' series, the second of which was drawn by Leonia resident

. This domestic storyline was later loosely adapted in the 2021 TV series ''

WandaVision ''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series i ...

'', although the location was changed to the fictional town of Westview, New Jersey.

References

Sources

* ''Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)'' prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958. * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.)
''Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Karels, Carol
''Leonia''
Images of America Series,

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American Publishing, publisher of neighborhood, local history, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs th ...

, 2002. . * Mattingly, Paul H
''Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community''

, 2001. . * Van Valen, James M
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923''
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

External links

Leonia official website
{{Authority control 1894 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1894 Korean communities in the United States