Washington, D.C. (January 8, 1837- January 21, 1913) age 76 yrs

Fannie Jackson Coppin, born enslaved, was an educator, missionary, and a lifelong advocate for female higher education. Coppin’s freedom was purchased at age 12. In 1860 she enrolled in Oberlin College in Ohio. This was the first college in the United States to accept both Black and female students. During her years as a student at Oberlin College, she taught an evening course. It was for free African Americans in reading and writing. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1865. In 1903, Coppin was among five African American women who were invited to speak. They spoke at the World’s Congress of Representatives Women in Chicago. In 1926, a Baltimore teacher training school was named the Fanny Jackson Coppin Normal School, now Coppin State University.