The following is republished from the WAPUSH campaign, an initiative to get women’s history into US schools. It was written by Shannon Bennitt.
Born: 7 December 1861, United States
Died: 1 April 1946
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Fannie Jean Lyne
Fannie Jean Lyne Black was born on December 7, 1861 in San Francisco, California to William Lyne, born in Scotland and Catharine (spelling disputed; may be Catherine) Young, born in England. Black graduated from Broadway Grade School in 1876, Girls’ High School in 1879, and a Normal School, likely the California State Normal School (also known as Minns Evening Normal School) in San Jose in 1880. Following graduation, she worked as a social worker, although in 1913 her voter registration listed her occupation as “housewife.” She was married in 1887 to Alfred Pressbly (spelling disputed; may be Pressley or Pressby) Black, who was born in Pennsylvania on November 26, 1856. He served as the District Attorney of San Francisco. They had four kids together: Emma Frances Kew, Harold Alfred, Marion Wagner Alice, and William Lyne, who died young.
Black was very active in civic and women’s club affairs throughout her lifetime. She served as president of the California Club from 1912-1914. She notably voted against the moving of the shopping district of San Francisco to Kearny Street and its vicinity, vice Van Ness Avenue, and was one of fifteen delegates from the California Club to attend the seventh annual convention CA Federation of Women’s Clubs. At this convention in Watsonville, California, delegates discussed topics such as civic and social work, school questions, cooking, prison reforms, child labor, and education. Black was also president of the Women’s City Club, into which the National League for Women’s Service resolved. This organization provided stateside war services such as feeding, caring for and transporting soldiers, veterans and war workers. She was chairman of the press department of the California Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1909, and president of the San Francisco District California Federal Women’s Club from 1910-1912, supporting causes and charitable projects in the Bay Area. She was also a member of the Western Woman’s Club, the San Francisco Center, and the English Speaking Union. Furthermore, she was a member of a number of organizations, including the Alumnae Association of the Girls’ High School, of which she became president in 1905, the San Francisco Women’s Auxiliary of Panama-Pacific International Exposition, of which she became chairman in 1915, the Belgian Relief Committee, and the Travelers’ Aid Society of San Francisco, of which she became secretary in 1918. She traveled extensively for her work, though her home address was always in San Francisco, California.
Black and her husband were vocal supporters of women’s suffrage. Black’s husband spoke at a rally in the Banner Republican District in 1899, and. Black’s 1913 voter registration listed her as a Republican.
Black was a well-known golfer, and participated in the Del Monte New Years’ tournament with her husband in 1914. She died on April 1, 1946 in San Francisco, and her husband died on March 11, 1949 in San Francisco. They are buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.
Works cited
“Alfred Pressly Black in the California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997.” Ancestry.com
Binheim, Max, and Charles A. Elvin. Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles, Calif., Publishers Press, 1928. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://archive.org/details/womenofwestserie00binh.
California Federation of Women’s Clubs. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.cfwc.org/about/.
Detwiler, Justice Brown. Who’s who in California : a biographical directory, 1928-29. San Francisco, CA: San Francisco : Who’s Who Publishing, 1929. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://archive.org/details/whoswhoincalifor192829detw.
“Fannie Jean Black in the California, U.S., Voter Registrations, 1900-1968.” https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/discoveryui-content/view/8174426:61066?tid=&pid=&queryid=99d477a0-7b58-4d65-be86-df6a58dd3bbe&_phsrc=Lyk9&_phstart=successSource.
“Fannie Jean Lyne Black in the California, U.S., San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985.” Ancestry Library Edition. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/discoveryui-content/view/447346:2118?tid=&pid=&queryid=1f2592c0-73ca-41d6-99a1-51db09cd97c6&_phsrc=Lyk5&_phstart=successSource.
“J Fannie Black in the 1920 United States Federal Census.” Ancestry Library Edition. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/discoveryui-content/view/98523811:6061.
Leslie. “The National League of Women’s Services, 1918.” Brooklyn Public Library. Last modified July 29, 2010. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/blog/2010/07/29/national-league-womens.
Miller, Mary Ashe. “Club Women Prepare for Events of Note.” The San Francisco Call and Post (San Francisco, CA), February 4, 1907, 8. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://basic.newspapers.com/image/87806010/.
The San Francisco Call and Post (San Francisco, CA). “Rally in the Banner Republican District.” November 3, 1899, 5. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://basic.newspapers.com/image/27428677/.
The San Francisco Call and Post (San Francisco, CA). “State’s Clubwomen to Hold Session.” October 13, 1908, 5. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://basic.newspapers.com/image/81005445/.
“San Jose State Normal Training School History.” SJSJ. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://libguides.sjsu.edu/c.php?g=1315864&p=9677436.
“Some of the Prominent Suffragists at Rest at Cypress Lawn.” Heritage Newsletter, Fall 2018, 4-5. PDF.
Teagle, Lady. “Society Chat.” San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, CA), December 31, 1913, 7. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://basic.newspapers.com/image/27582360/.