Fanny Marie Irvin (January 15, 1854 - September 26, 1929) was librarian of the Idaho State Law Library, and assisted in drafting several important legislative acts. She drafted a resolution to Congress from the state of Idaho endorsing women's suffrage, and campaigned for the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting the right to vote to women.

Early life

Irvin was born on January 15, 1854, in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, the daughter of Colonel Charles Henry Irvin (1832-1906) and Isabella Anne Harraden (1835-1909) and granddaughter of Rev. Thomas Irvin, for more than 50 years a vicar of

Ormesby Ormesby is an area which is split between Borough of Middlesbrough and Borough of Redcar and Cleveland in North Yorkshire, England. It is in the Middlesbrough part of the Teesside built up area. Spencer Beck to the east and the B1380 road to ...

, Yorkshire, England. She studied law for two years in the

Washington College of Law The American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL or WCL) is the law school of American University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It is located on the western side of Tenley Circle in the Tenleytown section of nort ...

, but was forced to abandon her studies a year before completion when the illness of her father in

Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...

led her to move there.

Career

She was very active and influential in constructive state politics. She was assistant and State Law Librarian from 1911 until her death. In this role, she assisted in drafting several important laws, such as the Parole Law, Idaho Humane Law for the protection of children and animals, the law which placed State Institutions, Schools and Children's Home under the State Auditing Department; she drafted a resolution to Congress which was passed by the State Legislature, endorsing

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

, and lobbied for the passage of the Constitutional amendment. She was president of the Boise Humane Society and of the League of Women Voters Council, and in addition was a member of the Boise Tuesday Musical Club and the Saturday Fortnightly Club. She founded the Good Will camp for children, and was active with the relief work of the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Personal life

Fanny M. Irvin lived in New York City, New Mexico, Chicago, Washington, D. C, and then moved to Idaho in 1906, living at 1017 East Jefferson St., Boise. She died on September 26, 1929, and is buried at Pioneer Cemetery, Boise.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvin, Fanny M. Activists from Buffalo, New York People from Boise, Idaho 1854 births 1929 deaths Members of the League of Women Voters