Women of distinction/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV.
MRS. FANNIE M. JACKSON COPPIN.
A giant intellect and powerfnl force of character, with keen insight to duty and a wise zealousness in the discharge of the same, a well-developed business capacity of unusual proportions, supported by strong executive and financial abilities, are not as a rule the general combined possessions of the women of any race. Indeed, they are the sacred combined endowments of the few. Such a woman of such rare qualifications is Mrs. Fannie M. Jackson Coppin, who was born a slave in Washington, D. C. , and was purchased by her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Clark. She was then sent to Newport, R. I., where she lived at service with the well-known Calverts family, who sent her to school. She afterwards, through the kindness of this family, entered the High School, from which she graduated; thence to Oberlin College, in Ohio, wdiere she took the men's course, because in the course laid down for the women there certain studies were omitted. Feeling as she did that she must take all the studies of the highest course in the institution accounts for her departure from the general rules under which the female students were governed as to departments. She, proved herself equal to the task and stood side by side and shoulder to shoulder with the men in whose department she had so wisely entered.
She has the honor of being the first colored person to teach a class at Oberlin College, which she taught with marvelous success for two years. Now, well prepared for the arduous duties of life's work, she went to Philadelphia in 1865 and took a position in the Institute for Colored Youth. In 1869 the principalship was made vacant, to which she was at once called. Accepting this important position, she has wisely and acceptably managed this school until now (1892).
As a successful teacher and a fluent and attractive public speaker, she needs no words of comment from us. Her record in this direction is far more eloquent in praise of her accomplishments than anything we can possibly say.
About 1886-'88 she began a movement to have an industrial school opened so that colored young men and women could learn trades that would be useful to them in after-life. This idea possibly grew out of the fact that the trades-unions closed their doors against young men and young women of this peculiar people. A lot of land was purchased at a cost of $17,000 and brick buildings erected thereon, and now over three hundred persons are learning trades.
The men learn stone-masonry, plastering, brick-laying, carpentry, shoe-making, tailoring and type-writing; in all seven useful trades. The women learn dress-makings millinery and cooking. So that all the members of the race receive instruction in and complete ten different trades in this industrial school without any additional cost.
The managers of the Institute have become the managers of the industrial department.
This immense undertaking has been from its beginning the work of Mrs. Coppin, who has successfully carried it to completion, raising by her own personal efforts every cent of the enormous cost of this industrial department.
That she is a truly great woman no one who knows of her work can deny. Her work at this school will stand for centuries as an imperishable monument to her memory and an inestimable blessing to her race long after the monuments of granite erected to the memory of the great men of this country shall have crumbled to the dust.
Mr. George W. Williams, the negro historian, has this to say of her:
Without doubt she is the most thoroughly competent and successful of the colored women teachers of her time, and her example of race pride, industry, enthusiasm and nobility of character will remain the inheritance and inspiration of the pupils of the school she helped make the pride of the colored people of Pennsylvania.
She has traveled extensively in this country and also in foreign countries, and is admired by all whom she meets. To know her is to simply admire her noble qualities of spirit and character.