Ethel Lynn

Ethel Grace Lynn (1881 to 1960), a life-long resident of San Francisco, California, was a novelist, medical doctor, artist, public speaker, suffragist and socialist activist and political candidate.
== Family ==
Ethel was the youngest child born 13 February 1881 to Capt. Alfred Marcey Aplin (1837 to 1918) and Mary Elizabeth Winn (1842 to 1922) Capt. Aplin, born in Ohio, had volunteered for service in the Civil War while in college. In 1875 he moved his family to California and became successful in the fruit business and land investments. Two of his other children also became medical doctors - Myrtle A. Aplin and Guy E. Aplin. Dr. Myrtle A. Aplin died 31 Oct. 1951 in her San Francisco apartment. She graduated from Cooper Medical college in San Francisco in 1898, interned in Lane Hospital and then immediately employed by the city and county hospital there. She was a physician in Napa State Hospital. She was one of the early women physicians to specialize in mental illness. She resigned to stay with her mother the last thirteen years of her mother's life, and the last nine of which were spent as in invalid. The sisters had a falling out shortly after their father's death. Ethel filed a contest of the will of her late father alleging undue influence upon the part of her sister Dr. Myrtle G. Aplin and claiming the estate was worth $54,000 vs. Dr. Aplin's estimate of $30,000.
== Education ==
According to her AMA Physician Masterfile Ethel graduated from Pomona College in 1903. Her graduation from a medical college seems to be indicated by "Calif 1909" on the handwritten card.
== Her Novel ==
Dr. Lynn wrote The Adventures of a Woman Hobo in first person and using her real name. The novel (copyright 1917) purports to relate her and her husband Daniel's adventures in 1908 travelling first by tandem bicycle then stealing, paying for and being granted free rides on trains from Chicago back to her hometown of San Francisco. In the novel she says they had an "earthquake wedding" in reference to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
== Political Activism ==
Dr. Lynn was chairman of the education committee of the California Woman's Political League formed in 1911. They met in the Pacific Building. 1912 was a busy year for Dr. Lynn and the League. At the January meeting she was again on the Education committee. In February the League became involved in the controversy for the city to purchase Spring Valley Water Company. Among issues of concern was apparently a lack of transparency. In April Dr. Lynn and others unsuccessfully lobbied Attorney-General Webb to allow them to serve on juries. They then planned to have a law passed to confer the obligation upon them. In June she went on a speaking tour concerning the alleged evils of competition and capitalism. Possibly at this time she became a socialist. Also in June, writing for Organized Labor concerning the proposed Spring Valley Water purchase, she has a long and very detailed evaluation of the proposed purchase, arguing the city is going to overpay, and there is a better option anyway. She apparently argues to pay only book value cost vs. market and intangible value. But she understands facts and figures, and makes a compelling argument nonetheless. In September she was still touring giving a public address in Folsom, California, "Do We Want Socialism?" In 1913 She was one of "nearly fifty prominent clubwomen and social workers" signing a telegram to the Governer Johnson "urging him to reprieve the dozen or more men now under sentence of death till the people can vote on an initiative measure to abolish capital punishment in California." In 1914 Dr. Lynn ran for Secretary of State on the Socialist ticket winning 10% of the vote. In 1915 she won 15% of the vote (again as a Socialist) for San Francisco coroner.
== Speaking Tours ==
In addition to several talks on socialism and in support of her candidacy, Dr. Lynn also gave lectures on other topics including "Modern Science and the Atom," "Theosophy's Gift to Science," "Evolution," and in support of The Townsend Plan (proposed by Francis Townsend). She was reported to be an excellent speaker.
== Career ==
By the 1930 Federal Census Dr. Lynn gave her occupation as an artist in landscapes working on her own behalf. As a painter she often used the nom de plume "Harlo Lynn."
== Death ==
Dr. Lynn died 9 June 1960 from a stroke. Her last residence (among many over her lifetime) was 154 Edinburgh St., San Francisco, California. She left no survivors.
Category:1881 births
Category:1960 deaths
Category:American novelists
Category:American artists