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Photographed in a white satin crepe inaugural dress, brocaded in large white chrysanthemums, trimmed in lace she made herself including the butterfly perched in tulle in her hair. Her husband William Sherman Jennings served as Florida's 18th governor from January 8, 1901 until January 3, 1905.

Biographical Note

May Mann Jennings was born in 1872. The Jennings were married in 1891 and lived in Brooksville before moving to the Governor's mansion in 1901. By 1912, Mrs. Jennings had become active in civic work and politics. After she was widowed in 1920, she headed the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs and was co-founder of the Florida League of Women Voters. She campaigned for women's suffrage, prohibition, better treatment of children and prisoners, education funding, historic preservation, Seminole Indian reservations, fence laws and highway beautification. The 1,800-acre Royal Palm Hammock State Park, which she helped create, was the eastern entrance to the current 1.5 million-acre Everglades National Park. Mrs. Jennings died in Jacksonville in 1963 at the age of 90.