Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby Van Alstyne (1820-1915) was the most prolific and perhaps the most popular writer of Sunday school hymns that America has ever produced. She was born in Putnam County, New York. When only six weeks old she lost her eyesight. Her first poem was written when she was eight. At the age of 15 she entered the Institution for the Blind in New York City, where she spent seven years as a pupil and 11 years (1847-1858) as a teacher. In 1844 she published a volume entitled The Blind Girl and Other Poems. In 1851 she accepted Christ and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1858 she married Alexander Van Alstyne, who was also, like she, blind, had been a teacher in the Institution, and was possessed of rare musical talent. During her lifetime she wrote more than six thousand hymns. Her extraordinary catalog of music, composed despite her physical impairment, has blessed countless believers for many generations.
