Mary Ann Ahrens (née Jones; December 29, 1836 – 17 February 1921) was an English-American teacher, lawyer, and social reformer.

"[8] Burnishing her reputation, she contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia after braving a snow storm to timely file court documents, and her recovery was watched and reported in the press.

[11] On June 19, 1891, the General Assembly gave women the power to vote in school elections,[12] this seen as a strategic first step towards full suffrage.

[14] In another case, the Illinois Supreme Court clarified that women could vote in school elections where the office was not in the state constitution, such as a city board.

[15] In the next election cycle Ahrens ran for University Trustee in 1894, but was defeated by Lucy Flower for the honor of being the first Illinois woman to hold statewide office.

In 1890, she became the founding president of the Chicago Immediate Aid Society, which opened a relief station offering meals and lodging to homeless men as well as helping them find work.