Anna Connelly was an American woman who lived from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century in Pennsylvania. She was the inventor of the predecessor of the modern outdoor fire escape; her invention saved lives, causing it to become a safety component in modern buildings. In addition, she was one of the first women in the US to submit a patent application without any assistance from a man. Connelly made contributions to fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).