Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-12
HENRY FAIRFAX DIES
IN LEESBURC HOSPITAL
President of State Fair Association
SuCcumbs to Attack of
Appendicitis.
WAS SIXTY-SIX YEARS OLD
Played Conspicuous Part i'm Consu.
tutional Convention, Having Been
Chairman OF Committee on Finance
and Taxation of That Body.
WAS SINTY-SIX YEARS OLD

Henry Fairfax. chairman OF tho com
mit,ce on finance and taxation in the
Constitutional Convention of 1901, char
Ter member OF the state Corporation
Commission and president of the Vir-
ginia state Fair Association, died at
the I.ecsburE Hospital abou: 10 o'clock
last night lie was stricken with ap-
pendicitis several days ago. and an
emergency operation was performed by
Drs. George Ben Johnston and Murat
Willis. of Richmond. He had been in
! critical condition all day yesterday.
and his death last night was not un-
expected
MIR. Fairfax waz sixty-six years OF
age. and was one Of the bcst-known men
in public life in Virginia. Though Of
"A retiring disposition, seldom seeking
public Office, he had served his dis
tr,ct in the state senate and was
elected TO the Constitutional Conven-
tion. wher" he readily came TO the front
as ono Of the leaders in matters OF
taxation and finance Because OF his
record in that body. lie was appointed
by Governor Montague one of the char
ter members Of the state Corporation
Commission. serving with Governor
Henry &. stuart and Judge Beverly r.
Crump for several years He resigned
from the commission and was sue
ceedcd by Colonel Joseph T. willard
now ambassador 10 Spain
Mr. Fairfax succeeded Governor
stuart as president OF the Virginia
State Fair Association.
ADOPTS PROFESSION
OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Henry Fairfax was born in Alexan-
dria, Va, on May 4, 1850. His father
was Colonel John w. Fairfax. a farmer
OF Loudoun County, and his mother
was Mary lane Rogers daughter of
Colonel Hamilton Rogers. He received
his early education at a private school
In Loudoun County and during tho Civil
War was at home with his mother. his
father being on the staff of General
LonEstreet. of the Confederate army.
When not at school he did all kinds
OF Work on the farm. In 1867 he went
to the Virginia Military Institute, grad
uating four years later. and adopted
civil engineering as his profession. He
started as chairman with an cnCi-
neering corps in Pennsylvania. and
later worked in New York. New Jersey.
Colorado and Ohio. In 1879 he took
railroad contracts in Tennessee. and
continued contracting in Virginia and
West Virginia until 1887.
In the early eighties Mr.. Fairfax had
his headquarters in Roanoke Va. In
the Town Council of that city he rem
deIed valuable service on the finance
committee. In 1855 he bought the Oak
Hill estate, in Loudoun which had he
longed TO his father but later had
passed out of the family. He went
there 10 live and made ii one of tho
most famous homesteads in Virginia.
In 1890. Mr. Fairfax was induced to
enter public life. The death of Henry
Ieaton left the senatorial district COM
posed Of the Counties OF Fauuuier and
Loudoun without representation, and
MIR. Fairfax accepted the seat For
eleven years he represented the dis
trct in the State Senate. AS chairman
OF tho Committee on Finance and Banks
he was influential. in the matter of
making improvements to the State
Capitol he was n pioneer
PLAYS PROMINENT PART IN
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
IN the Constitutional Convention of
l9Ol-1902 he served on tho Committee
or Taxation and Finance, becoming its
chairman on the resignation Of Vir-
g1niuS Newton. of Richmond. and to
MIN is due no little OF the increased
revenue OF the State under the new
Constitution. His services in the con-
vention had great deal TO do with
his appointment as a member OF tho
state Corporation Commission, posi-
ton which he held until October. 1905,
when he resigned and retired from
public life. Since then he had lived
ct Oak Hill, near Aldic.
WASHINGTON AND RETURN. sa.00
from Richmond. Second Educational IIx-
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