Evening star., 1947-02-09
MAN who once worked as q
common laborer on 6 rail-
! road Is Washington's new
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~ common laborer on rail-
~ road Is Washington,s new
United States attorney.
George Morris Fay apparently
handicapped by an adverse vote by
the Bar Association Of the District
of Columbia - nevertheless came
through In short order, recently, to
win senatorial approval.
OF medium height, 81 years old,
with gray eyes and curly black hair,
District Attorney Fay has a pleasing
personality. His Is the typical
American success story. So he is
used to hurdles. At Georgetown Uni
versity he worked his way through
BY attending the switchboard at
"the Hilltop" and before that. he
worked on a railroad as q common
laborer or "navvy."
But long before he attained the
distinction of being Washington's
chief law enforcement officer, Mr..
Fay had brushed shoulders with the
great. He was executive assistant
to Attorney General Tom c. Clark
when the cabinet ofiicer was in
charge Of war frauds at the Justice
Department. Mr.. Clark went to
District Court to congratulate his
|protege on his appointment and to
see his predecessor, Edward M. Cur
ran, sworn in as q District Court
justice, on November IA. Mr.. Clark
was in Boston when Mr.. Fay was
sworn into Office, a short time later,
under a recess appointment.
The new United States attorney
is known to his intimates as
'Morry," from his second Christian
name.
Served as Special Counsel
To Naval Committee
AS Navy Junior grade lieutenant,
Mr.. Fay served as special counsel
to the House Naval Committee dur
ing the war. He also was counsel
to the Navy Departments Board Of
Contract Appeals. Further, he served
as liaison officer for the Navy De-
partment with the Joint Congress
sional Committee investigating the
Pearl Harbor attack.
After he got out of uniform, Mr.
Fay was reappointed special as
sistant to the Attorney General. He
was assigned to the trial section of
the Tax Division. There he worked
as trial attorney, until named by
President Truman as United States
Attorney for the District of Co
lumbia on November IA, l946-the
same day his predecessor was sworn
in as a judge.
While in the war frauds section
of the Justice Department, MIR. Fay
was assigned to work with Brig.
Gen. William O'Dwyer, now Mayor
OF New York City, who was then
q colonel. Mr.. ODwyer is the
famous district attorney who sue
cessfully prosecuted Murder, Inc.
On the assignment with Gen.
O'Dwyer, Mr.. Fay centered his in
vestigation at the Army Air Forces
Procurement Center at Dayton,
Ohio. The investigation resulted in
the indictment and conviction of the
chief civilian contract officer for
failing to perform his official duties
properly, Mr.. Fay recalled. In that
inquiry, Mr.. Fay and Gen. ODwyer
worked from 8 am. until midnight
on many occasions for several
months. Mr.. Fay has high regard
for New York's Mayor.
Many of His Associates
Are Justice Graduates
In his new work at the courthouse
here, Mr.. Fay is associated with
number of persons who have also
graduated" from the Justice De-
partment. Among them are Justice
James w. Morris, who used to be
Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the Tax Division; Justice
Matthew F. MCGUIRE, who was the
assistant to Attorney General Robert
H. Jackson, now a Supreme Court
justice; Justice Henry A. Schwein-
haut, who was special assistant to
the Attorney General in the Grim
inal Division, and Justice Alexander
Holtzoff, who was executive assistant
to Attorney General Clark.
Further, MIR. Fay knows well the
two new District Court justices,
Justice Curran and Justice Rich
mond B. Keech, who was peoples
council here.
But long before public attention
centered upon him, Mr.. Fay went
through the heartaches of hard
work and long study. His family
was hit by the 1929 depression. So
that a brother might be sent to
college, he had to work harder. In