Charles Fairbanks:
A Vice Presidential Unit

Charles Fairbanks’ became the 26th Vice President of the United States on March 4, 1905 and served the entirety of his term, ending in March 4, 1909. He was born on May 11, 1852 in Unionville Center, Ohio. Fairbanks’ has an interesting family history that traces back to blood ties to Oliver Crommwell and parents that were active participants in the underground railroad. The prestige of his family, allowed him to procure a position as a railroad financier and manager. His interests soon began to shift to politics, and in 1893 he ran for a position on the U.S. Senate. Though he was defeated in the 1893 election, Fairbanks would go on to win a seat for the Republicans in 1896 and would be reelected, ultimately serving as Senator for eight years. One of his most important roles as Senator was that of advisor to President McKinely during the Mexican-American War. During this period, Fairbanks gained enough support to win the bid for Vice President on the Republican ticket. Fairbanks relationship with the president was reportedly poor, and the two had many disagreements. Nonetheless, Fairbanks did serve all four years under Theodore Roosevelt, but for obvious reasons, he did not gain Roosevelt's support for the following presidential election. Without the Presidential nomination, he returned to practice law in Indiana. Health problems surface soon after; Charles Fairbanks died on June 14, 1918.

Political Party: Republican

President: Theodore Roosevelt

Name of his Parents: Cornelia Cole Fairbanks

Yearly Salary as Vice President: $8,000

State of Birth: Ohio

Trivia Questions:

1) Which historical figure is related to Charles Fairbanks?
Oliver Cromwell

2) Before entering politics, which news organization did Fairbanks work for?
Associated Press

Of Note:

- In 1898, Fairbanks served on a joint U.S./British commission to settle a border dispute between Alaska and Canada. Even though the commission was a failure, Alaskan citizens appreciated the way that Fairbanks represented their interests and a new trading post on the Chena River was named in honor of the senator.
- Fairbanks attempted to delay many of Roosevelt’s programs in Congress.

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