When Charles Fairbanks and Theodore Roosevelt won in 1904 it was the first time an “accidental” President had been elected to stay in Office. Vice President Fairbanks lasting memorial is a city in Alaska. 

He was born in a log cabin in Union County Ohio on May 11th 1852. He attended the local public school where he learned good academic skills. In 1872 he graduated from Wesleyan near the top of his class. He worked for the Associated Press in Pittsburg Pennsylvania then studied law a Cleveland Law College in Ohio. In 1874 was admitted to the bar. 

After moving to Indianapolis he became an attorney for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. His legal skills in defense of the railroads and his successful prosecution of the Indianapolis railroad strikers in 1877 caught the attention of the state Republican Party. Fairbanks, who had acquired a healthy bank account along with his many influential business connections, worked hard to rebuild the Republican Party in Indiana after the heavy losses incurred by the mediocrity of the Harrison administration. A grateful Republican party nominated Fairbanks for the US Senate in 1893 but the legislature did not elect him. In 1896 Charles Fairbanks spoke in favor of William McKinley at the Republican convention and strongly defended the Gold standard. He gained the attention of the nation, and this time the Republicans in the Indiana legislature had enough votes to make him their US Senator. 

In 1898 he was appointed to the Joint High Commission to decide the boundary dividing the Alaska Territory from Canada. He gained the admiration of the local population by saying, “I am opposed to the yielding of an inch of United States territory.” In 1902 a small Alaskan village, consisting of settlements surrounding a trading post, showed its gratitude by naming their community Fairbanks. 

When William McKinley was renominated in 1900 Senator Mark Hanna, who had a political mistrust for New York’s Roosevelt, favored Fairbanks for the vice presidency But the Indiana Senator preferred to stay in the Senate. Fairbanks continued to work for the Republicans and in 1901 his Indianapolis News, purchased the rival newspaper The Indianapolis Journal. He made sure that both of his papers favored Republican policies. He was also able to get railroad passes for his friends in gratitude for his work as a railroad attorney. 

Fairbanks had his eye on being President in 1905, but McKinley’s assassination put a man in the White House who had every intention of staying in office. After Roosevelt’s nomination the “Old Guard” mustered enough support to nominate Fairbanks to be his running mate. Roosevelt reluctantly agreed in order to maintain party unity. 

As Vice President Fairbanks never had to break a tie vote in the Senate, but he was able to play a role in passing some of Roosevelt’s aggressive legislation, which included the Hepburn act to regulate railroad rates, and the Pure Food and Drug act. But when it came to dealing with the Trusts Roosevelt believed that experts working for the executive branch would be much more effective than a cumbersome legislative body. Fairbanks disagreed and sided with the Senate when it came to Roosevelt’s efforts to expand the powers of the Presidency at the expense of the legislature. 

As a police commissioner Roosevelt had written an article arguing that the United States Vice President should have an active role in the administration, and even favored a permanent vote in the Senate for the Vice President, but President Roosevelt decided to ignore the advice of his younger self and treated Vice President Fairbanks like a non person. Fairbanks was never consulted on major legislation, or foreign policy decisions. And when the prospect of nominees for President in 1908 was discussed Roosevelt never mentioned Fairbanks’ name. 

In 1909 the former vice president returned to Indiana where he intended to live quietly in retirement where, despite his treatment by Roosevelt, he was still popular with the Indiana Republicans. In 1916 he went to the convention as a favorite son candidate, and was being considered as Charles Evans Hughes running mate. At first he showed no interest in returning to the vice presidency, but after being nominated on the first ballot he accepted in the spirit of party unity. 

After a close election he returned to Indiana and became president of the Indiana Forest Association (a conservation group he founded). During the World War he visited army bases giving inspirational talks to encourage the troops. He also campaigned for Liberty Loans. He died in 1918. 

An accomplished attorney, a successful businessman, and a skilled political organizer, but if it wasn’t for Fairbanks Alaska would any of us remember his name?