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Henry Harrison FAY, educator, was born in New Paltz, Ulster County, NY, 5
Apr
1835; son of Rev. Dr. Eliphaz & Mary Helen (LEE) Fay, and a descendant on
the
paternal side from Samuel MORSE, who came from England to New England in
1635, and on the maternal side from [p 58] John LEE, who came from Essex
county, England, in 1634. His father, Eliphaz FAY, was president of
Watervilla College, afterward Colby University, 1841-44. Henry was an
honorary graduate from the University of Rochester in 1857, and received the
degree of A.M. [M. A.] from that institution in 1859. He took up his
residence in Newport in 1854, and there established his school for boys,
which became one of the most prominent college preparatory schools in
America. During the period of the civil war, aside from his regular school
duties, he prepared a large number of young men to enter the US naval
academy. His success was so marked that the Secretary of the Navy made a
personal recognition of the fact. The school continued under his management
until he retired in 1875. He was a delegate to the Republican national
conventions at Baltimore, in 1864, and Philadelphia in 1872. He was
appointed by President Grant a member of the board of visitors to the US
military academy in 1875. He was one of the original members of the board
of
state charities and correction; a member of the Rhode Island general
assembly, 1875-80; lieutenant-governor of the state, 1880-84; again a member
of the general assembly, 1884-85, and in that body was the chairman of the
committee on education, and a member of the finance committee. He was a
member of the school board; superintendent of the public schools of Newport;
a director in the Redwood library, 1874-97, and vice president of the
library, 1885-97. He was postmaster of Newport, 1889-93, and a director of
the First National bank for twenty years. He was a frequent contributor to
the press on educational, literary and political subjects. He was married
in
1864, to Ida [GARLAND], daughter of William and Mary Alexandria (JONES)
GARLAND of Baltimore MD. He died in Newport, RI, 8 September 1897.
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20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Vol IV p 57-58
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