[1] After serving in the Union cavalry during the Civil War, Fairchild graduated from Oberlin College (AB, 1866).
After further theological studies at Oberlin, Fairchild was ordained in the Congregational Church.
[1] In the early 1870s, He toured Europe as manager for the original Jubilee singers of Fisk University.
From 1881 to 1893, he taught chemistry and physics and served as a fundraiser for Oberlin where his uncle James was president.
[1] From 1904 to 1918, Fairchild worked for the Board of Education of New York, NY.