Sherman Fairchild

[3] Known to be a particularly bright and naturally inquisitive child, Fairchild matriculated at Harvard University in 1915 where, in his freshman year, he invented the first synchronized camera shutter and flash.

[5] During his college years he contracted tuberculosis and, under the advice of his physician, moved to Arizona to take advantage of the dry climate to aid in his recovery.

[8] In 1917, after being rejected from the military because of his poor health, Fairchild was determined to find another way to support the World War I effort.

[4] Fairchild and his father went to Washington and won a government contract to develop an improved aerial camera.

[8] The U.S. government gave Fairchild a budget of $7,000; the project, however, ended up costing $40,000; his father paid the difference.

[4] Shortly afterward, Fairchild landed a contract to make a photomap of Newark, New Jersey, which was the first aerial mapping of a major city.

[4] Back in the United States he made an aerial map of Manhattan Island which became a commercial success and was implemented by several New York businesses.

Other cities began using aerial mapping, as they found it was faster and less expensive than the ground surveys of the time.

[15] Fairchild soon realized that existing planes were not suitable for the type of maneuvering and extreme conditions that were often encountered during aerial photography.

Fairchild was a dominant force in the aviation industry during this period, becoming one of the nation's largest manufacturers of commercial aircraft.

The company was renamed Fairchild-Stratos Corporation in 1961, and began building meteoroid detection satellites for NASA as well as cameras that were used during the Apollo missions.

In 1929, Fairchild acquired a controlling interest in the Kreider-Reisner Co. and began building new manufacturing facilities at the Hagerstown Airfield.

Over the years, Fairchild airplanes played major roles in the military, ferrying, freighting, and surveying industries.

In 1939, Fairchild bought a process developed by Virginius E. Clark in which a composite made of hot layers of plywood soaked with resin adhesive and bonded under pressure was used for building airframes.

[8] Before the outbreak of the war, Fairchild realized the large sales potential for trainers and developed the Model 62(M-62), which met the requirements for both military and civilian flying schools.

[4] He was awarded a military contract to build his large-capacity twin-boom plane, which featured a hinged rear door used to load bulky cargo to be designated the C-82 Packet.

[8] Fairchild was able to remain profitable after the war by manufacturing the C-119 Flying Boxcar, an upgraded version of the Packet which incorporated more powerful engines and greater capacity.

[8] In the 1950s, Fairchild manufactured the C-123 Provider, a short-range assault transport which was used for a variety of purposes, including spraying defoliants in Vietnam.

Other bequests were $300,000 to Roosevelt Hospital, $200,000 to the Salvation Army, and $100,000 to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in memory of his aunt May Fairchild.

The foundation donated $6.5 million to Columbia University, Fairchild's alma mater, for a new life sciences building.