Fonds F0739 - Will Fairfield fonds

William Harmon "Will" Fairfield, 1874-1961, was born near Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA. He received his MSc from the College of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado in 1898. In 1901, after teaching agriculture at the University of Wyoming, he moved to Alberta with his brother, Stephen Harry, and established a farm south of Lethbridge. His success with farming led the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company to place him in charge of their demonstration farm. In 1906 he became the first superintendent of the Lethbridge Experimental Station, a position he held until his retirement in 1946. He served on many boards and commissions including the Committee on Western Grain Standards; the 1922 Survey Board for Southern Alberta; the 1930 M.L. Wilson Commission on irrigation districts; the 1933 Advisory Committee on Water Development and Land Utilization; Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA); and the Southern Alberta Water Conservation Council. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1930, the Coronation Medal in 1937, and an OBE in 1943. In 1956 he was made a fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. He was named to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1974. He and his wife had two daughters, Elizabeth "Beth" and Mrs. E.H. Strickland.