Draft:James D. Fay
Senate President of Oregon / Historical Figure in the founding of the modern Oregon State.
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. LaithDababneh (talk) 21:20, 19 March 2026 (UTC)
James D. Fay
| 3rd President of the Oregon Senate | |
|---|---|
Assumed office 1870 1872 | |
| Preceded by | Wilson Bowlby |
| Party | Democrat |
Early Life
Born in South Carolina, James Denis Fay came to prominence in Oregon as a lawyer and newspaperman whose career was defined as much by public office as by public scandal. After legal study in Corvallis under A. A. Skinner and Judge Thayer, Fay practiced law in Corvallis and then in Southern Oregon, becoming a well-known figure in Jacksonville by the early 1860s.[1]
Public Service
Fay decided to enter public service and won a legislative seat from Josephine County, in 1862 and again in 1864. Seeing a wave of success, Fay ran statewide as the Democratic candidate for Congress in 1866, in which he ultimately failed.
Later elected to the Oregon State Senate from Jackson County in 1868, Fay rose to President of the Senate in 1970 and returned to that leadership post again in 1872, while simultaneously serving as an editor and party tactician in the county’s bitterly factional politics. Later, his political acumen led to his unsuccessful nomination by the Oregon State Legislature for US Senate.
Death
In late May 1879, while on legal business at Coos Bay, Fay died at Empire City from a pistol shot to the head in a saloon; a coroner’s jury ruled suicide, as evidence indicated a pistol in his hand during the incident, though some friends and associates disputed that conclusion and argued the circumstances suggested foul play.
With the Jury remarking the following: "We, the jury summoned to inquire into the cause of the death of James D. Fay, do find that deceased came to his death by a wound inflicted by a pistol shot fired from a pistol held in his own hands."[2]
