Sherman Mills Fairchild was an American businessman, investor and inventor. He founded over 70 companies, including Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Aviation Corporation, and Fairchild Camera and Instrument. Fairchild made significant contributions to the aviation industry and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1979. His Fairchild Semiconductor company played a defining role in the development of Silicon Valley. He held over 30 patents for products ranging from the silicon semiconductor to the 8-mm. home sound motion-picture camera. Fairchild is also responsible for inventing the first synchronized camera shutter and flash as well as developing new technologies for aerial cameras that were later used on the Apollo Missions.

Born Apr. 7, 1896 in Oneonta, New York, Sherman Fairchild was the only child of George Winthrop Fairchild and Josephine Mills Sherman.

His father died on December 31, 1924, and as an only child he inherited his father's multi-million-dollar estate. He also inherited his father's IBM stock, becoming IBM's largest individual stockholder until his death in 1971.

Sherman Mills Fairchild