Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/492

Rh at the college was the editor. Mrs. Fairbanks, as a girl, became familiar with parliamentary law and her early training gave her an excellent basis for her work in later years. Two years after obtaining her degree she became the wife of Charles Warren Fairbanks, her former college editor, and they took up their residence in Indianapolis. Mrs. Fairbanks became the president of the first literary club of the state and was the first woman appointed on the Indiana State Board of Charities. She organized "The Fortnightly Literary Club" and belonged to art and musical societies, all of this in addition to caring for her little family of five children. When Mr. Fairbanks was elected senator from Indiana Mrs. Fairbanks became one of the winter residents of Washington, joined the Washington Club, and founded, together with a number of other progressive and enterprising women, "The Woman's League," to aid and assist the "Junior Republic." During the Spanish War she did an incalculable amount of work for our soldiers, was made president of the Indiana Aid Society to send nurses, hospital supplies and commissary stores to the front. In 1900 Mrs. Fairbanks was elected director of the Federation of Woman's Clubs. One of her chief aims was the promotion of Continental Hall, in which she was actively interested. Another measure that Mrs. Fairbanks strongly advocated during her term as president-general was the commemoration of the historic places of the country which she thought might be made into object lessons in love of country to those who had not had early patriotic training.

Mrs. Knott is among the earliest members of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, being at the time of its formation, a resident of Washington. She was elected a member of the society on June 19, 1891, having previously attended several preliminary meetings of the society at the residence of Mrs. Cabell. On the 9th of May of the same year she was elected one of the vice-presidents-general. Mrs. Knott claims membership in the society on account of the Revolutionary services rendered by Captain John Phelan, through her mother Mary J. Kienan, nee Mary J. Phelan. Captain Phelan joined the American army at Boston in 1776. He survived the war, being promoted to the rank of captain for gallant services performed during the war and was with the army until it disbanded at Newburg in October, 1783. After the war Captain Phelan engaged in mercantile business in New York. He made a trip to Rio Janeiro in connection with his business. On his return he was shipwrecked, losing the vessel and cargo in which most of his fortune was invested. He removed to Baltimore and established a classical and mathematical school which enjoyed a wide reputation for many years. He died in Baltimore in 1827. Mrs. Knott took an active part in the work of the early building up of the Daughters of the American Revolution. On the retirement of Mrs. Flora Adams Darling from the position which she filled of vice-president-general in charge of the organization of chapters, Mrs. Knott, together with Mrs. John W. Foster and Mrs. H. V. Boynton was appointed by the national board to take charge of that work. In 1891 Mrs. Knott, on her removal to Baltimore, was requested by the national