# Frederick Babson
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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Frederick Babson
| image =
| image_size =
| order = Chair of the [Fairfax County, Virginia](/source/Fairfax_County%2C_Virginia)
[Board of Supervisors](/source/Board_of_Supervisors)
| term_start = 1968
| term_end = 1970
| preceded = Position created
| succeeded = [William Hoofnagle](/source/William_Hoofnagle)
| order2 = Member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from the Falls Church District
| term_start2 = 1964
| term_end2 = 1967
| preceded2 = Robert C. Cotten
| succeeded2 = District abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|7|9}}
| birth_place = [Savannah, Georgia](/source/Savannah%2C_Georgia), U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|9|17|1930|7|9}}
| death_place = [Arlington County, Virginia](/source/Arlington_County%2C_Virginia), U.S.
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill)
| occupation = Attorney
| website =
}}
'''Frederick Augustus Babson, Jr.''' (July 9, 1930 – September 17, 1999) was an attorney and politician from [Fairfax County, Virginia](/source/Fairfax_County%2C_Virginia) who was the inaugural holder of the position of chairman of the [Fairfax County Board of Supervisors](/source/Fairfax_County_Board_of_Supervisors), a job he held from 1968 to 1970.[{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/board-chairmen-art-display.htm|title=Fairfax County to Receive Art Display Featuring Board of Supervisors Chairmen|publisher=Fairfax County|accessdate=April 17, 2010|archive-date=June 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614015413/http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/board-chairmen-art-display.htm|url-status=dead}}][{{cite news|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-623088.html|title=Fairfax Debates a Push for Power; Officials Divided Over Need for Stronger Executive or Chairman to Lead County|last=Shear|first=Michael D.|date=November 29, 1999|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}]
Babson came to the area in 1958 to work for Turney & Turney, a law firm in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.)[{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Bart|title=Frederick Babson Jr., Fairfax Official, Dies|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=21 September 1999|access-date=13 September 2015|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/09/21/frederick-babson-jr-fairfax-official-dies/842a609d-ef96-48a8-a788-b706eee2bfab/}}]
In June 1960, Babson was appointed by the Fairfax County board of supervisors to coordinate the county's defense against the [City of Falls Church](/source/Falls_Church%2C_Virginia), which sought to annex roughly 4.5 square miles of the county.[{{cite news|last=Chapman|first=William|title=Fairfax Supervisors Defer Government Change Decision: Referendum Date|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 June 1960|id={{ProQuest|141224238}}}}] After several months gathering evidence to fight the suit, Babson resigned in February 1961 to return to private practice with what was now the law firm of Turney, Major, Markham and Sherfy.[{{cite news|title=Anti-Annexation Official Resigns Post in Fairfax|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=9 February 1961|id={{ProQuest|141299548}}}}]
In 1963, Babson was elected to the Falls Church District seat on the Fairfax County board of supervisors, defeating incumbent Republican Robert C. Cotten.[{{cite news|last=Dewar|first=Helen|title=Two Attorneys Vie for Falls Church Seat|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=13 October 1963|id={{ProQuest|141870396}}}}][{{cite news|title=N. Virginia State, Local Vote Results|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=6 November 1963|id={{ProQuest|141991842}}}}] In January 1966, he was elected chairman of the board by his fellow supervisors.[{{cite news|last=Boyd|first=Kenneth M.|title=Fairfax to Seek Urban Status|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=6 January 1966|id={{ProQuest|143000152}}}}]
Fairfax County voters approved a referendum in November 1966 that changed the county's plan of government from the county executive form, under which the county had operated since 1952, to the new urban county executive form.
A significant change to the board of supervisors was the change of the chairmanship from a single-year term selected by the supervisors from among their membership to an at-large office directly elected by the voters of the county. Babson declared his candidacy for this newly created chairmanship in January 1967.[{{cite news|last=Yenckel|first=James T.|title=Babson Runs For Chairman In Fairfax|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=9 January 1967|id={{ProQuest|143319602}}}}]
Babson won the chairmanship the November 1967 election, defeating former Mason District Supervisor [Stanford E. Parris](/source/Stanford_E._Parris) and [Vienna](/source/Vienna%2C_Virginia) Mayor James C. Martinelli.[{{cite news|title=Final Results in Fairfax|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=9 November 1967|id={{ProQuest|143080273}}}}]
In November 1969, Babson resigned as chairman of the Fairfax County board of supervisors, citing the low pay of $10,000 per year for the part-time office as motive.[{{cite news|last=Klose|first=Kevin|title=Babson Quits Board In Fairfax|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=20 November 1969|id={{ProQuest|143588884}}}}] Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Arthur W. Sinclair appointed Fairfax County School Board member [William S. Hoofnagle](/source/William_Hoofnagle) to serve out the rest of Babson's term on December 10, 1969, and Hoofnagle took office in January 1970.[{{cite news|last=Bredemeier|first=Kenneth|title=School Unit's Hoofnagle Named Chairman of Fairfax Supervisors|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=11 December 1969|id={{ProQuest|143666878}}}}]
Babson's resignation from the chair effectively put an end to his political career. In 1974, he attempted to mount a campaign as an independent for [Virginia's Eighth Congressional District](/source/Virginia's_8th_congressional_district).[{{cite news|last=Omang|first=Joanne|title=8th District Seat Sought By Babson|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=8 June 1974|id={{ProQuest|146162840}}}}] He also unsuccessfully sought the seat of retiring Senator [William L. Scott](/source/William_L._Scott) in 1978, but did not receive his party's nomination.[{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19770301&id=UwkUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=74oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4414,10025|title=Fairfax Man Eyes Scott's Senate Seat|date=March 1, 1977|work=Merril News Service|publisher=The Free Lance-Star|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}]
==Death==
On September 17, 1999, Babson died after [brain surgery](/source/Neurosurgery).