US Senator, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. He served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 1912 to 1921 as a Republican. During President Warren G. Harding's administration, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1921 to 1923. He was one of those involved with the Teapot Dome Scandal. From 1921 to 1923, Navy oil reserves were leased to private oil companies at low rates without competitive bidding. After the beginning of a congressional investigation, he resigned from the Senate in 1923, returning to New Mexico. In August of 1923, President Harding suddenly died, Vice President Calvin Coolidge became President, and for a time, the investigation slowed. In 1927 the United States Supreme Court ruled that the oil leases had been corruptly obtained and the oil was returned to the Navy. In 1928 newspaper reporter Paul Y. Anderson brought the situation to the public's attention with his detailed articles covering this story, and for this reporting, he received the 1929 Pulitzer Prize. The same year, Fall was found guilty of accepting bribes, according to sources, totaling $385,000; sentenced to one year in prison; and became the first Presidential Cabinet member to be found guilty of actions while in office. He served nine months of his sentence at the State Prison in Santa Fe. The oil companies who paid the bribes were acquitted. Born into a poor family, Fall left formal schooling at age 11 to work in a cotton mill. After developing respiratory problems, he moved west, eventually settling in New Mexico. Between 1879 and 1881, Fall was a school teacher while he studied law. After passing the bar and starting his law practice by 1891, he purchased a large cattle ranch and over the years, expanded his wealth in mining, railroads, lumber, and real estate dealings. He served in the United States Army infantry during the Spanish American War and again during the military invasion of Mexico in 1916 as a means of ending Pancho Villa's raids. Beginning his political career, he served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1891 to 1892, on the territorial council from 1892 to 1893, before serving as Justice of New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court in 1893. He returned to the Territorial Council from 1896 and 1897 and again from 1902 to 1904. In 1897 he was the Attorney General of the Territory of New Mexico. After New Mexico became a state in 1912, he was one of the first to be elected as a United States Senator. While in law practice, he had several well-known cases including defending Jesse Wayne Brazel, the accused killer of former Sheriff Pat Garrett, the lawman who killed Billy the Kid in 1891. On May 7, 1883, Fall married Emma Garland Morgan and the couple had one son and three daughters. During the influenza epidemic of 1918, his son and one daughter died within a week of each other. While in prison, he was hospitalized for long periods with declining health. Upon his release from prison in 1932, he and his wife relocated to El Paso, Texas. His law practice was lost and his ranch went into foreclosure. His reputation had been destroyed, his financial means negligible, and his health continued to decline. His wife died in 1943 and he in November of 1944. He and his family maintained that he was innocent of any wrongdoings.

US Senator, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. He served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 1912 to 1921 as a Republican. During President Warren G. Harding's administration, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1921 to 1923. He was one of those involved with the Teapot Dome Scandal. From 1921 to 1923, Navy oil reserves were leased to private oil companies at low rates without competitive bidding. After the beginning of a congressional investigation, he resigned from the Senate in 1923, returning to New Mexico. In August of 1923, President Harding suddenly died, Vice President Calvin Coolidge became President, and for a time, the investigation slowed. In 1927 the United States Supreme Court ruled that the oil leases had been corruptly obtained and the oil was returned to the Navy. In 1928 newspaper reporter Paul Y. Anderson brought the situation to the public's attention with his detailed articles covering this story, and for this reporting, he received the 1929 Pulitzer Prize. The same year, Fall was found guilty of accepting bribes, according to sources, totaling $385,000; sentenced to one year in prison; and became the first Presidential Cabinet member to be found guilty of actions while in office. He served nine months of his sentence at the State Prison in Santa Fe. The oil companies who paid the bribes were acquitted. Born into a poor family, Fall left formal schooling at age 11 to work in a cotton mill. After developing respiratory problems, he moved west, eventually settling in New Mexico. Between 1879 and 1881, Fall was a school teacher while he studied law. After passing the bar and starting his law practice by 1891, he purchased a large cattle ranch and over the years, expanded his wealth in mining, railroads, lumber, and real estate dealings. He served in the United States Army infantry during the Spanish American War and again during the military invasion of Mexico in 1916 as a means of ending Pancho Villa's raids. Beginning his political career, he served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1891 to 1892, on the territorial council from 1892 to 1893, before serving as Justice of New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court in 1893. He returned to the Territorial Council from 1896 and 1897 and again from 1902 to 1904. In 1897 he was the Attorney General of the Territory of New Mexico. After New Mexico became a state in 1912, he was one of the first to be elected as a United States Senator. While in law practice, he had several well-known cases including defending Jesse Wayne Brazel, the accused killer of former Sheriff Pat Garrett, the lawman who killed Billy the Kid in 1891. On May 7, 1883, Fall married Emma Garland Morgan and the couple had one son and three daughters. During the influenza epidemic of 1918, his son and one daughter died within a week of each other. While in prison, he was hospitalized for long periods with declining health. Upon his release from prison in 1932, he and his wife relocated to El Paso, Texas. His law practice was lost and his ranch went into foreclosure. His reputation had been destroyed, his financial means negligible, and his health continued to decline. His wife died in 1943 and he in November of 1944. He and his family maintained that he was innocent of any wrongdoings.

Bio by: Linda Davis