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|battles=[[World War II]], including service in [[Okinawa]]}}

|battles=[[World War II]], including service in [[Okinawa]]}}

'''Albert Bel Fay, Sr.''' (February 26, 1913 &ndash; February 29, 1992), was an [[United States|American]] [[business]]man who  served briefly as the United States Ambassador to [[Trinidad and Tobago]] and was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], whose involvement with the party began in 1952 with the first presidential campaign of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].​<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffa20|title=Fay, Albert Bel, Sr.|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas'' on-line|author=Mary Smith Fay|accessdate=October 25, 2019}}</ref>

'''Albert Bel Fay Sr.''' (February 26, 1913 &ndash; February 29, 1992), was an [[United States|American]] [[business]]man who  served briefly as the United States Ambassador to [[Trinidad and Tobago]] and was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], whose involvement with the party began in 1952 with the first presidential campaign of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].​<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffa20|title=Fay, Albert Bel, Sr.|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas'' on-line|author=Mary Smith Fay|accessdate=October 25, 2019}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

Fay was born in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], to Charles Spencer Fay and the former Marie Dorothy Bel, hence his middle name.<ref name=pgraveyard>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fay.html|title=Fay, Albert Bel|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=October 25, 2019}}</ref> His father was an officer of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The family relocated to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], where Fay graduated from San Jacinto High School. In 1935, he married the former Homoiselle Randall Haden (August 26, 1908 &ndash; February 6, 1990). They were the parents of three children, including Albert Bel Fay, Jr. (born 1945), of Houston, an active Republican  donor.​<ref name=bio/>

Fay was born in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], to Charles Spencer Fay and the former Marie Dorothy Bel, hence his middle name.<ref name=pgraveyard>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fay.html|title=Fay, Albert Bel|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=October 25, 2019}}</ref> His father was an officer of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The family relocated to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], where Fay graduated from San Jacinto High School. In 1935, he married the former Homoiselle Randall Haden (August 26, 1908 &ndash; February 6, 1990). They were the parents of three children, including Albert Bel Fay Jr. (born 1945), of Houston, an active Republican  donor.​<ref name=bio/>

In 1936, Fay obtained a bachelor's degree in geology from [[Yale University]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Connecticut]]. At Yale, he was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. During [[World War II]], he commanded a submarine chaser in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Later in the war, he was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant while serving in [[Okinawa]].<ref name=bio/>​

In 1936, Fay obtained a bachelor's degree in geology from [[Yale University]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Connecticut]]. At Yale, he was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. During [[World War II]], he commanded a submarine chaser in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Later in the war, he was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant while serving in [[Okinawa]].<ref name=bio/>​

In 1952, Fay began precinct level work for the Republican Party of Texas. He supported Eisenhower,<ref name=bio/>  a native Texan, having been born in Denison in 1890. Eisenhower was only the second [[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] nominee since [[Reconstruction]] to have won the [[electoral vote]]s of Texas.

In 1952, Fay began precinct level work for the Republican Party of Texas. He supported Eisenhower,<ref name=bio/>  a native Texan, having been born in Denison in 1890. Eisenhower was only the second [[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] nominee since [[Reconstruction]] to have won the [[electoral vote]]s of Texas.

By 1960, Fay had become Republican national committeeman and an automatic  member of the [[Republican National Committee]]. At the 1964 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], Fay served on the Credentials Committee.<ref>[[Jack Crichton]], ''The Republican-Democrat Political Campaigns in Texas in 1964,'' self-published, 2004, p. 24.</ref> In 1969, Fay lost his national committeeman's position about the time that the [[attorney]] William Merritt Steger (1920-2004) was elected state party chairman to succeed Peter O'Donnell of [[Dallas]]. Steger had been the unsuccessful Republican [[governor|gubernatorial]] candidate in 1960 and was later a long-serving U.S. District Court [[judge]] based in [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]] in Smith County in east Texas.

By 1960, Fay had become Republican national committeeman and an automatic  member of the [[Republican National Committee]]. At the 1964 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], Fay served on the Credentials Committee.<ref>[[Jack Crichton]], ''The Republican-Democrat Political Campaigns in Texas in 1964,'' self-published, 2004, p. 24.</ref> In 1969, Fay lost his national committeeman's position about the time that the [[attorney]] William Merritt Steger (1920–2004) was elected state party chairman to succeed Peter O'Donnell of [[Dallas]]. Steger had been the unsuccessful Republican [[governor|gubernatorial]] candidate in 1960 and was later a long-serving U.S. District Court [[judge]] based in [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]] in Smith County in east Texas.

==Opposing Jerry Sadler for land commissioner==

==Opposing Jerry Sadler for land commissioner==

In 1962 and 1966, Fay was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Texas land commissioner. In the latter race he won the endorsement of the [[AFL-CIO]] executive board. He lost both races to popular [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Gerald Anthony "Jerry" Sadler (1907-1982), who once had [[Governor|gubernatorial]] ambitions. In the 1962 campaign, Fay hailed [[U.S. President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] for signing into law the establishment of the Padre Island National Seashore north of [[Brownsville]].<ref name=bio/>

In 1962 and 1966, Fay was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Texas land commissioner. In the latter race he won the endorsement of the [[AFL-CIO]] executive board. He lost both races to popular [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Gerald Anthony "Jerry" Sadler (1907–1982), who once had [[Governor|gubernatorial]] ambitions. In the 1962 campaign, Fay hailed [[U.S. President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] for signing into law the establishment of the Padre Island National Seashore north of [[Brownsville]].<ref name=bio/>

In 1966, Fay supported President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in the establishment of the [[Guadalupe Mountains National Park]] in West Texas near the [[New Mexico]] border. Both acquisitions had long been strongly promoted by Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ralph Yarborough]]. Previously, Texas had only one national park: [[Big Bend National Park|Big Bend]] along the [[Rio Grande]] in the southwestern part of the state. Fay found himself allying with [[liberal]] Democrat Yarborough, whereas his opponent, Sadler, and the Texas Republican U. S. Senator [[John Tower]] were opposed to the additional park lands. Sadler took the view that the acquisition of lands from private individuals would mean less [[property tax]] revenues needed to provide the local share of financing of public schools as well as declining funds to the Texas Permanent School Fund.

In 1966, Fay supported President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in the establishment of the [[Guadalupe Mountains National Park]] in West Texas near the [[New Mexico]] border. Both acquisitions had long been strongly promoted by Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[Ralph Yarborough]]. Previously, Texas had only one national park: [[Big Bend National Park|Big Bend]] along the [[Rio Grande]] in the southwestern part of the state. Fay found himself allying with [[liberal]] Democrat Yarborough, whereas his opponent, Sadler, and the Texas Republican U. S. Senator [[John Tower]] were opposed to the additional park lands. Sadler took the view that the acquisition of lands from private individuals would mean less [[property tax]] revenues needed to provide the local share of financing of public schools as well as declining funds to the Texas Permanent School Fund.