Obituary: Betty Fairchild, Former Random House Sales Executive

Betty Bruce Morrissette Fairchild, former vice president, field director for Random House Adult, died on August 27, at age 67.

Fairchild was a bookseller in Richmond, Virginia, in 1975, when she was hired by Random House as a rep to independent bookstores in the Southeast. She later moved to Philadelphia, where she worked closely with Encore and Koen Distributors and helped found the Mid-Atlantic Booksellers Association, the precursor to the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association.

As vice president, field director for Random House Adult from the mid-1990s to her retirement in 2002, Fairchild was a strong advocate for independent booksellers and the reps who called on them, said Jaci Updike, senior vice president, director, adult sales, for Penguin Random House.  After Random House merged with Bantam Doubleday Dell, Fairchild led a variety of marketing and partnership initiatives that laid the groundwork for the approach of today’s sales reps.

Fairchild was known for working her phone network for hours every day, calling on everyone from the newest sales assistant to the chairman of Random House and his staff. After hours, she held court with editors, publicists, marketers, and sales staff at Ashton’s across the street from the old Random House offices on East 50th Street, and later at Oscar’s in the Waldorf-Astoria. Fairchild loved to mentor young colleagues and followed their progress, as well as developments at Random House after her retirement, with tremendous pride, said Updike.

Fairchild is survived by her sister, Alice Brewer; her brother, Charles Morrissette; and many friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, 2050 Langhorne Road, Suite 201, Lynchburg, Virginia 24501.