Henry Pratt Fairchild

Henry Pratt Fairchild (August 18, 1880 – October 2, 1956) was an American sociologist who was Professor of Sociology at New York University and actively involved in many of the controversial issues of his time. He wrote about race relations, abortion and contraception, and immigration. He was involved with the founding of Planned Parenthood and served as president to the American Eugenics Society (1929–1931).

Early life Fairchild was born in Dundee, Illinois. He was president of the American Sociological Society in 1936.

He was active with Margaret Sanger in founding Planned Parenthood.

Fairchild was a professor of economics and sociology at Bowdoin College.

Fairchild was fearful of overpopulation, citing Malthus. He argued that birth control was a solution to overpopulation. He was a critic of immigration to the United States, authoring the 1926 book The Melting Pot Mistake, which argued that the United States could not assimilate the vast number of immigrants that it had accepted in the previous fifty years. He also authored the 1913 book Immigration: A World Movement and Its American Significance.

He was a critic of capitalism. In 1942, he played a leading role in advocating for Earl Browder, former Communist Party secretary, to be released from jail. In 1953, he called for clemency for the Rosenbergs, Soviet spies who had been sentenced to execution.

He lived at 230 East 48th St in New York City.