George Vincent Fagan

Brig. Gen. George V. Fagan (USAF Ret.) died on March 15 at the age of 94. Gen. Fagan was an original faculty member of the U.S. Air Force Academy when it opened in Colorado in 1955. He was Professor of History and Director of Libraries at the Academy until his retirement from the Air Force in 1969. His development of the Library was instrumental in the Academy’s obtaining accreditation before the graduation of its first class in 1959.

Gen. Fagan was College Librarian of Colorado College from 1969 to 1984 where he established special collections of historical archives of the Pike’s Peak Region. During retirement, Gen. Fagan participated in numerous community programs benefitting senior citizens. He was one of the founders of the Colorado Springs Senior Center, Marian House and Villas San Jose and Santa Maria. He also served on the Board of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

Gen. Fagan had degrees from Temple University (B.S. and M.A.), the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.) and the University of Denver (M.A. in L.S.). His published works include An Illustrated History of the Air Force Academy and The Academy Heritage: the Early Years.

Gen. Fagan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 4, 1917. He began his military career with the Army Air Corp in 1941. During World War II, he served with the Eighth Air Force based in London.

Gen. Fagan is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ernestine Hudak Fagan; five children: Rev. George V. Fagan, Jr. of Limon CO, William J. Fagan of Cheyenne WY, John E. Fagan of Reston VA, Tina Barber of Springfield VA and Terence P. (Renny) Fagan of Golden, CO; five grandchildren: Mark G. Fagan of Waco TX, Maj. Elizabeth Barber Meehan of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Maria T. Barber of Burke VA; Matthew B. Majeune-Fagan of Fort Worth TX, and W. Riley Majeune-Fagan of Palo Alto CA; and four great-grandchildren: Justus J. and Titus J. Fagan of Waco TX, and MacKenzi G. and Micah G. Barber of Burke VA.