Herman Le Roy Fairchild was born on April 29, 1850, in Montrose, Pennsylvania.

He was an American educator and geologist. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.Sc. degree in 1874. He was Professor of Geology and Natural History at the University of Rochester (1888-1920) and a curator of the Geological museum from 1896. He was primarily interested in the glacial geology of western New York, having accurately mapped its proglacial lakes. He was an early proponent of the theory of meteorite impact causing craters such as that of Meteor Crater, Arizona. He co-founded the Geological Society of America, served as its Secretary from 1891 to 1906 and President from 1912 to 1913. In 1894, he served as General Secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a member of the New York State Board of Geographic Names (1913-1923). He wrote many monographs and articles on glacial geology.

In 1875, he married Sarah Alice Egbert (1848–1923). In 1924, he married Philomena “Minnie” C. Michael (1874–). He died on November 29, 1943, in Rochester, New York.