Use Restrictions

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Fairfax Newsletter collection, C0414, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Given by Chris Barbuschak of the Fairfax County Library Virginia Room to Lynn Eaton on April 10, 2018. Newsletters were given to the Virginia Room by Woody Hinkle, the editor's son.

Processing Information

Processing and finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from October - November 2023.

Biographical Information

Betsy W. Hinkle was born in Pecos, Texas circa 1919. She began work in journalism at the age of 16 as a reporter for the Pecos Enterprise and later worked with newspapers in Abilene, Texas and National City, California. She moved to Springfield, Virginia and began work for the Falls Church Sun Echo in 1949 when her husband, Harry Hinkle, received an assignment from the Navy in the Northern Virginia area. In 1956, she founded the Fairfax Newsletter as a weekly digest of local government activities, with the first edition published on December 31, 1955. Betsy and Harry purchased the Springfield Independent newspaper in 1959 and Betsy purchased the Burke Herald in 1977, one year after Harry's death. Betsy would go on to sell both publications to the Alexandria Gazette Corporation in 1979, but would retain ownership of the Fairfax Newsletter until her death on April 9, 1981 at the age of 62. The Fairfax Newsletter would continue to be published by Betsy's daughter Jane Hinkle through October 29, 1981, when it was announced that the publication had been purchased by reporters Thomas Grubisich and Paul Clancy.

Scope and Content

A collection of the Fairfax Newsletter containing local government news and updates covering Fairfax County, Virginia published by editor Betsy Hinkle. Editions were published weekly, with a regular two week break in August. This collection contains editions covering the majority of the newsletter's publication history, starting with the first edition published on December 31, 1955 and ending with the October 29, 1981 edition, the last published under ownership of the Hinkle family. The collection contains several notable gaps in coverage, including the mid-1960s and the majority of the 1970s. Individual missing editions and dating errors are noted at the folder level where present.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in chronological order.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds other materials related to Fairfax County such as the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records , and the Dorn McGrath Fairfax County and Loudoun County slide collection .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Citizens' associations -- Virginia -- Fairfax Region
• Fairfax (Va.)
• Fairfax County (Va.)
• Fairfax County (Va.) -- Politics and government
• Hinkle, Woody
• Newsletters