John R. Farr

John R. Farr
Farr, between 1921 and 1922
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 10th district
In office
February 25, 1921 โ€“ March 3, 1921
Preceded byPatrick McLane
Succeeded byCharles Robert Connell
In office
March 4, 1911 โ€“ March 3, 1919
Preceded byThomas David Nicholls
Succeeded byPatrick McLane
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899 (as speaker)
Personal details
Born(1857-07-18)July 18, 1857
DiedDecember 11, 1933(1933-12-11) (aged 76)
Scranton, Pennsylvania, US
PartyRepublican
Alma materLafayette College
Signature

John Richard Farr (July 18, 1857 โ€“ December 11, 1933) was an American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Biography

Farr was born on July 18, 1857, in Hyde Park, Scranton, Pennsylvania,[1] to Edward and Elizabeth Farr.[2] He attended Scranton's School of the Lackawanna and Phillips Academy, then studied at Lafayette College, though never graduated.[3] He worked as a newsboy, journalist, as well as in the real estate business.[4]

For four years, Farr served on the Scranton School Board. A Republican, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1891, 1893, 1895, 1897, and 1899, serving as speaker of the 1899 session.[4] As a state legislator, he introduced bills to provide free textbooks to public schools and to make public education compulsory; both measures passed, in 1893 and 1895, respectively.[1][2]

Postcard promoting Farr in his Congressional campaign

A candidate from Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district, Farr was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1908, but was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-second and to the three succeeding Congresses. He successfully contested the election of Patrick McLane to the Sixty-sixth Congress, though his success came almost at the end of McLane's term.[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1920, 1930, and 1932.[4][5]

Farr resumed the real estate business in Scranton. He was married with four children. He died on December 11, 1933, aged 76, in Scranton, from a heart attack.[2] The heart attack hospitalized him at West Side Hospital, which he had helped establish in the 1890s.[6] He was buried on December 12,[7] at Shady Lane Cemetery, in Chinchilla.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "John R. Farr". The Tribune. December 12, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d "John R. Farr Dead". New York Times. December 12, 1933. p. 23. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  3. ^ Pennsylvania State Manual. Department of Property and Supplies for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1897. p. 1049.
  4. ^ a b c d "Farr, John Richard". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Farr". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  6. ^ "John R. Farr Expires In Hospital Which He Helped to Establish". The Tribune. December 12, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  7. ^ "Tribute Is Paid to John R. Farr At Funeral Here". The Tribune. December 15, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved January 24, 2026.