Harold Farmer Memorial Agriculture Scholarship Endowment

Harold Farmer, coach and agricultural instructor at Northwest College from 1960-1978, was recruited by the Los Angeles Rams to play football in the late 1950s, but he said “no” to stay and teach at NWC. Harold had a hand in starting the rodeo program, the wrestling program, and the weight training program at the college. Even after his retirement, Harold remained involved with NWC, and he and his wife, Francee, regularly attended sporting events, receptions, and Foundation Galas up until Harold’s death.
“When dad taught, he had a very smart student, but the kid was failing most of his classes, including Dad’s. After a test, Dad took him aside and said, ‘I know you know all of this—how did you fail?’ He found out the kid was dyslexic, so he started giving the tests orally. Sure enough, the student passed the rest of his tests with flying colors.” Rachelle Wright, Harold’s youngest daughter, remembers hearing this story about her dad, and the scholarship in his name grew out of Francee’s belief that supporting NWC was the way to honor Harold’s life work and passion for helping students succeed.
Harold’s daughter Rachelle believes in the benefits of a college education. “Even taking a class or two can help you get a feel for what you truly want to do, and Northwest College is a great place to start. Many of us change our majors several times trying to find our way, and we’re lucky to have an inexpensive quality community college nearby. Students can find their way, and get the support of NWC’s faculty while they do it,” she says.
Harold Farmer left a legacy at Northwest College in the programs he started and the hard work he did to support students and share his love of agriculture and athletics. Now, thanks to his family, Harold’s legacy of giving to NWC continues through a scholarship endowment in his name.