Richard Claborn Farr has been both a successful corporate executive and a private investor.
WEST HARTFORD, CT, May 28, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Richard Claborn Farr with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Farr celebrates many years' experience in his professional careers and has been noted for his diverse achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his fields. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Farr has been both a successful corporate executive and a private investor. As a corporate executive from 1952 until 1980, he held numerous high-level positions. Notably, he served as Executive Vice President for Crown Zellerbach Corporation, headquartered in San Francisco, He concluded his corporate career when he retired from that firm. Before that, he was Corporate Vice President of Heublein, Inc. in Farmington, Connecticut, and was Senior Advisor to the Founder of that company. Earlier, Mr. Farr was Managing Director for Lehman Brothers, Inc. in New York City, and prior to that was the Senior Vice President for Continental Grain Company in New York City and Paris and functioned in various roles with that international, privately held firm, including Special Executive Assistant to the Owner – CEO and the owning family.
Initially in his corporate career, Mr. Farr earned the opportunity to work in an acclaimed and highly competitive management development program for Proctor and Gamble at a time when that company was hiring only individuals with a master's degree or higher. Offered a position as an engineer, although he had no formal training in that field, he was selected for that position after scoring highly on that organization's engineering aptitude test. Mr. Farr moved into operational management, and then general management quickly thereafter, and continued to progress rapidly from there. He was promoted to a position in that company's executive offices in 1960. His rapid rise necessitated a geographical relocation for him and his family seven times during this period
He retired from the corporate world at age 50 and founded Farr Investments in West Hartford, Connecticut and has been the Chief Executive Officer of that firm since that time.
In his early life, one of Mr. Farr's proudest achievements was that of attaining the rank of Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America) with several palms in 1944. Upon graduation as Valedictorian of his high school class, he received his parents' permission to enlist in the Regular Army of the United States at age 17 so that he could serve in World War II. While still in service in the Army, he received a Congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. After completing his Army service, he decided against accepting the appointment to the Naval Academy and instead enrolled in Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.
Versatility characterized Mr. Farr's life as an undergraduate. He demonstrated academic excellence as a high honors graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religion; leadership as the President of the Student Body; and athletic prowess by earning 16 varsity letters in five sports, including eight Conference championships. In 1952 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Also, in 1952 he was named a Special Agent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He continued his education with postgraduate coursework at Stanford University and Southern Methodist University. Various accomplishments led later to the granting of an honorary degree.
Citing his strong religious background and inspiration by several highly regarded ministers during his life, Mr. Farr is grateful for this impact on his many successes, including the opportunity he has had to conduct numerous lectures on the topic of "Christian Ethics in Business."
With portfolio companies acquired through Farr Investments, Mr. Farr has served on numerous boards and committees. He chaired and was Chief Executive Officer of Lincoln Logs Ltd. He was an early investor, a Director and occasional Officer of: American Power Conversion Corporation; Seal, Inc.; Calloway Golf Company; Air Florida Systems, Inc.; Air Sunshine; Archimedes Systems, Inc.; American Bituminous Coal Corporation; Hunter Environmental Services, Inc.; and Palladium Industries, Inc. as Chairman of the Board. He was a mutual funds Trustee of Scottish Widows International Fund; the William Penn Group of Funds; and Federated Funds. He served for 12 years as a Trustee for Hendrix College, from which he was presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1986. Mr. Farr has made significant contributions to a variety of charitable and religious organizations, and has held numerous directorships, trusteeships and officer roles for many civic, cultural and educational organizations.
Recognition has come his way at various times and in different endeavors. He was recognized as "Young Man of the Year" by Sacramento, California, in 1957. He has continued his avocational and competitive athletic pursuits, having achieved any number of local, state, regional and national titles in the sports of tennis, golf and platform tennis. He has achieved national ranking by the American Platform Tennis Association. Of significance, he is widely credited with having brought the human resources function into the highest realm of the management of major corporations. Mr. Farr has been featured in several editions of Who's Who in America, dating back to 1987.
A longtime member of the Hartford Golf Club, he has served as a Director and President of that club. He is also currently a member of the Ford Plantation Club and Ogeechee Golf Club near Savannah, Georgia; the Oyster Harbors Club in Osterville, Massachusetts; the University Club of New York City. He is a former member of several additional country and city clubs in locations where he has lived.
When asked pointedly during an interview: "To what do you attribute your success?" Mr. Farr responded: "Having been blessed to have been born and reared in the rural American South in a modest economic situation during the Great Depression, into a family where love, respect for others, and generosity abounded." Then asked, "What do you consider to be your most outstanding characteristic?" his response was, "I am appreciative!"
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his professions and the Marquis Who's Who community, Richard Claborn Farr has been featured on the Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers,com for more information about this honor.
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