J. Rex Farrior

Jewel Rex Farrior Sr. (October 5, 1896 – January 17, 1993) was a college football and baseball player and coach for the Florida Gators of the University of Florida,[1] as well as a lawyer. He became a founding partner in a prominent Tampa-based law firm, and remained one of the biggest boosters of the Gators sports program until his death.

J. Rex Farrior
Biographical details
Born(1896-10-05)October 5, 1896
Chipley, Florida
DiedJanuary 17, 1993(1993-01-17) (aged 96)
Tampa, Florida
Playing career
1912Tampa A. C.
1913–1916Florida
Position(s)Guard, center, fullback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1917Florida (assistant)
1920-1922Gainesville HS (FL)
1923Florida (freshmen)
Baseball
1924Florida
Head coaching record
Overall5–14 (college baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award (1986)

Early years

Farrior was born October 5, 1896 in Chipley, Florida to Joseph R. Farrior and Gussie Brown.[2] His father was a physician.

Farrior attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa, where he played football and baseball, graduating in 1913. Future Gator teammate Rammy Ramsdell was in the same class.

University of Florida

Farrior is the namesake of Farrior Hall on the UF campus.[3]

Football

Farrior was a prominent guard and center for the Florida Gators football team from 1913 to 1916.[1][4] His first ever game was the 144–0 victory over the Florida Southern Moccasins.

Farrior was captain of the football team in his senior year. In that season the Gators lost all their games, suffering multiple injures and transfers, requiring Farrior to shift to fullback. He broke his ankle that year in the Indiana game.[5] A member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity at UF, the Kappa Alpha Journal reads "J. Rex Farrior of the University of Florida has been for several seasons the 'Gators most brilliant performer."[6]

1920 Gainesville High football team. Farrior is back left.

He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team.[7] As a football player, he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. The "Rex Farrior Award" was once given to the most "team-oriented" player.[8] Originally the award was given to the defensive lineman who showed the most effort.[9]

Return to UF and coaching

Farrior to Florida in 1921 after serving in World War I to earn his law degree, graduating in 1924.[10][3]

Gainesville High

From 1920 to 1922, Farrior coached the Gainesville High School football team.

Florida
A picture of the 1924 baseball team.

Farrior coached the 1924 baseball team. In his one-season the team posted a 5–14 record.

Cigar Bowl

Farrior was chairman of the selection committee for the Cigar Bowl.[11]

High school coach

Farrior held the distinction of coaching two College Football Hall of Fame members in their high school days: Dale Van Sickel and Jack McDowall.[1]

Law practice

Farrior became a partner in Shackleford and Farrior, which evolved into one of Tampa's largest law firms.[1][12] Law partner Bob Shackleford was a former Florida Gator quarterback. Farrior was elected president of the Florida Bar in 1975.[3][13]

gollark: Indeed.
gollark: My reasoning is:* It's still 60 people a month so it doesn't help* everyone will enter anyway* they'll just be annoyed at the extra wyrms
gollark: Namely that it doesn't fix the actual distribution issues the raffle creates.
gollark: I think it was stupid for other reasons myself.
gollark: I wonder why.

See also
  • List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

References
  1. "Rex Farrior". National Football Foundation.
  2. Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7R3-R9K : accessed June 24, 2015), Jewel Rex Farrior, October 5, 1896; citing Chipley, Washington, Florida, reference ; FHL microfilm 978,727.
  3. "Farrior Hall".
  4. 2014 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived September 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 74, 75, 76–86, 87–90, 91–93, 94, 95–96, 98–106, 107–116, 141–144, 146–159, 160, 171–175, 176–183 (2014). Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  5. "Florida Put Out 14-3, by Stiehm Men". The Indianapolis Star. November 19, 1916. p. 33. Retrieved August 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Order, Kappa Alpha (1918). "[No title]". Kappa Alpha Journal. 34 (3): 43.
  7. "U-T Greats On All-Time Southeast Team". Kingsport Post. July 31, 1969.
  8. "Football Team Awards Announced at Banquet". February 11, 2002.
  9. "UF Roundup". Gainesville Sun. February 24, 1993.
  10. "Jewel Rex Farrior".
  11. "Cyclones, Drake Among Eyed For Cigar Bowl". October 26, 1949. p. 9. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Tampa Bay Magazine".
  13. The Florida Bar, History, List of Past Presidents. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
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