Frank Farrar | |
---|---|
24th Governor of South Dakota | |
In office January 7, 1969 – January 5, 1971 |
|
Lieutenant | James Abdnor |
Preceded by | Nils Boe |
Succeeded by | Richard F. Kneip |
Attorney General of South Dakota | |
In office 1963–1969 |
|
Preceded by | A. C. Miller |
Succeeded by | Gordon Mydland |
Personal details | |
Born |
Britton, South Dakota |
April 2, 1929
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Patricia Farrar (1953–2015; her death) |
Alma mater | University of South Dakota (BS, 1951, LLB 1953) |
Profession | Attorney |
Frank Leroy Farrar (born April 2, 1929) is an American politician who was the 24th Governor of South Dakota. A Republican from Britton, he served as the state's attorney general from 1963 to 1969, and as governor from 1969 to 1971. After leaving office, he chaired several holding companies and became the owner of numerous banks.
Farrar earned a B.S. and an LL.B degree from the University of South Dakota. He was in the US Army Reserve from 1949 through 1953, and on active duty during the Korean conflict from 1953 to 1955. He married the former Patricia Henley on June 5, 1953, in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was stationed in the U.S. Army.
After the Korean conflict ended, Farrar was an Internal Revenue Agent until 1957. He was a judge in 1958. Frank served as State's Attorney for Marshall County from 1959 to 1962. He was Attorney General for South Dakota from 1963 to 1969. Elected Governor, he served in that capacity from January 7, 1969 to January 5, 1971.
Farrar has over 17,000 hours of logged piloting time. He is also an avid athlete, completing the Kona Ironman Competition at age 73, a decade after surviving lymphatic cancer. He also holds the 9th fastest finishing time in the Coeur D’Alene Ironman in the 70+ Men's division. He completed the 2003 race in 16:48:49. His wife, former First Lady of South Dakota Patricia Farrar, who was also a Senior Olympian, died on October 31, 2015, at the age of 84.