John Edward Farrell (1904-1990), who pursued several careers during his lifetime, was born in Providence and graduated from Providence College in 1926. He was the first and only graduate manager of athletics at Providence College during the formative years of the Dominican college. He recruited sports stars, such as George "Birdie" Tebbetts, who went on to become a national league baseball catcher and manager, and Henry "Hank" Soar, who starred for the New York Giants football team, and later was a big league baseball umpire.
In 1924 while still a student, Farrell developed a habit of combing and clipping the local newspapers for any articles reporting on the college’s athletic events. In those days Providence College’s fledgling athletic department consisted of football, baseball, and basketball, and in 1927 hockey was added to the roster of teams. As new sports, such track and field, were added to the college’s list of teams, Farrell would add articles for them as well to the scrapbooks. This habit continued resulting in well over 100 scrapbooks covering each athletic season up to 1969. These scrapbooks contain almost the entire early history of Providence College’s athletic history as reported in the newspapers.
In addition, John Farrell taught English at Providence College and among his students was Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Pettine. In his graduating class were J. Howard McGrath, who became U.S. Attorney General, Gael E. Sullivan, later assistant Postmaster General, and Charlie Reynolds, who was elected mayor of Pawtucket many years after pitching an extra-inning game against Brown University. He is a member of the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame, past president of the P.C. Alumni Association, and was founder of the Friars Club at the college. Farrell received an honorary doctor of science degree from Providence College in 1947.
Farrell was a well-known public figure as head of the Providence Medical Association, and the Rhode Island Medical Society. He also was managing editor of the Rhode Island Medical Journal for many years. He also initiated the Council of New England State Medical Societies and served as its secretary treasurer for five years and was former chairman of the Medical Society Executive Conference.
John E. Farrell passed away in May of 1990 leaving a legacy unmatched in his athletic and teaching tenure with Providence College and to the medical community of New England.
