ALUMNI PROFILE: DALLAS FARR

Dallas Farr 1948 graduate of original FHS dedicated fan of FHS, HSE sports

Ben McHenry mchenben000@hsestudents.org

To many of the staff and students, FHS is 13 years old. However, for the older residents of Fishers, FHS brings an entirely diff erent experience to mind. Dallas Farr, a Fishers resident who graduated from the original FHS in 1947, recalls a small, close knit high school and community experience. “You knew each and every person and their families,” Farr said. “There were only 17 students in my class, and every class was about that size or smaller. We had assemblies with the junior high and high school together, and there were no more than 75 kids from seventh grade through twelfth.” Farr was a member of the original FHS basketball team when they won the county championship in 1947. The team played more frequently back then, according to Farr, occasionally playing three games in a weekend. The main gym at FHS is over 14 times the size of the original gym, yet the students from 1936- 1964 were passionate about activities and sports, and basketball games were routinely overfl owing with students and members of the community. “The minute you walked into the gym, you were on the fl oor,” Farr said. “There was a small balcony with only about three rows around three sides of the gym and the same thing along the fl oor of the gym, and the capacity couldn’t have been more than 200. But you had to go pretty early to get in.” According to Farr, high school was the end of most student’s education, and they went to join the workforce after graduating high school. Farr joined the military, and then returned to Fishers and built his house here in 1955. Having lived in Fishers nearly all of his life, he has seen

the growth of both the school system and the community. “Everything has changed. When I built my house, all the roads were narrow, and there was just a little gas station on the corner,” Farr said. “With the way the town of Fishers and the school have grown, I am just thankful that the school board could foresee that we needed two high schools. That gives kids so much more opportunity. Just look at how many kids are able to play sports at Fishers and Southeastern.” Farr has been a longtime supporter of both FHS and HSE sports. After working the chains at HSE football games for 25 years, he was given a lifetime all-sports pass for both HSE and FHS. “My wife always said ‘if they throw the ball, kick the ball, or do anything with a ball, I will be there’” Farr said. Farr still attends most basketball games at FHS and HSE, and spectators can regularly fi nd him in the front row right at the half-court line, attentively watching the next generation of FHS students.

Dallas Farr’s 1948 graduation photo on the wall at FHS. Photo by Ben McHenry.