Bill Farris:Star On The Gridiron
And In TheGreaterGameOf Life William E. Farris, '52, the first All-American high school football player from Tidewater Virginia , and a gridiron star at the U niversity of Richmond, died in Portsmouth December 5 at age 37. He was a victim of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease similar to that which claimed the lives of baseball's Lou Gehrig and pro football's Gene Brito.
Farris
in
1951
Old Columbia ( Continued from page 7)
to drop in when the Harrisons were moving out, and found Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Harrison crying; he remarked, "Well, well! Here are two women who live in the same house for three years, and then cry at parting." During the late unpleasantness between Blue and Gray, Columbia was turned into a Confederate hosp ital-resu lting blood stains were long visible on the floors. Four of the wounded died there , including a brother of President Ryland's second wife. While President Ryland was pastor of the First African Churc h, many of his members came to Old Columb ia to be married. On these occasions "the big parlor was opened and lighted up. " Ane nt the dining room in the basement, a Seminary student of 1836-38 has this to say: "Two long tables ran the whole length of the room, and at the end of one of them sat the teachers and their fami lies. The food at that end of the table did not differ from
Though Billy Farris starred as a football player, he rose even higher in the estimation of his fellowmen, not only in sports but wherever he went. "Billy Farris rubbed people the right way," said Bil] Leffler, sports columnist for the Norfolk Ledger Star, in a column devoted to Farris shortly after the athlete's death. Leffler, a friend and high school classmate of Farris, told of their Woodrow Wilson High School days when to the 16-year-old Leffler, Farris "was the greatest high school football player I had ever seen." He continued: "Seventeen years have passed. I've seen dozens upon dozens of football games, hundreds and hundreds of youngesters compet ;ng on the gridiron. Billy Farris is still the greatest high school football player I have ever seen." Farris followed his high school coach, the late Dick Esleeck to the University of Richmond where Farris wore No. 41 for the Red and Blue. He generally was in the thick of the action. The 1952 Web account of the 1951 season carries familiar words: " ... two touchdown passes, the first to Howell, and the second to Farris. " But it was in high school that Billy himself said that he scored his greatest victory. "The best play I ever made was for the head cheerleader." Betty Lee James became his wife. At the time of his death he was assistant recreation director for the City of Ports-
that elsewhere. It was very plain but wholesome and abundant. . . . The fare gave general satisfaction. There were a few grumblers, but they were spoilt boys who had learned to grumble before they came to the Seminary ." Possibly one of these complainers was the man in the story, who ordered eggs 'sunnyside up' and refused to accept them because they were fried on the wrong side! In spite of the dearth of material about the early days at Columbia , a number of interesting sidelights have survived. Mr. Josiah Ryland, one of the first two gra duates of the institution , recalled that on one occasion the bread ran low, and the students beg an to chant " bread , bread, bread. " Professor Holmes banged on the table and announced with great solemnity, "Gentlemen may cry bread, bread, but there is no bread." One alumnus reminisces thus, revealing that basic facts of life can be learned even from inanim ate objects: "T here was a beautifu l grove on the north side of the grounds where students declaimed-some of my best speeches were delivered to those trees, with [ 12}
A Few Months Before His Death
mouth , a job in which he excelled. Last February the Portsmouth Sports Club recognized Farris as the city's "Sportsman of the Year." The spirit and courage of Billy Farris is typ:fied by a passage in Leffler's column folJowing his comment on Farris' award: "By then this disease that destroys the muscular tissue restricted his movement to a wheel chair. Betty Lee found a clipping which told of a six-year fight Brito, the former Washington Redskin end, had waged with the same illness. " She put it away, saying she would bring it out and let Billy read it 'when he gives up hope.' "She never had to get the article out."
as much effect as many that I have inflicted on human beings ... .'' Thanks to the following, we have an interesting peek at Seminary life just after the transfer from the log cabins of Spring Farm to more comfortable and fragrant quarters beside the beautiful rose gardens at Old Columbia , which had been brought to their glory by an imported Scotch gardener by the name of Blight- alI of which proves there's nothing in a name : "The students had quite respectable suits of e'ther homespun or broadcloth which they kept as 'Sunday clothes.' During the week the y wore jackets, calico dressing gowns, old coats and pantaloons . Many of these garments were threadbare and some grea tly needed patching. "T he students ' rooms were very scantily furnish ed. Two straw beds with covering, four chairs, a broom , a lamp, a pitcher and a basin , was all the furniture that belonged to the room. Whatever else was wantin g, the students supplied according to their ability. The y had no servants to wait on (Continued
on page 20)
