Jerry B. Farley (born September 20, 1946) is a retired American academic administrator, serving as the 16th president of

Washburn University Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 u ...

from 1997 to 2022. Since graduating college in 1968, Farley has served in various administrative positions at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

("OU" or "Oklahoma") and

Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma State University–Stillwater (officially Oklahoma State University; informally Oklahoma State, OK State, OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act. Originall ...

("Oklahoma State").

Early life and education

Farley was born in

Tipton, Oklahoma Tipton is a town in the western part of Tillman County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 847 at the United States 2010 census, a 31.6 percent decline from 1,238 in 2000. Tipton also is home to Tipton Home, originally called Tipton Or ...

. He graduated from the

in 1968 with a bachelor of science in finance and accounting. In 1972, Farley received his master's degree in 1977, and his doctorate in 1986.

Career

After graduating from OU, Farley began his nearly thirty-year career at OU as a

controller Controller may refer to: Occupations * Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position * Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage * Air traffic controller, a person ...

. In 1981, Farley became OU's associate vice president for administration before leaving for Oklahoma State in a similar position in 1986. Between 1989 and 1997, Farley served in two vice president roles at the OU.

Washburn University

On July 1, 1997, Farley began his new position as

's 16th

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

. Since his first year in 1997, Farley has led Washburn to the construction of more than 10 new buildings, including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Laboratory that was completed in 2015, and acquired the Washburn Institute of Technology from Topeka Public Schools in 2008. Besides the construction or acquiring schools, Farley has seen enrollment increase since 1997. He also saw the women's basketball team win the 2005 NCAA Division II Championship. Farley is mostly known around the state of

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

for his bowtie. Farley retired September 30, 2022, taking on the status of president emeritus.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, Jerry Presidents of Washburn University Washburn University faculty Oklahoma State University faculty University of Oklahoma faculty University of Oklahoma alumni Educators from Kansas 1946 births Living people People from Tillman County, Oklahoma