Hugh T. Farley (born November 26, 1932) is an American attorney, professor and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from Schenectady County, New York. He served as a member of the

New York Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan compo ...

from 1977 until his 2016 retirement.

Early life and family

Farley was born in

Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by th ...

and raised in

Indian Lake, New York Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2010 census. The name is from a lake of the same name that is largely inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town. Law enfor ...

. He graduated from high school in Watertown. Farley served in the U.S. Army and then was a high school teacher in Syracuse, New York and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Farley holds a Juris Doctor from American University School of Law, as well as a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

from the

SUNY Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a Public university, public research university with campuses in Albany, New York, Albany, Rensselaer, New York, Rensselae ...

. He is also a graduate of

Mohawk Valley Community College Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) is a public community college in Oneida County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York system. MVCC was founded in 1946 as the first community college established in New York State and ...

. Farley and his wife, Sharon, have been married for more than 57 years and have three children.

Career

Farley served in the U.S. Army and then was a high school teacher in Syracuse, New York and

. In 1965, Farley became a member of the faculty at the School of Business of the

. He later became Full Professor and Law Area Coordinator. In 2000, he became a Professor Emeritus of Business Law at the college.

Political career

Farley was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1976. During his career, he represented all or portions of

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, Saratoga, Herkimer,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, and Fulton Counties. In 1979, Farley was chosen as the first Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging. As chairman, Farley authored laws creating New York's

hospice care Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

system and a law prohibiting mandatory medical intervention/treatment for

terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced h ...

patients. In 1989, Farley was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Banks. In this capacity, he authored or sponsored numerous laws dealing with banking regulations, including a law enacted in 1994 aimed at making New York's

interest rate An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, ...

deregulation laws permanent. Farley was a member of the Governor's Commission on Libraries, and was an elected delegate to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

's Conference on Libraries in both 1979 and 1991. He also chaired the State Senate's Select Committee on Libraries; in that role, he became known as a national leader and advocate for libraries and reading programs. Farley sponsored legislation establishing the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority. Farley voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009, and the bill was defeated. His 2010 opponent, Democrat Susan Savage, denounced Farley's position at an October 2010 rally on the steps of the New York State Capitol. Farley defeated Savage and was re-elected with one of the largest margins in the state. In 2011, Farley again voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during a Senate roll-call on the Marriage Equality Act, which passed after a close 33-29 vote. In 2011, New York legalized same-sex marriage; Farley announced that he would not seek re-election in 2016. He served in the Senate for 40 years. At the time of his retirement, he was the second-longest-serving member in New York State Senate history.

References

External links

New York State Senate: Hugh T. FarleyFourth Branch of America - New York State Senator Hugh FarleyProject Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, Hugh T. 1932 births Living people University at Albany, SUNY faculty Republican Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Watertown, New York University at Albany, SUNY alumni Washington College of Law alumni Business educators 21st-century American politicians