Dr. Gail Farwell, a three sport letterman at Cortland in the 1940's, has acquired a widespread reputation as a pioneer in the development of the guidance and psychological counseling professions in this country. Farwell, emeritus professor of education at the University of Wisconsin, is now retired from 43 years of teaching - the last 32 of which were at Wisconsin. During his career as an educator, he published five books and more than 100 research articles on the subjects of guidance and counseling. Farwell has made some 300 public but unpublished presentations in local, state, regional and national meetings of psychology and counseling professionals, including the likes of the American Psychological Association, the American Personnel and Guidance Association and the American Educational Research Association. In retirement, he is completing his sixth book.
A native of Belmont, N.Y., Farwell enrolled at Cortland in 1940 majoring in physical education. His collegiate experience was interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II and his subsequent enlistment in the Navy. Following the war, he returned to Cortland, finishing his bachelor's degree in 1947. Although participating in soccer and track and field while in school, it was baseball that Farwell decided to pursue after graduation. He played semi-pro baseball from 1947 to 1958, signing on with local teams in the towns where he resided.
Farwell also refereed basketball, soccer and lacrosse on the community, high school and college levels. He dedicated 35 years to the game of basketball as a member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials.
Farwell's teaching career began in the rural school systems of Fillmore and Herkimer, N.Y., while working on his master's degree in counseling at Syracuse University. He then left for East Lansing, Mich., and in 1954 was awarded his Doctor of Education in Counseling and Industrial Counseling from Michigan State University. That same year, Farwell was appointed assistant professor of education at Ohio State University where he began to research and produce the voluminous publications on guidance and counseling that would become the hallmark of his career. In 1958, he joined the Education Department faculty at the University of Wisconsin, where he remained until retirement in 1986. While at Wisconsin, Farwell also consulted for publishers, government agencies and educational institutions. He served as a professor/lecturer at more than 25 colleges and universities and he sat as a member or chaired five national accreditation teams.
UPDATE: Farwell passed away on December 29, 2016, at age 95.
