Marshall in Harrison County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
James Leonard Farmer, Sr.
(June 12, 1886 - May 14, 1961)
An elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, Farmer served as pastor of churches in Marshall, Texarkana, and Galveston. He also taught Philosophy and Religion here at Wiley College, at Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, at Samuel Huston (now Huston-Tillotson) College in Austin, at Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, at Gulfside Ministerial Training School in Waveland, Mississippi, and at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C.
A popular speaker, Farmer also was the author of several books, as well as Biblical commentary and articles for secular magazines. Farmer married Pearl Houston; they were the parents of three children. Their son, James Leonard Farmer, Jr., became a prominent civil rights leader in the 1960s and founder of the Congress of Racial Equality. Farmer, Sr., retired in 1956, died in 1961, and was buried in Washington, D.C.
Erected 1997 by Texas Historical Commission . (Marker Number 11974.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education.
Location. 32° 32.197′ N, 94° 22.543′ W. Marker is in Marshall, Texas, in Harrison County. Marker is at the intersection of University Avenue and Wiley Avenue on University Avenue. The marker is located at the Wiley College, NW corner of University and Wiley avenues near Thomas W. Cole, Sr. Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 900 University Avenue, Marshall TX 75670, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Wiley College (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Melvin B. Tolson (about 400 feet away); Matthew W. Dogan, Sr. (about 500 feet away); H. B. Pemberton (about 800 feet away); Kahn Memorial Hospital (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ebenezer Methodist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Starr Family Home (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Starr Family Home (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marshall.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 15, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.