2021 S.D. Legislature: Frank Farrar was a man of public service

Nearly everyone performs ‘public service’ in some form or fashion, whether that is serving on a board or elected office or just by being a helpful neighbor or thoughtful citizen. But this week, South Dakota lost a man who filled many of those important roles. Several of those roles were in service to the State of South Dakota.  That man was Frank Farrar.  

Frank Farrar began his adult life in the Army and continued his military service for nearly two decades in the reserves. In the 1950s he worked as an Internal Revenue Service agent. Then, early in his legal career, he served as the Marshall County State’s Attorney and then went on to serve as South Dakota’s Attorney General.  Following service as Attorney General he was elected as the 24th Governor of South Dakota. Two years later he lost his re-election bid, but that opened up new doors of opportunity.  

In the years that followed, Captain Farrar / Judge Farrar / State’s Attorney Farrar / Attorney General Farrar / Governor Farrar realized that he could serve in other ways for the good of the country. In addition to his public service, he also realized that his talent for business could produce results that allowed him to make a difference in communities and still be involved.  

Frank Farrar was a well-known businessman with bank holdings and other financial institutions spanning a large region. But he continued to be active in politics. In 2016, Frank Farrar, at the age of 87 years, flew his own airplane to Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the Republican National Convention. He was known by thousands and throughout his years he quietly shared his wisdom with others. 

As I was reflecting on the life of Frank Farrar, I was reminded of a speech that was given by President Teddy Roosevelt. That speech was delivered in 1910 at the Sorbonne University in Paris. The speech is usually referred to as “Citizenship in a Republic” and sometimes referred to as “The man in the arena.” The entirety of the speech is impressive, but the famous quote taken from the speech is this:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” 

All lives have their highs and lows, but we can take inspiration from those who “spend themselves in a worthy cause.” We are all given those opportunities whether in big or small ways. Volunteering with local organizations or simply and quietly helping others gives us all an opportunity to serve and to give back from the blessings in our life. So, we are thankful for the life of Frank Farrar.

As always, feel free to contact me (Steven.Haugaard@sdlegislature.gov) with questions or comments. You can also go to www.sdlegislature.gov to listen in on the meetings or to see what else is happening in state government.