Farmer’s Lessons Last a Lifetime

Fall of 2007, UMW’s new First Year Seminar provided opportunity for in-depth study of the late civil rights leader James Farmer. As part of the seminar, class members communicated with students enrolled in Farmer’s courses during the first several years he taught at Mary Washington. Here is a sample of what those former students had to say:

Lisa Harvey ’86, a student in Farmer’s first class at Mary Washington: “It was, without question, the single greatest class that I took at [Mary Washington].”

Scott Kaplan ’86, a teacher in Largo, Fla.: “When the topic of civil rights comes up in one of my classes, I always share my experiences [of Farmer]. I felt privileged to be a part of his class, and now I can share that knowledge with my students.”

Stephanie Doswalt Sebolt ’86, who lives in Salem, Va.: “Professor Farmer’s lectures were spellbinding.”

Kelly Flynn Hanson ’87 of Louisville, Ky.: “I remember him as a kind-hearted person who never sought glory for his contributions to the civil rights movement … Learning from James Farmer has made me want to strive to be a better person for the sake of being a better person, not for recognition.”

Julie Lamb Stemple ’88: “I felt incredibly privileged and savored each class.”

Lisa Williams Bourbonnais ’90 of Narragansett, R.I.: “I have children in elementary school, and they learn about ‘civil rights’ and come home talking about Dr. King and Rosa Parks…Because of Dr. Farmer, I’m compelled to tell them about the Freedom Riders, CORE, and the murky waters that surrounded a struggle that took longer than we like to remember.”