It would be hard to find anybody who served Augustana in as many varied capacities and with as much dignity and class as John Farwell. Wherever and whenever he was asked to contribute and in whatever role, this quiet man was always up to the challenge. He came to Augustana in the fall of 1969 and for 30 years he served the college in general and the athletic department in specific with a professionalism that rubbed off on all who came in contact with him.
He served as the men’s athletic director from 1982 until 1998, a 16 year period where Viking athletics was at its absolute zenith. The centerpiece in that successful run, of course, was the four straight NCAA Division III national championships won by the football team from 1983-86. However, football was not the only sport where Augustana enjoyed success during his tenure. The Vikings won 15 of 16 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin “All-Sports” titles and captured 35 conference men’s titles while Farwell was the athletic director. Besides the national titles in football, there were top ten national finishes in cross country (1984, 1986, 1992, 1993 and 1996), men’s basketball (1993), wrestling (1983, 1984, 1991, 1992 and 1995) and men’s track & field (1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998).
It was under Farwell’s leadership that Augustana began its march up the ladder of the Academic All-America ranks to its current standing of having produced the fifth highest number of Academic All-Americans in the nation. The school also produced five NCAA “Post-graduate scholars” on his watch.
While athletic director, he helped Augustana host NCAA Division III national championships in wrestling (1985, 1991 and 1995) and cross country (1989 and 1996). Men’s soccer, women’s soccer and women’s golf achieved varsity status under his direction.
He was the head swimming & diving coach during his early days, winning a pair of CCIW team titles and coaching multiple NAIA All-Americans. He served as women’s gymnastics coach for five years and coached the pole vault in track & field where he was responsible for producing 14 individual CCIW champions and seven All-Americans. He also was an assistant in football for over 20 years, working with the defensive line and the defensive backs. Farwell also taught physiology of exercise and kinesiology in the physical education department and was the chair of the PE department from 1987 until 1999.
A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he lettered in football, baseball and swimming & diving at Washington High School, Farwell went to the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He graduated from LaCrosse in 1963 after lettering in football and gymnastics and he was inducted into the UW-LaCrosse “Hall of Fame”. He received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1971.
He still lives in Rock Island with his wife Carmen and he enjoys his daughter Kristin, son-in-law David and grandchildren Alex and Josie. Since his retirement he enjoys spending time at his lake cottage in northern Wisconsin, traveling, riding his motorcycle and reading.
Farwell says of his Augustana experience, “I have had the pleasure of being one part of a great group of people during my years in Augustana athletics: ethical and motivational teacher-coaches, a supportive admissions department, and administrators who valued athletics as one important part of a student’s college experience. I hope we were able to achieve a balanced program, where each athlete and each team was valued and supported, and athletes respected themselves, their opponents and each other.”
