Hayward “Woody” Farrar Jr., the Gloria D. Smith Professor of Africana Studies and associate professor of history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, died late last month at his home. He was 63 years old.
Before joining the Virginia Tech faculty in 1992, he taught at Spelman College, Fisk University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He was the author of The Baltimore Afro-American 1892-1950 (Greenwood Press, 1998) and Leaders and Movements: African American Life (Rourke Press, 1995).
Professor Farrar was a graduate of the University of Maryland. He earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago.