Mike Farmer pushed us to follow our dreams

Everyone had one special teacher in high school who stood out from the others; a memorable teacher who made a strong impact on their lives. For many graduates of Riverside High School in Greer SC, that teacher was Mike Farmer.

Mike taught Chemistry and Physics at the school from its original founding in 1973. Mike was the first head of the Science Department at Riverside and was active in all areas of the school.

The mission of Riverside High School is:

To instruct, prepare, and inspire students for success in future endeavors.

To prepare students to become confident, competent, ethical individuals and responsible citizens by creating a positive and nurturing school environment where staff, students, parents, and the community work together to promote lifelong learning and to provide opportunities for students to reach their maximum potential.

No one was more dedicated to the mission of Riverside, to it's students, and to their futures.   In everything he did, Mike inspired us "to become confident, competent, ethical individuals and responsible citizens".    

Every lesson, every conversation, every action was geared to provide opportunities and encouragement for us to reach our maximum potential.

I graduated from Riverside in 1977. Mike was tough on his students from an academic standpoint, but he was also very supportive. He was willing to listen to us, to engage with us, to sympathize with us when we struggled with the challenge of Chemistry and Physics. He went the extra mile to further our education.

He pushed us and he also wanted us to push ourselves. He wanted us to achieve our full potential. He wanted to expand our horizons and to teach us to think in new ways.

In addition to teaching us science he engaged us in conversations about life. He motivated us to think about what we believed, why we believed; to explore our views with a critical mind. At the time I wasn't ready to explore my beliefs. I wanted to just accept what I was told without critical examination. I resented his efforts to broaden my horizons. I was angry with Mike on many occasions but I always respected him.

Mike Farmer pushed us to follow our dreams and reach for the stars and he taught us by his own example. When NASA opened up applications for teachers who desired to travel in space on the Challenger space shuttle, Mike applied and was a finalist.

As the years passed following high school, my appreciation for what Mike did for me deepened with each passing year. I was a much better person because he challenged me in so many ways.


One of Mike's colleagues, Ric Standridge wrote:

.......one of Mike’s greatest contributions was the way he taught. He would say, “If I can discover what intrinsically motivates a student, and apply that to the way they learn, the rest will fall into place.” one would think that Mike’s method of teaching would be complex… but it was quite simple, he believed in really listening and observing the students. Stating, I’m going to teach the way you learn, rather than, you learning the way I teach. It worked brilliantly…

Brad Henry, former governor of Oklahoma penned these words

"A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. "      

By this definition (or any other definition) Mike Farmer was a good teacher. He was a great teacher.   He inspired hope, ignited our imaginations, and instilled a love of learning in each and every one of us.

His legacy will live on in the lives of thousands of  students, friends and colleagues who were impacted by Mike's passion for learning, his love of students, his friendship, and his example of a life well lived.

Henry Adams said:

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.  

Truly, teachers are like the light from stars in the Universe.  The energy they exude continues unabated by the boundaries of time and space. 

Light the light from stars in the sky, Mike Farmer's influence and impact on his family, his friends, his colleagues and especially his students will continue to impact us all.

Contributed by Don Talley,

Riverside High School, Class of 1977

Mike Farmer's Obituary

Dr. Michael Houston FarmerTigerville SC

Dr. Michael Houston Farmer, 73, of Tigerville, SC passed away in a car accident near his home on February 10, 2015. Mike was born to the late Houston Martin Farmer and Edith Ballenger Farmer on November 8, 1941 in Greer, SC. He graduated from Greer High School in 1960, received an Associate's Degree in Chemical Technology from Greenville Technical College in 1970, a B.S. in Chemistry from Clemson University in 1972, a Masters Degree in Science Education from Clemson University in 1974, and a Doctorate in Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina in 1993.

Dr. Farmer taught Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy for over 40 years at Riverside High School, Greenville Technical College, and the SC Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities. During his career, Dr. Farmer served as the President of the Greenville County Science Teachers Association, President of the South Carolina Science Council, President of the South Carolina Academy of Science, and Chairman of the High School Division of the National Science Teachers Association. Dr. Farmer's accolades include Discover Magazine Teacher of the Year (1984), South Carolina's candidate for NASA's Teacher in Space Program (1985), Order of the Palmetto from Governor Richard Riley (1985), the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math Teaching (1987), the National Science Teacher's Association's Gustav Ohaus Science Teaching Award (1990), and the Governor's Award for Science Awareness for South Carolina (1999). Dr. Farmer's writings are numerous, including his book Science Projects: A Modular Approach, and he was working on a book of science and math geared for young artists.

Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth Tate Higgins; a daughter, Kenley Paige Farmer; two step-sons, John Tate Higgins and David William Higgins; a brother, Tony "Sarge" Farmer.

Dr. Farmer was a passionate advocate for science and education and in lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be contributed to the Dr. Farmer Scholarship Fund for students of Riverside High School, dontalley@gmail.com for more info; or, to a fund for students in Dr. Farmer's name to the Governor's School for the Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 8458, Greenville, SC 29604.

He was a friend, teacher and mentor to many.

 "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science." (Albert Einstein) Cremation Society of SC -

Click Here to view the on-line obituary

About Mike Farmer

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We are in the process of putting together a summary of Mike's life,   his background, his career, his legacy. 

We need your help in compiling this information

Please submit information to

Don Talley at dontalley@gmail.com

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Background

Michael Houston Farmer was born on November 8, 1941 near Greer SC.

Mike was son of the Houston Martin Farmer and Edith Ballenger Farmer. His father served in the Navy in World War II. His parents lived in the Pleasant Grove Community of Greer SC and are buried at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

His grandfather was Martin L Farmer and his grandmother was Maudie Keller Farmer. Martin Farmer and Maud also lived in the Pleasant Grove community of Greer SC. They are buried at the Zoar United Methodist Church in Greer SC. The Farmer family had lived in the Spartanburg and Greerarea for several generations

Mike grew up in the Pleasant Grove community near Riverside, only 3 or 4 miles from Riverside High School.

Mike's father struggled to find work after returning from his service to our country  in World War II.  The family moved numerous times and money for housing, food, and clothing was scarce..   It was a very difficult time for the Farmer's.    Mike's grandparents helped the family out any way they could. Mike's mother passed away in 1957, while Mike was still a high school student and his grandmother played a very important role in Mike's life.

Mike graduated from Greer High School in 1960.   Classmates recall that Mike was interested in space and science and  "firing rockets" during his years at Greer High.    Family members tell the story of how one day Mike was building rockets in his grandmother's barn and ended up burning the barn down.

Greer High School physics teacher Mr. F.L. Maxwell was a early mentor to Mike.  Maxwell and other teachers encouraged Mike to set high goals and apply himself.   They reminded Mike that he didn't have to settle for life working the textile mills, a career which awaited many of his classmates.

He graduated from Greenville Technical College in 1970 with a degree in Chemical Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Clemson University in 1972.

After a successful career as a chemist, Mike felt that he wanted to make a difference in the world in ways he couldn't do in the corporate world.   He decided to become a teacher.

When the new Riverside High School in Greer SC opened in 1973, Mike was the first Chemistry/Physics teacher and head of the Science Department.   The demands of being a teacher and department head of this new school didn't deter Mike from continuing to pursue his own formal education.   In 1974, he received a Masters Degree in Science Education from Clemson University.

Dr. Farmer taught Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy for over 40 years at Riverside High School, Greenville Technical College, and the SC Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities. During his career, Dr. Farmer served as the President of the Greenville County Science Teachers Association, President of the South Carolina Science Council, President of the South Carolina Academy of Science, and Chairman of the High School Division of the National Science Teachers Association.
Mike was well known for his passion for space and his passion for teaching, and was popular among his students.

Throughout his career, Farmer inspired his students to pursue excellence.  Many of his students followed Mike's example and become teachers, many went on to careers in science. But no matter what path they took in life, they were influenced by Mike in profound ways.

Mike remained passionate about learning, about teaching, about the earth, and about space throughout his life.

In May of 1985, NASA announced their Teacher-In-Space program.   There were 10,463 applications from throughout the country.     Mike was one of only 114 finalists for the NASA project to put a teacher in space on the Challenger Space Shuttle.   The winner, Christa McCauliffe, perished when the Challenger crashed on lift off.

Mike pushed himself to further his education in the same way he pushed his students to pursue academic excellence.     In 1993, Mike Farmer became Dr. Michael H Farmer as he received a Doctorate in Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina.

Mike Farmer was a seeker and an explorer throughout his life.

We can't stop seeking the unknown.   We can't stop looking for what we don't understand. How are we going to understand, if we don't seek it?

-- Mike Farmer in a newspaper article 
from 2005 about space travel

Accolades, Awards, Publications, and Recognitions 

• Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching  
• Greenville County Teacher of the Year
• Order of the Palmetto from Governor Richard Riley
• Human Relations Award from the Greenville County Education Association
• Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching from the South Carolina Academy of Science
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching
• Discover Magazine Teacher of the Year
• Governor's Award for Science Awareness for South Carolina
• National Science Teacher's Association's Gustav Ohaus Science Teaching Award
• Vernier Technology Award from National Science Teachers Association

1984 - Discover Magazine Teacher of the Year

Mike traveled to New York and was interviewed on the NBC TODAY SHOW about the award.  The interview was broadcast on national television on April 16, 1985

1985 - Selected as a South Carolina finalist for Teacher In Space Program.  The eventually winner was Christa McAuliffe. Christa was on the Challenger Space Shuttle which crashed upon take off.


1985 - The SC State Legislature passed a resolution congratulating Mike on being chosen to participate in the NASA Space Project.

A Concurrent Resolution to congratulate Michael H. Farmer of Greer, science teacher at Riverside High School, on being chosen to participate in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project.

1985 - Order of the Palmetto Award from SC Governor Richard Riley


1986 - Published Science Research: A Modular Approach is both a step-by-step workbook for students and a guidebook for teachers to complete successful science projects!

This successful handbook, recipient of the NSTA-sponsored Star Award (Science Teaching Achievement Recognition), combats the problems most often associated with science projects -- poor planning, a shortage of time, the lack of student incentive, and inadequate teacher direction

1987 - Recipient of Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science (including computer science) teaching. Established by Congress in 1983, the PAEMST program authorizesthe President to bestow up to 108 awards each year.

1989 - Received Outstanding Alumni Award from Greenville Technical College


1990 - National Science Teacher's Association Gustav Ohaus Science Teaching Award


1995 - Served as President of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS) was organized in 1924, and in 1927 the Academy affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Beginning in the 1960's, industry and business joined academic institutions in support of the Academy and have helped to set goals to aid and improve the development of science in South Carolina.

1999 - Govenor's Award for Excellence in Science for South Carolina

The award was established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor specifically an individual or team within the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and to promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina. In 1989, the award was named the “Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science” and is presented under the joint sponsorship of the Governor’s Office and the South Carolina Academy of Science

2004 -  Received Vernier Technology Reward for High School Science Teaching from National Science Teachers Association

"NSTA awardees represent the best and brightest in science education," said John Penick, NSTA President. "We congratulate these outstanding educators for their lifelong commitment to science education and for their innovative and creative approach to teaching our students science." The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.

2008 - Recognized by STAR (Strategies for Teacher Advancement & Renewal).

This program recognizes and rewards outstanding veteran SC teachers.

The importance of asking why......

I'm a 1977 graduate of Riverside High School.  Dr. Mike Farmer was my chemistry  teacher during my senior year and one of the things I always recall Mike telling us  seniors as he prepared us for college is that "college is just hard high school."  Mike  was wrong.  His high school class was hard, very hard...and it was harder than any  course I ever took in college.  Now, I readily admit I was not the brightest element in the  periodic table.  In fact, Perry Grubbs, who was my 10th grade math teacher, has long  since forgotten that I stopped understanding math when the alphabet got involved.  So,  chemistry really challenged me...but I was smart enough to sit beside Berta (Hamby)  Hopkins, herself a future science PhD and colleague of Mike's, and I got much of my  remedial chemistry education from her.

I did make it through chemistry and I went on to college, had a long career as a USAF  officer, earned a couple of advanced degrees and now I teach online in the graduate  program for the USAF's Air University...but to this day, I consider earning my "C" in  Mike's class as my biggest academic achievement.  And while I don't remember much  about chemistry I've always recalled the most important thing Mike taught me and that's  how to approach life.  This was perfectly illustrated in a simple story he once told us.   Seems there was a newly married couple.  One day the husband was watching his new  bride preparing some bacon she was about to fry and she was cutting off both ends of  the bacon.  "Why are you cutting off the ends," he asked?  She said, "that's the way my  mom did it."  So the next time they were with her mother they asked her why she cut the  ends off the bacon before frying it.  "That's the way my mom did it," she replied.  Well,  the next time they were all together with the grandmother they asked her why she cut  the ends off of the bacon before frying it.  "My, my children," grandma replied, "the  reason I cut off the ends of the bacon was so it would fit in my frying pan!" 

   Of course the point of Mike's story was to illustrate the importance of asking why?  To  not accept the status quo.  To be inquisitive. To look deeper.  To think.  It's a lesson I  took with me into the Air Force.  Over the years as I rose in rank I had more and more  officers working for me and many were young lieutenants recently out of college.  As  they'd transfer into my unit, I'd sit down with them to share my leadership philosophy  and at some point I'd tell the "bacon story" my high school chemistry teacher told me as  an example of how I wanted them to approach their duties.  Back in 2012 when we had  the Riverside charter classes reunion, I shared this story with Mike and I think he was  genuinely touched.

   We, the former students of teachers, are part of their legacy...and for the good  teachers like Dr. Mike Farmer, his legacy is exponentially larger because his impact was  so widespread.  Mine is but one life he impacted and I'm honored to have known and  learned from  this great man. 

Contributed by 
Ken Lynn, 

Colonel, USAF (Ret.) 
Riverside High School 
Class of 1977

Brilliant and proudly unconventional.....

Mike Farmer was a teacher, mentor, and friend to me and so many others. Brilliant and proudly unconventional, he made the most difficult subjects accessible, revealing the miraculous connections in chemistry and physics as simple common sense. He taught us how the world works. He pushed us and pissed us off. He cared about us individually. He wanted us to learn to persevere, believe in our own capacity, take no crap, and not take ourselves too seriously. He told us that we could do anything we put our minds to, and made us do it. I believed him, and it changed me.

The world was Mike's passion. He didn't just talk about following passion; he did it himself, aspiring to be the first teacher in space and throwing himself into it. Out of 11,000 applicants he was one of the top ten finalists to be aboard the Challenger. He wasn't chosen, a disappointment to him, but as a result he was with us for many more years and was able to touch the lives of many more.

May the mysteries of space be revealed to you now, Farmer. Goodbye. I'll always see you in the stars.


Contributed by Margaret Ward McClain, Riverside High School Class of 1986

Dr. Farmer changed my life, and changed the lives of so many other "Govies"

I still remember how shocking it was to learn in Dr. Farmer's class that I had a small interest in science, still remember watching in his class an episode of "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman" on black holes and suddenly getting an idea to tell some of my family's personal stories of loss by using dark matter as a metaphor--an idea which evolved into an essay that led to me flying on an airplane for the first time, on my way to Miami as a YoungArts Week finalist, and led to me traveling to D.C. as a Presidential Scholar, and eventually brought me here to UChicago as a QuestBridge scholar. 

Dr. Farmer changed my life, and changed the lives of so many other "Govies", and it's sad to know that he's gone. 

But it's comforting to remember how he always stocked his classroom with lollipops for students, as though we were Kindergarten students in need of a snack. (I did kind of resemble a restless four-year-old back then.) 

It's comforting to remember Dr. Farmer hilariously trying to remember his experiences at Woodstock, and it's even more comforting to remember the best marriage proposal in history, or at least the best one that has ever taken place in SCGSAH's Smith Recital Hall. 

You will be missed, Dr. Farmer. Better yet, you already are.

Contributed by Da'Shawn Mosley

A graduate of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, a public residential high school for emerging artists, Da'Shawn has taught writing there. He is also an alum of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and YoungArts, and currently attends the University of Chicago.

CLICK HERE to visit Da'Shawn's website 

Note:   An excerpt from one of Da'Shawn Mosley's essays was installed in an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, and a poem of his was published by the author David Levithan in the anthology, "What We Remember, What We Forget: The Best Young Writers and Artists in America."
He was chosen as one of twenty United States Presidential Scholars in the Arts of 2012 by a commission of the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. He was chosen as one of twenty United States Presidential Scholars in the Arts of 2012 by a commission of the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. 

Our possibilities are limited only by our degree of determination.

From:

Profiles in Success: Reflections on the Community College Experience. 

American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, Washington, D.C.

In September 1989, letters were sent to the presidents and public information officers of each member college of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (Washington, D.C.) asking them to identify outstanding graduates who might be interested in composing short essays describing their community college experience. More than 190 colleges in 39 states responded. The essays presented in this collection were selected from a total of over 500 submissions because they represented quality writing, a broad geographic distribution, and the diverse populations served by community colleges.

Michael H. Farmer 

Greenville Technical College, SC 

I am one of those fortunate persons who make their livelihood enjoying themselves. 

As a high school chemistry teacher, I experience challenges and rewards every day, find fulfillment and satisfaction, and realize goals and accomplishments. I feel that my job is important; a link between past insights and future discoveries, youth and maturity, problems and solutions. 

My work is both career and passion--which after 17 years shows no sign of diminishing. The path to contentment was not direct, smooth, or easy. Thirty years ago, as a misdirected high school graduate, I had no intention of continuing my formal education. My parents and peers saw no value in more schooling and believed that getting a job was the best choice for me. I generally agreed, applied to work at a local auto battery factory, and resolved to "work hard and make good."

 It was a supervisor who interrupted my unambitious plans, encouraged me to enroll in the chemical technology program at Greenville Technical College, and set in motion a series of events that were to change t1 direction of my life. The first course in chemistry led to others; part -time classes became a full-time program; random study evolved into degree commitment.

 I was elected student body president and served as editor of the first yearbook. I set new goals: more technical expertise, a better paying job, improved social status. I graduated with honors from the associate degree program, became a supervisor with a synthetic fibers company, and settled back to reap the benefits of my accomplishments. 

My "settling" was short-lived. The classes at Tech proved to be a beginning rather than an end; the instruction I received was a catalyst rather than conclusion. My instructors encouraged me to seek higher goals, and when Clemson University opened a two-year extension program on the Tech campus, I enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program. When I received my degree in chemistry two years later, I again sensed the event was not a conclusion, but another beginning.

During my years at Tech and Clemson, I became convinced of the importance of education and felt a desire to become a part of the profession that uniquely touches the future. I chose to become a teacher.

In the 17 years since I made that decision, there have been no regrets, only reassurances. I've completed a master's degree program, begun work on a doctorate, received numerous state and national awards, and influenced hundreds of young people. I am forever reminded of how important a teacher's role is in influencing others.

 I hope that I can perpetuate what my Tech instructors taught me - that our possibilities are limited only by our degree of determination.

Michael H. Farmer graduated from Greenville Technical College in 1970 with a degree in chemical technology and is now living in Tigerville, SC. He is a high school chemistry teacher at Riverside High School in Greer, SC. He received the Human Relations Award from the Greenville County Education Association;  the Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching from the South Carolina Academy of Science, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching. 

Words from Mike's Students

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For someone that absolutely HATED science, physics and anything related to those subjects, Mike Farmer made it interesting and fun and exciting! Some days he was one of my worst nightmares - but most days he was one of those teachers I will never forget and will always remember in my heart with a smile.

I salute you, Mike Farmer, as I know that now you will most definitely find out all the mysteries of the universe....

Thank you for all you brought to my life!

Contributed by Susan (Black) Beam,   
Riverside High School Class of 1981

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I was so blessed to have Dr. Farmer as a teacher.  Dr Farmer had such a joy about him that was so contagious. He was such a beloved man that impacted the lives of so many people. RIP to that sweet sweet man.

Contributed by Elizabeth Truell, 
a student of Mike's at the SC Governors School
(Elizabeth contributed a photo of her and Mike at her freshman prom.  You can view it in the scrapbook)


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Getting the chance to sit in chemistry and physics class with him was an unexpected joy for a severe introvert who hadn't had the chance yet to fall in love with science before getting to SCGSAH (SC Governors School for the Arts and Humanities) in 2000. I hope you're wandering amongst the star stuff now Dr. Farmer - enjoy, and thank you for sharing your love of it all with all of us, science and life and fun.

Contributed by Emma


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I will never forget showing up to his final exam after spending the night at the Hospital while I was at Governors school. He took one look at me, said "What in the hell are you doing here?" then he promptly sent me back to my dorm room and allowed me to make up the exam later in the week. He was such a kind spirit and never hesitated to do everything in his power to make everyone around him feel welcome and at home. His influence as a teacher has certainly shaped my teaching today. What a loss indeed!

Contributed by Andrea White


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I can truly say Mike Farmer was one of my most memorable and challenging teachers.
He made Physics interesting and often fun. He made everyone in the class enter the science fair. I told him very clearly that should be strictly an extra credit affair! He laughed hard and promised to come up with an idea for a project that I could manage.
And he did! I never knew comparing surface tensions of different dish washing detergents could be fun! I think I even got an honorable mention! It was just an honor to know him as well as to be one of his students.

Contributed by Gina Brooks Cornick, Riverside HS 1978

Words from Mike's Friends

Michael Farmer was a friend of mine. He grew up in the Pleasant Grove community near Riverside. His father, Houston Farmer, was a sign painter who, accompanied by Mike, painted "Harbin's Peaches" and a peach on the front of my father's peach packing shed. His grandmother partially raised mike and his two brothers. She would also bring me water to drink in the adjacent field on our lower farm while I was plowing. My father, Arthur Harbin, was killed nearby on the same farm by an overturned tractor accident during my freshman year in Law School.

I have enjoyed knowing Mike, not only as a friend but having represented him, throughout my 52 years of practicing law having made his last Will and Testament only in December before Christmas.

During the first part of the year of 2001 Mike called requesting that I allow Kinley, his daughter, then a junior at Furman, to shadow me that summer since she thought she might like to become a lawyer. She worked with me that summer, graduated from Furman, attended Law School and was admitted to the Washing Bar. I am informed that she now is employed working for the Government in Washington.

I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of knowing and working for and with Mike since his original employment with a chemical company, his years teaching at Riverside, Greenville Tech and the Governor's School for the Arts.

I was in total shock when I learned of his tragic death. He was one of a kind and I treasure having known and been associated with him throughout our lives.

Contributed by Eddie Harbin

http://erharbinlaw.com/biography.html