MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University School of Dentistry graduate William K. Farrar Jr., D.D.S., has pledged $25,000 to his alma mater to establish a scholarship in memory of his father William K. Farrar, Sr.
The William K. Farrar Memorial Scholarship will be available for undergraduate students of Raleigh County attending WVU.
Born and raised in Beckley, Dr. Farrar says his path to becoming a successful orthodontist started at home.
“I grew up in southern West Virginia. If you could have seen my house in Beckley, you wouldn’t believe I could go anywhere, but my parents sacrificed and put me through college,” Farrar said. “I want to give a young, deserving person the same opportunity.”
After graduating from the WVU School of Dentistry in 1964, Farrar was one of the first orthodontists to utilize clear braces and braces on the inside of the teeth. Considering orthodontics an art rather than a science, Farrar has been painting picture perfect teeth now for decades.
“My sophomore year in dental school we had a guest lecturer orthodontist from Wheeling, West Virginia,” Farrar said. “It wasn’t mandatory to attend and only a handful of us showed up, but he really turned me on to orthodontics. From that point, I was determined to go to graduate school.”
Farrar is an honorary alumnus of Brigham Young University and served for three years in Colorado as a missions president for his church. As a national level champion, he was recognized by the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper as an “Unsung Hero” for his accomplishments in table tennis.
Farrar, who now resides in Kennesaw, Ga., is an active member of the WVU Peach Tree State Alumni Chapter helping sponsor its annual golf tournament to raise money for WVU scholarships.
Farrar and his wife, Debbie, have eight children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
He added, “Family keeps a legacy, our legacy. From humble beginnings – I have done very well. Orthodontics is a desirable profession.”
To qualify for the William K. Farrar Memorial Scholarship, recipients must be graduates from Raleigh County and in good standing. Awardees will be determined by the WVU Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Students are eligible for consideration each year provided they still meet selection criteria.
The gift establishing the scholarship was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $1 billion fundraising effort by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2017.