Marion Farnham was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 27, 1887 to Charles and Maria Farnham. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Puerto Rico while teaching art classes there. Later she earned a Master of Arts degree from Boston University. She also studied at the Art Student League in New York City, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Farnham started teaching art at West Chester University in 1923, and by 1932 she had become Head of the Art Department, a position she held until her retirement. During her years teaching, Farnham was also the art advisor for the school’s yearbook, The Serpentine; her ethereal map of West Chester 
State Normal School’s campus appeared on the endpaper of the 1930 Serpentine. She also worked with the school’s theatre department to create the scenery and costumes for many of their plays. She chaperoned many of the school’s dances and events, and even led an art school field trip to notable artist Christian Brinton’s house to study Russian art styles. In addition to her work as a teacher, Farnham was a member of the Eastern Arts Association, the Pennsylvania Educational Association, and the American Federation of Art. She retired in 1952, but was named an Emeriti Professor.
Farnham’s apparent love of travel, along with her passion for studying art, led her to travel all over the world. She visited many art galleries across Europe, including the Mediterranean islands and Greece to focus on Ancient Greek architecture. She also travelled to the Virgin Islands, Canada, Central America, Mexico, Asia, and Northern Africa to study the cultural art there.
After her retirement, Farnham remained in West Chester until her death in March 1983, at the age of 95.
Blog post written by Melissa Mulreany, Class of 2017. Melissa is an Intern in Special Collections and English Major.
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