Margaret Farrow

{{Short description|American politician (1934–2022)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |image = Margaret Farrow.jpg |name = Margaret Farrow |office = Member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents | term_start = June 18, 2013 | term_end = December 7, 2017 | appointer = Scott Walker | predecessor = Judith Crane | successor = |order1 = 42nd |office1 = Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | term_start1 = May 9, 2001 | term_end1 = January 6, 2003 | governor1 = Scott McCallum | predecessor1 = Scott McCallum | successor1 = Barbara Lawton |state_senate2 = Wisconsin |district2 = 33rd | term_start2 = January 2, 1989 | term_end2 = May 9, 2001 | predecessor2 = Susan Engeleiter | successor2 = Ted Kanavas |state_assembly3 = Wisconsin |district3 = 99th | term_start3 = January 5, 1987 | term_end3 = January 2, 1989 | predecessor3 = John M. Young | successor3 = Frank Urban |party = Republican |birth_name = Margaret Ann Nemitz |birth_date = {{birth date|1934|11|28}} |birth_place = Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2022|03|08|1934|11|28}} |death_place = Pewaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |profession = Teacher, realtor |spouse = John Farrow |children = Paul Farrow }}

'''Margaret Ann Farrow''' ({{nee|'''Nemitz'''}}; November 28, 1934 – March 8, 2022) was an American Republican politician from Wisconsin. She was the 42nd lieutenant governor of Wisconsin and the first woman to hold that office. She previously served twelve years in the Wisconsin Senate and two years in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Later in life, she also served as a member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

==Early life and education== Farrow was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of William Nemitz, who worked at Snap-On Tool Corporation, and Margaret (née Horan) who was a corporate executive assistant. She attended St. Catherine's High School in Racine.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Krause |first=Marilyn |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Frontlines: An unwavering trailblazer |url=https://www.badgerinstitute.org/Diggings/Fall-2019/Frontlines-An-unwavering-trailblazer.htm |journal=Diggings |volume=Fall 2019 |via=Badger Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Spencer |first=Samantha |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Margaret Farrow passes away |url=https://us.blastingnews.com/news/2022/03/former-wisconsin-lieutenant-governor-margaret-farrow-passes-away-003444166.html |access-date=March 9, 2022 |website=Blasting News}}</ref> She then attended Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois, for one year before receiving her B.A. from Marquette University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marquette.edu/universityhonors/honors_farrow.shtml|title=Margaret A. Farrow – University Honors – Marquette University|website=www.marquette.edu|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2163&search_term=farrow |title=Farrow, Margaret A. 1934 |publisher=Wisconsinhistory.org |accessdate=January 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611145659/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2163&search_term=farrow |archivedate=June 11, 2011}}</ref>

==Career==

===Elected office (1971–2003)=== Farrow served on the Elm Grove, Wisconsin Board of Appeals from 1971 to 1974 and the Village Board from 1976 to 1987, spending the last five years of her tenure as president. After her time with the Village Board, Farrow was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, and later the Wisconsin State Senate, from a district comprising most of Waukesha County, Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=turn&id=WI.WIBlueBk1987&entity=WI.WIBlueBk1987.p0101&q1=farrow|title=The State: The state of Wisconsin 1987–1988 blue book: Biographies and pictures|website=digicoll.library.wisc.edu|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wpr.org/people/margaret-farrow|title=Margaret Farrow|website=Wisconsin Public Radio|date=August 27, 2013|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref> The first female lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, Farrow was appointed to the position after then-Lieutenant Governor Scott McCallum was elevated to the office of governor upon the departure of Gov. Tommy Thompson to join the administration of George W. Bush in January 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://urbanmilwaukee.com/people/margaret-farrow/|title=Margaret Farrow|publisher=Urban Milwaukee |accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref>

As Lieutenant Governor, she served as chair of the Governor's Work-Based Learning Board, co-chair of the Governor's Task Force on Invasive Species, and chair of the Wisconsin's Women's Council. Farrow authored and served as vice chair of the SAVE Commission and was appointed by Governor Tommy Thompson to serve on the Governor's Blue-Ribbon Commission on State-Local Partnerships for the 21st Century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uwplatt.edu/news/uw-platteville-welcomes-uw-system-board-regents-member-farrow|title=UW-Platteville welcomes UW System Board of Regents member Farrow|publisher=|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref> Farrow also served on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Passenger Rail.<ref>{{cite book |title=The State of Wisconsin Blue Book {{!}} Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Passenger Rail |date=1999 |publisher=Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales |page=296 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0JWAAAAMAAJ&dq=Farrow++%22Blue+Ribbon+Task+Force+on+Passenger+Rail%22&pg=PA296 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

McCallum and Farrow ran for a full four-year term in 2002, but their Republican ticket lost the race to Democrat Jim Doyle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/06/elec02.wi.g.hotrace/|title=CNN.com – Doyle wins Wisconsin governor's race – Nov. 6, 2002|website=CNN|access-date=July 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/James_Doyle_(Wisconsin)#2002|title=James Doyle (Wisconsin) – Ballotpedia|publisher=|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref>

===Post-Lieutenant Governor=== Farrow was publicly touted by Mark Neumann as the best candidate to take on Democrat Russ Feingold in 2004. Without putting her name forward for consideration, she won a straw poll at the 2003 Republican State Convention.<ref>Ruth Conniff. "[http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=34912 July 4, 2003: The Patriot]". ''The Isthmus'', October 13, 2011. Accessed February 9, 2015.</ref> During the 2008 campaign, she was a member of the "Palin Truth Squad" for the McCain Campaign.<ref>Associated Press: [http://www.twincities.com/alllistings/ci_10423549?source=rss Madison / Farrow named to 'Palin Truth Squad']. September 10, 2008.</ref>

She was chair of the board of directors of WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network, Inc., which produces the Wisconsin equivalent of C-SPAN.<ref name="wiseye.org">{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://wiseye.org/about/board-of-directors/ |website=wiseye.org |publisher=WisconsinEye |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705200221/https://wiseye.org/about/board-of-directors/ |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |format=web.archive.org |date=July 5, 2017}}</ref> In 2010, WCAN (Waukesha County Action Network), the advocacy organization Farrow had created, combined with the Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce to create the Waukesha County Business Alliance, a county-wide chamber of commerce representing over 1,100 member businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. Farrow also served on the Board of Directors as well as the Policy Board of the Waukesha County Business Alliance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://waukesha.org/pages/BoardofDirectors |title=Waukesha County Business Alliance Board of Directors {{!}} 2010–2011 Board of Directors |website=waukesha.org |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121202901/http://waukesha.org/pages/BoardofDirectors |archive-date=January 21, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2013, she became the inaugural winner of the annual Margaret Thatcher Award, which honored her contributions, courage, and leadership as one of "Wisconsin's Iron Ladies".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rightwisconsin.com/perspectives/224145971.html |title=Margaret Farrow Named Winner of Margaret Thatcher Award |website=Right Wisconsin |date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=dead |accessdate=November 7, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107215424/http://www.rightwisconsin.com/perspectives/224145971.html |archivedate=November 7, 2014 }}</ref>

Farrow later resided in Pewaukee, Wisconsin with her husband. Her son Paul Farrow was elected Waukesha County Executive in 2015<ref>{{cite news |title=Election 2015: Farrow elected Waukesha County exec; incumbent judge ousted |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/paul-farrow-elected-waukesha-county-exec-van-de-water-out-as-judge-b99474597z1-298995701.html/ |access-date=March 13, 2022 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel Journal |last1=Behm |first1=Dan |date=April 7, 2015 |location=www.jsonline.com |language=en}}</ref> and previously served in both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature.<ref>{{cite news |author=Jesse Garza |url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/106586248.html |title=Farrow wins in 98th Assembly District |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=November 2, 2010 |accessdate=January 29, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, she was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to serve on the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.<ref>Wendy Strong. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2013/06/11/governor-walker-makes-three.html Farrow among Walker appointments to UW Board of Regents]". ''Milwaukee Business Journal'', June 11, 2013.</ref> On December 7, 2017, she announced her immediate retirement from the UW System Board of Regents, stepping down before her term expired in 2020.<ref name="retire">{{cite news |last1=Herzog|first1=Karen|title=Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow, 83, retiring from UW System Board of Regents|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2017/12/07/former-lt-gov-margaret-farrow-83-retiring-uw-system-board-regents/932313001/|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=December 7, 2017 |accessdate=December 7, 2017}}</ref>

== Personal life == Farrow was married and had five children.<ref name=":0" />

Her son, Paul Farrow, served in the state legislature and is county executive of Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

Farrow died on March 8, 2022, at the age of 87 at her home in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 8, 2022 |title=First Female Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Has Died |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin/articles/2022-03-08/first-female-lieutenant-governor-of-wisconsin-has-died |access-date=March 8, 2022 |publisher=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>[https://www.krausefuneralhome.com/obituary/margaret-ann-farrow/ Margaret Ann Farrow] obituary</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{C-SPAN}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before = Scott McCallum }} {{s-ttl|title = Republican nominee for {{nobreak|Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin}} |years= 2002 }} {{s-aft|after = Jean Hundertmark }} {{s-par|us-wi-hs}} {{s-bef|before = John M. Young}} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nobreak|from the 99th district}} |years= 1986{{spaced ndash}}1989 }} {{s-aft|after = Frank Urban}} {{s-par|us-wi-sen}} {{s-bef|before = Susan Engeleiter }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nobreak|from the 33rd district}} |years= 1989{{spaced ndash}}2001}} {{s-aft|after = Ted Kanavas }} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before=Scott McCallum |title=Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | years=2001{{spaced ndash}}2003 | after=Barbara Lawton}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrow, Margaret}} Category:1934 births Category:2022 deaths Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Lieutenant governors of Wisconsin Category:Rosary College alumni Category:Marquette University alumni Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Category:People from Elm Grove, Wisconsin Category:People from Pewaukee, Wisconsin Category:Politicians from Waukesha County, Wisconsin Category:Place of death missing Category:Politicians from Kenosha, Wisconsin Category:University of Wisconsin people Category:Wisconsin city council members Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Category:Women city councillors in Wisconsin Category:Women state legislators in Wisconsin Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature