Mel Farr, American football player and businessman (b. 1944)
Melvin Farr (November 3, 1944 – August 3, 2015) was an American football player and businessman.
A native of Beaumont, Texas, Farr played college football as a halfback on the 1965 and 1966 UCLA Bruins football teams that were ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively in the final AP Polls. He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1966, gained over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.
Farr was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round, seventh overall pick, of the 1967 NFL Draft and played seven years as a running back for the Lions. He led the Lions in both rushing and receiving in 1967, totaling 1,177 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, and was selected as the NFL Rookie of the Year. He was twice selected to play in the Pro Bowl, in 1967 and 1970. In a career shortened by injury, Farr gained a total of 4,446 yards from scrimmage and scored 36 touchdowns during his seven years in the NFL.After retiring from football, Farr acquired a Ford Motor Company dealership in 1975, eventually expanding his business to 11 dealerships in five states. By 1998, Farr's automotive group was cited as the largest African-American owned company in the country. His business failed in 2002 following adverse publicity and lawsuits relating to sales and finance practices.
![Mel Farr](https://cdn.calendarz.com/uploads/events/august/3/73323/mel-farr_compressed.jpg)
2015Aug, 3
Mel Farr
Choose Another Date
Events on 2015
- 29Apr
2015 Baltimore protests
A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests. - 3May
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting. - 14Jul
New Horizons
NASA's New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System. - 20Jul
Cuba-United States relations
The United States and Cuba resume full diplomatic relations after five decades. - 14Aug
Cuba-United States relations
The US Embassy in Havana, Cuba re-opens after 54 years of being closed when Cuba-United States relations were broken off.