The collection is organized into four series: Personal files, Professional files, Subject files, and Audio-Visual material.
Thomas M. Farrell is a Detroit, Mich. native. He attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids and served a two-year term in the U.S. Army. He started his career in the mid-1940s as a sports writer for Grand Rapids Herald and Grand Rapids Press. In 1949 Farrell joined the United Press International (UPI), first in Detroit, then at the Lansing Bureau. In 1954 he became the Grand Rapids Bureau Manager. Farrell was UPI divisional representative for Michigan from 1956 to 1958, then returned to the Grand Rapids Office as Bureau Manager. Farrell covered Michigan Legislature and attended Governor G. Mennen Williams' twice-daily press conferences. The construction and opening of the Mackinac Bridge on November 1, 1957 was one of the major Farrell's stories during his tenure at UPI. He wrote and edited news coverage by staff writers.
In September 1959 Farrell became the Public Information Officer for the Michigan State Highway Department Information Services, under Commissioner John C. Mackie's leadership. At the time Michigan was leading the nation in freeway construction, building the first cross-state interstate freeway (I-94). Among many that Farrell executed, were preparation of daily news releases, road information bulletins, and material for speeches and other presentations by Department personnel, coordination of public events and press conferences, etc. When in 1964 Mackie was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 7th congressional district to the 89th U.S. Congress, Farrell became Mackie's Administrative Assistant, relocating to Washington, D.C.
After Mackie lost congressional elections to Republican Donald W. Riegle, Jr. in 1966, Farrell returned to Michigan to work as Public Information Director for the State Department of Transportation, then in 1968 he became Director of Communications for the Michigan Catholic Conference. In 1969 Farrell joined the Office of Economic Expansion of the state Department of Commerce. As the Department Public Information Director, he coordinated the public information and promotional activities of all of the Department of Commerce bureaus.
In 1972 Farrell became the Michigan Department of Education Assistant Superintendent for Public Affairs. In this capacity he directed the department's legislative program designed to bring about improvements in the elementary, secondary, and higher education systems in the state; represented the Superintendent of Public Instruction before the legislature, the executive office, the press, the professional and other organizations interested in the improvement of the educational system, and at professional organizations in the development of programs of mutual concern; and selected and utilized the media and techniques necessary for accomplishing the goals and objectives of the public information and legislative programs. Farrell stayed with the Department of Education for 13 years.
In September 1985 Farrell was hired by the Chief Justice and former Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams as the Michigan Supreme Court Information Officer. Chief Justice G. Mennen Williams announced Farrell's appointment. Farrell was charged with coordination of an expanded communication program that would improve Court's communication with the public, the executive and legislative branches of the State government, and the Michigan legal community. Farrell retired in 1993 at the age of 65.
Since 1977 Farrell has served on the Board of Directors of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, a summer camp for the arts located in the Manistee National Forest. Since 1976 Farrell has been involved with the Michigan-Shiga Educational and Cultural Exchange organization, promoting relationship between the state of Michigan and the Prefecture of Shiga, Japan. Farrell is also Past President of the Public Relations Association of Michigan.
