If Horatio Alger Married Florence Nightingale Their Son Might Have Been Sir Tom Farmer
Sir Tom Farmer CVO CBE KC*SG FRSE DL (1940 – 2025)
Professor Joe Goldblatt
My mobile phone rang loudly in my crowded University office. I quickly glanced at the screen to see the name ‘Sir Tom Farmer’ scrolling from left to right. Pressing enter, I even more quickly moved into a private room to take the call from one of Scotland’s most successful and well loved business leaders and philanthropists who was also the former Chancellor of my University.
His soft sand paperish voice seemed to whisper to me “Joe, Tom Farmer, how are you?” And before I could reply he said “I need a favour. There is a man that could use your help. He wants to earn his MBA. Can you help him?”
Since that phone call and with the recent sad loss of Sir Tom Farmer, I have always wondered how many people did Tom help in his lifetime? Well, as I now began to read the tributes to this humble and great man I am convinced that he helped more people than any of us could possibly imagine.
Tom’s dramatic life story often reminded me of he American author Horatio Alger (1832 – 1899) who wrote young adult novels about improverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to middle-class security and comfort through their good works. These novels were known as “rags to riches” stories that had a profound effect upon U.S. citizens for nearly 40 years.
However, his seemingly inexhaustible ability to also care for others also reminded me of the nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910). Many health scholars credit her with being the founder of modern nursing because her innovative methods reduced deaths and increased hygeine.
I now wonder if Sir Tom Farmer might have been the mythical progeny of these two leading figures because of his unprecedented rise in the business world and his boundless compassion for others.
When my wife and I first immigrated to Scotland, Tom had recently become the first and founding Chancellor of Scotland’s newest University. We immediately bonded as we were both unabashed salesmen and loyal fans of one of the greatest trainers of sales people, the late author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar (1926 – 2012). Zig often conducted huge rallies for thousands of sales professionals all over the world. Tom Farmer was one of his disciples and whenever we met we would exchange Ziglar aphorisms such as “There is no elevator to the top. You get there, one step at a time!”
During one of our annual University graduation ceremonies I was invited to dine with Sir Tom and his beautiful and poised wife Lady Anne. Following the lunch he slipped his hand inside my upper arm to steady himself as we made our way back to the auditorium. I realised that this was the beginning of a series of health issues that he valiantly fought each of the remaining days of his life. And never once did he ever complain to me about his poor health, rather, he always changed the subject by asking about my wife, my work, and my views about the world.
Towards the end of his long life I visited him in his home shortly after the loss of his beloved wife of over 50 years. I was in my early 70’s and realised that one day, my wife or I might be in a similar circumstance. I asked him how he was doing and how he continued to face each day without the company of his long time partner.
He furrowed his brow, leaned toward me to speak in confidence and said “I talk to her.” I wondered what he meant and then he said pointing toward a sofa across from where he was sitting, “She used to sit over there. I still talk to her.”
I was astonished but not entirely surprised because the man who had llived a Horatio Alger story, come from a modest neighbourhood as one of 7 children to build a billion pound business from the ground up. He always faced new challenges with determination, imagination, and faith. His continuing conversations with Anne reflected each of these unique virtues that he seemed to exhibit every day for 84 years.
There will be many stories about Sir Tom Farmer because everyone who met him or even read about his remarkable life became a small part of a story that is now unending. However, when Tom rang me all those years ago to ask for my help I immediately positively replied and offered to meet with his troubled friend.
The young man I met was highly intelligent, although due to drink, drugs, and poverty he appeared to be suffering from insecurity. I accompanied him to meet our post graduate recruiter and somehow we managed to have him admitted to the MBA programme. After a few months I was notified that he had stopped attending his classes and I notified Tom.
Once again, in his soft sand paperish voice he said “Thank’s for trying Joe. All we can do is try.”
As I join people all over the world in grieving over the irreplaceable and irreparable loss of Sir Tom Farmer I am silently thinking that if ever there was an example for young people to follow of someone who consistently tried quietly and regularly to improve the lives of others, that role model would be a humble man who rose from rags to riches while making the world a better place for all who were blessed to know him or learn from his uniquely inspiring and now immortal life story.
Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. His views are his own. To learn more about his views visit www.joegoldblatt.scot