William S. Farish

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William S. Farish III (born March 17, 1939) is an American millionaire, a previous U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2001-2004), member of the Council of American Ambassadors, a horse-breeder, a chairman of Churchill Downs, major Republican Party donor, and family friend of President George W. Bush for several decades. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Kentucky in 2003.

1 Family
2 Business
3 Relationship with the Bushes
4 Political Donor
5 Ambassador
6 Board memberships
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Family

Farish was born in Houston, Texas in 1939. His father, William S. Farish Jr., was killed in an airplane accident during World War II. He is the grandson of William Stamps Farish II, who was President of Standard Oil from 1937 to 1942.

Wife: Sarah
Son: Bill Farish, Jr.
Daughters: Mary Farish Johnston, Laura Farish Chadwick, Hillary Farish Stratton

[edit] Business

Farish owns a trust company in Houston, Texas called W.S. Farish & Co.

An avid horse-breeder, Farish owns the 1800 acre Lane's End Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, which hosted Queen Elizabeth, a family friend, during her visits to Lexington. He also owns the 400 acre Lane's End Texas near Hempstead. He has bred and/or raced over 225 horses that became stakes winners, both individually and with partners. William S. Farish won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1992 and again in 1999.

[edit] Relationship with the Bushes

Prescott Bush and William Farish Sr. were business partners in the 1930s and 1940s. Farish Sr. died of a heart attack on 29 November 1942; his son, William Farish II, died in a training accident in Texas six months later. William Farish III served on the board of GHW Bush's Zapata Corporation starting in 1966.

Farish III owns a trust company in Houston, Texas called W.S. Farish & Co., and was tapped in 1980 to manage Vice President Bush's blind trust. Millie, George W. Bush's White House Dog, was a gift of Farish and his wife, Sarah. Farish and Bush, Sr. are known to be occasional tennis partners.

In 1980, George H.W. Bush placed his father's family inherence in a blind trust managed by his old friend and quail hunting partner, William 'Stamps' Farish III.

Farish's grandfather, William Farish, on March 25th, 1942, pleaded no contest to conspiring with Nazi Germany while president of Standard Oil in New Jersey. He was described by Senator Harry Truman in public of approaching "treason" for profiting off the Nazi war machine. Standard Oil, invested millions in IG Farben, who opened a gasoline factory within Auschwitz in 1940.

President George W. Bush appointed Farish American Ambassador to London.

[edit] Political Donor

Farish's contributions to the Republican Party include:

$100,000 to the Bush-Cheney inauguration committee fund
$26,875 to Republican candidates and parties between 1999-2000, including the maximum $1,000 to President Bush's campaign
$5,000 to the Bush-Cheney vote recount

Farish's support for Democrats was limited to a single contribution of $1000 to the unsuccessful campaign of former Rep. Scotty Baesler (D-Ky.).

William Farish's wife Sarah has also contributed to Republican politicians:

$11,000 between 1999-2000
$1,000 to President Bush's campaign

[edit] Ambassador

Farish was nominated by President George W. Bush as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom on March 5, 2001, appointed on July 11, 2001 and served until he resigned in early summer, 2004.

"The special relationship that the United States shares with Great Britain will be further strengthened with Will Farish as my representative. Will understands the important place that Britain holds for the United States as a trusted ally and key trading partner. I have full confidence that he will serve our country well," said President Bush.

He was criticised in the UK for his low profile during the period leading up to the Iraq War[1].