| Michael P. Farris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael P. Farris August 27, 1951 Spokane, Washington, United States |
| Residence | Purcellville, Virginia, United States |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Other names | Mikey |
| Occupation | Professor, Constitutional Lawyer, Author |
| Known for | Founder of Patrick Henry College, Founder of Home School Legal Defense Association |
| Title | Chancellor of Patrick Henry College |
| Term | March 2006 – present |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Spouse | Vickie Farris |
Michael "Mike" P. Farris (born August 27, 1951) is a United States constitutional lawyer. He is a founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and Patrick Henry College.
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Farris graduated magna cum laude with a degree in political science from Western Washington University (formerly Western Washington State College). He received a law degree and graduated with honors from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington.Farris received an LLM in public international law (with merit) from the University of London in 2011.
He married in 1971 and has ten children and ten grandchildren.[1] He and his wife Vickie began home schooling in 1982, leading him to establish the Home School Legal Defense Association in 1983.
He was also ordained as a Baptist minister in 1983.
In 1983, Farris founded the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), where he currently serves as chairman and general counsel.[2] His efforts resulted in a number of court rulings and policy changes favoring home schooling.
He also founded Patrick Henry College, which opened its doors in 2000. According to HSLDA, the college was founded as
"...a Christian institution with the mission of training students through a classical liberal arts curriculum and apprenticeship methodology to impact the world 'for Christ and for Liberty.'"[3]
He held the positions of president and professor of Government from 2000 to 2006. Farris resigned his position as president of HSLDA to take on these new roles. In March 2006, Farris stepped down from the position of president to become chancellor of the college.[4]
He has been appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Board of Visitors for Mount Vernon (the home of George Washington).
Farris is also the author of several books on homeschooling and family as well as the book From Tyndale to Madison, published in 2007. He has also written a few novels, including Guilt by Association (ISBN 978-0805401516), and Forbid them Not (ISBN 978-0805424331). All of Farris' novels deal with Christian themes.
Education Week named Farris one of the most significant 100 "Faces of the Century."
As a lawyer, Farris's cases include over 40 reported decisions as lead counsel. These decisions were given by the United States Supreme Court, five U.S. circuit courts of Appeal, seven state Supreme Courts, and five state Courts of Appeal. Farris successfully argued for the petitioner in a religious freedom case, the Supreme Court case Witters v. Washington Department of Services For the Blind in 1985-1986.
In 1993, Farris ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor of Virginia and was defeated by Democrat Don Beyer — 54-46 percent. However, fellow Republicans George Allen, Jr., and James Gilmore were elected on the same ballot as governor and attorney general, respectively. Farris' close connection to conservative leaders like Jerry Falwell of the Moral Majority, Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition, and Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum, stirred deep-seated feelings about religion and politics. These concerns inflamed by negative ads by Beyer to portray him even more radically, likely caused alienation of enough moderate voters to lose him the election.[5] There was also soreness among Virginia Republicans for U.S. Senator John Warner's lack of support for Farris.
Farris was the founder and chairman of the Madison Project, a political action committee. He is also the founder of Generation Joshua, an organization for the mobilization of Christian youth to participate in politics and get out the vote. In 2007, he founded ParentalRights.org, a parental rights advocacy group.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New Position |
President of Patrick Henry College 2000–2006 |
Succeeded by Graham Walker |
| Preceded by New Position |
Chancellor of Patrick Henry College 2006 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Edwina P. Dalton |
Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 1993 |
Succeeded by John H. Hager |