Area steel marketer Farragher to lecture

Staff report

LIBERTY

Bill Farragher, a World War II Army medic and the creator of the iconic Youngstown Sheet and Tube trademark, will share his memories in a presentation at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 in the meeting room of Kravitz Deli, 3135 Belmont Ave.

The lecture, part of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society’s Memories of a Lifetime series. Admission is $5. There will also be a 50/50 raffle.

Reservations are required, but walk-ins will be admitted if seats are available. Call Richard Scarsella, WHMHS chairman, at 330-726-8277 to reserve a seat.

Farragher, who was stationed in Alaska during the war, will recall his contact with the native population and the harsh environment.

The Youngstown native, who currently resides in Canfield, would go on to have a career in industrial marketing. He became director of marketing for both Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Magnecord Corp., and was also marketing manager for McDonald Steel Corp.

He also founded Farragher Marketing Communications and taught marketing at what in now Youngstown State University.

He is best known for designing the Sheet and Tube trademark and implementing a marketing campaign for the company. The logo depicts a massive bucket used in pouring molten steel. The symbol is now used by the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum.

In his career, Farragher also consulted with Wean United affiliates. In that capacity, he visited steel mills around the world.

A long-time member of the American Iron & Steel Institute, he knew Youngstown-area steel industry leaders personally, including David Tod.

He also was the project engineer for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which opened in 1965.

Farragher’s board memberships, past and current, include Help Hotline Crisis Center, Habitat for Humanity Mahoning County, Youngstown Symphony Center, and Brier Hill Cultural Center.

A member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Youngstown, he was married for 59 years to the former Arden Smith. He raised four children and one foster son.

The William Holmes McGuffey Society conducts programs, which are open to the public, in an effort to keep the McGuffey legacy alive.

McGuffey, a Youngstown resident, published the nationally known McGuffey Eclectic Readers in the 1800s.