Edward Ellis Farnsworth (July 30, 1880 – December 19, 1937) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player, an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

and a member of the Maine State Highway Commission. He was thrice selected as an All-American (1900, 1902, 1903) and is the only individual to have played in five

Army–Navy Game The Army–Navy Game is an American college football college rivalry, rivalry game between the Army Black Knights football, Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen football ...

s. He was, additionally, an author and Theosophist.

Football player

Edward Farnsworth was born in

Charlestown, New Hampshire Charlestown is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2020 census, down from 5,114 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Hubbard State Forest and the headquarters of the Student Conservation A ...

on July 30, 1880. He graduated from

Classical High School Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public magnet school in the Providence School District, in Providence, Rhode Island. It was originally an all-male school but has since become co-ed. Classical's motto is ''Certare, Petere, Reperire ...

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...

. He subsequently attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

where he played at the halfback, tackle and

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

positions for the

Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football team, historically known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. The Black Knights team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Ath ...

team from 1899 to 1903. He was selected by

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...

as a third-team tackle on his

1900 College Football All-America Team The 1900 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various individuals who chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1900 college football season. The only two individ ...

. He was also selected by

Caspar Whitney Caspar William Whitney (September 2, 1864 – January 18, 1929) was an American author, editor, explorer, outdoorsman, and war correspondent. He originated the concept of the All-American team in college football in 1889, when he worked for '' ...

as a second-team All-American at the guard position in 1902 and at the halfback position in 1903. He is also the only individual to have played in five

s, having played in each game from 1899 to 1903.

Military and civil service

After graduating from the Military Academy in 1904, Farnsworth served in the

until 1929, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He received a temporary promotion to colonel during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was advanced to colonel on the retired list in 1930. Farnsworth graduated from the

Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

in 1923 and the Army War College in 1926. He was assigned to the Eighth Coast Artillery at

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

from 1923 to 1929. After retiring from the Army, he was appointed by Maine Governor

William Tudor Gardiner William Tudor Gardiner (June 12, 1892 – August 3, 1953) was an American politician and the 55th governor of Maine. Early life Gardiner was born in Newton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1892, the youngest of five children born to Robert Hallowel ...

as a member of the Maine State Highway Commission, a position he held for eight years.

Dates of rank

*Cadet, USMA – June 13, 1899 *2nd Lieutenant, Regular Army – June 15, 1904 *1st Lieutenant, Regular Army – January 25, 1907 *Captain, Regular Army – July 25, 1914 *Major, Regular Army (temporary) – August 5, 1917 *Lieutenant Colonel, National Army – June 21, 1918 *Colonel, National Army – October 3, 1918 *Major, Regular Army – July 1, 1920 *Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army – August 7, 1928 *Lieutenant Colonel, Retired List – October 1, 1929 *Colonel, Retired List – June 21, 1930

Author

Farnsworth is often confused with Edward Clarence Farnsworth who wrote a number of books at the turn of the 20th Century on subjects ranging from poetry and history to the occult, creating a three part series of Theosophical and new age lore involving subjects from

Swedenborg Emanuel Swedenborg (; ; born Emanuel Swedberg; (29 January 168829 March 1772) was a Swedish polymath; scientist, engineer, astronomer, anatomist, Christian theologian, philosopher, and mystic. He became best known for his book on the afterlife, ...

to Atlantis.

Family

Farnsworth was married in 1907 to Mary Pullman. Their two sons, Edward Ellis Farnsworth, Jr., and John Pullman Farnsworth, both attended and graduated from the United States Military Academy. Farnsworth died from a heart attack on December 19, 1937, at age 57 in his home in

South Portland, Maine South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the List of municipalities in Maine, fourth-most populous city in the state, incorporated in 1898. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population wa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnsworth, Edward 1880 births 1937 deaths People from Charlestown, New Hampshire Players of American football from New Hampshire Players of American football from Lynn, Massachusetts Army Black Knights football players American football guards American football tackles American football halfbacks United States Army colonels Military personnel from New Hampshire United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni Sportspeople from South Portland, Maine Burials at West Point Cemetery