Author Talk: Daniel Tyler
Spend an evening with local author Daniel Tyler, discussing his new book, W.D. Farr: Cowboy in the Boardroom.
Farr was a major leader in the twentieth-century development of western agriculture. Tyler is Professor Emeritus of History at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and the author of several books about water development in the West.
About the book
W.D. Farr: Cowboy in the Boardroom
“Always a better way” was WD Farr’s motto. As a Colorado rancher, banker, cattle feeder, and expert in irrigation, Farr (1910–2007) had a unique talent for building consensus and instigating change in an industry known for its conservatism. With his persistent optimism and gregarious personality, Farr’s influence extended from next-door neighbors and business colleagues to U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries. In this biography, Daniel Tyler chronicles Farr’s singular life and career. At the same time, he tells a broader story of sweeping changes in agricultural production and irrigated agriculture in Colorado and across the West during the twentieth century.
WD was a third-generation descendant of western farming pioneers, who specialized in sheep feeding. While learning all he could from his father and grandfather, WD developed a new vision: to make cattle profitable. He sought out experienced livestock experts to help him devise ways to produce beef year-round. When World War II ended, and the troops came home tired of wartime mutton, the beef industry took off. With his new innovations in place, WD was ready.
Tyler also reveals WD’s influence in securing water supplies for farmers and ranchers and in establishing water conservation policies. Early in his career, WD helped sell the Colorado–Big Thompson Project to skeptical, debt-ridden farmers. In 1955, he became a board member for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, a post he held for forty years.
Tyler bases his portrait of WD Farr on extensive archival research and dozens of interviews with people who knew him personally or by reputation. In the end, Tyler shows that although not everybody agreed, or will agree, with Farr’s stands on particular issues, this “cowboy in the boardroom” led by his own example. By embracing change and seeking consensus rather than forcing his will on others, his greatest legacy—as revealed in this book—may be the model of leadership he provided.
Off the Beaten Path Bookstore will be on site for book sales and an author signing after the talk.
About Daniel Tyler
Born in Philadelphia before WW II, Daniel Tyler grew up on the Crystal River Ranch in Carbondale, CO. This ranch was owned by WD Farr who sold it to his dad in 1946. Schools in the area were marginal, so he attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, moving on to Harvard for his college years. After receiving a degree in political science, and a commission in the United States Air Force, he trained and served as a jet flight instructor for three years. After five years teaching history in Hawaii, Tyler returned to ranching for a few years before deciding to pursue a Ph.D. in American history at the University of New Mexico. In 1970, CSU hired him to teach various courses on the West, Southwest, Colorado, and the United States. He stayed there for 30 years. His research focused on water development in the West, including representing various groups in court who were attempting to preserve Hispanic and Native American water rights. Several books on water were the result of this focus: The Mythical Pueblo Rights Doctrine; The Last Water Hole in the West; and The Silver Fox of the Rockies.
Tyler retired from CSU in 2000 and moved to Steamboat. He is presently researching a group of five Eastern families who intermarried as a result of business and professional ties. It is a more personal project than previous studies, because the story involves his mother's family. The skeletons that are emerging from many closets have entertained him with unexpected material for another book.