Farr, Walter "Nick", 2006 March 21

Walter G. Farr graduated from Yale College in 1948 and from Yale Law School in 1951. In 1955, after working in New York City, he returned to New Haven and joined the Tyler Cooper law firm, where he worked as part of the outside counsel to the New Haven Redevelopment Agency. Farr also served as the head of the New Haven Civil Liberties Union and the Treasurer of the Human Relations Council. His work involved negotiating real estate deals for eminent domain and ensuring the legality of building condemnation. He describes himself as a liberal lawyer, committed to public interest. The interview focuses on his experiences with and perceptions of the New Haven Redevelopment Agency, its key supporters, and its activities. Farr talks about the goals of Redevelopment Administrator Edward J. Logue and Mayor Richard C. Lee and the civic ideals of Morris Tyler, James Cooper, Ralph Taylor, Harold Grabino. Referring to Robert Dahl's book Who Governs, Farr states that "who governed was us" namely, the community of liberal lawyers in New Haven. He says that the Redevelopment Agency and its lawyers were optimistic in their ability to improve New Haven. But he admits that in retrospect there were some mistakes in urban renewal projects that hurt New Haven's communities. He also discusses the culture of the New Haven Bar. In 1962, Farr began work for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). He later taught at New York University, directed the Model Cities Administration, and worked for the federal government.

Interviewer: Ruben, Gregory