Kenneth Penton Farmer was born on July 26, 1912 in Westmount, Que., and raised in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que. He earned a commerce degree from McGill in 1934, starring for four years with the hockey team from 1930 to 1934.
He also played three seasons with the tennis team (1930-33) and was the Canadian intercollegiate doubles champion in 1932.
Farmer was nicknamed Le Clou (The Nail) for his ability to keep the puck on his stick.
He was a member of the Redmen in 1932 when the team beat both the Canadian and U.S. Olympic hockey teams at exhibition games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
The 5-foot-9, 144-pound left winger was also known as the "Mighty Midget". He was described as a skating keg of dynamite with a build to match and a shot every bit as explosive.
He once scored five goals and eight points in a 12-2 win at Harvard (Jan. 8, 1934) and ended up with 53 goals and 93 points in 64 career games with the Redmen. He helped McGill win three Queen’s Cup hockey championships (1930-31, 1932-33), 1933-34), two Quebec Senior Hockey League titles (1930-31, 1933-34) and one Quebec Amateur Hockey League championship (1933-34).
After graduating from McGill, Farmer played for the Montreal Victorias and was put on the Montreal Canadiens negotiation list. He helped the Canadian Olympic team win a silver medal and finished second in scoring at the 1936 Olympics with 10-4-14 record in eight games, including a 5-goal game against Hungary.
When the Second World War broke out, Farmer enlisted in the Royal Montreal Regiment. He later served with the Manitoba Dragoons, took part in the liberation of the Netherlands and was eventually was discharged with the rank of major.
When the war ended, he went to work as a chartered accountant with McDonald Currie, (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers). He returned to the Olympics in London in 1948 as a last-minute treasurer when the incumbent fell ill.
Farmer served as president of the Canadian Olympic Association (1953 to 1961) and president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada (1977 to 1983). He also served as governor of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame from 1980 to 1990.
He was invested as a member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and was inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Farmer went on to become president of the Canadian Olympic Association. He died on Jan. 12, 2005.
