Jeremiah Farrell
Encyclopedia
Jeremiah Farrell (born 1937) is an American
professor emeritus of mathematics
at Butler University
in Indiana
. He is well-known for having designed Will Shortz
's favorite puzzle, the 1996 "Election Day" crossword in The New York Times
. He has also written puzzles for many other books and newspapers, such as Scott Kim
's puzzle column for Discover
magazine.
, the oldest of three children to Belle Einsphar, and Paul Farrell, a third generation railroad man. Farrell himself worked for one summer on the railroad, as a "grinder", whose job was to plane down the railroad tracks so that they stayed smooth. He attended Hastings High School, graduating in 1955, and then going on to the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1963 with degrees in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. He later obtained a Master's degree in mathematics, and in 1966 was hired as a teacher at Butler University in Indiana, where he worked for the next 40 years, teaching nearly every subject in the mathematics department. He officially retired in 1994, but has continued to teach every semester.
He is best known for designing many crossword puzzles for The New York Times
, starting in the 1970s for Margaret Farrar
, and then continuing to design new puzzles after the department was taken over by Will Shortz
. In 1996, he designed his most famous puzzle, the "Election Day" crossword. One of the words had the clue "lead story tomorrow", with the answer being 14 letters long. However, the puzzle had two correct solutions: One could be "Bob Dole elected", and the other could be Bill "Clinton elected", and all of the "crossing" words were designed such that they could be one of two different words, to make either answer as needed. Will Shortz
called it an "amazing" feat, and said it's his favorite puzzle.
With his wife Karen, Farrell has helped to organize the biannual Gathering for Gardner
conferences, which started in 1993 as an invitation-only event for people connected with Martin Gardner
.
In 2006 Farrell and his wife took over from A. Ross Eckler, Jr.
as editors and publishers of the quarterly publication Word Ways: the Journal of Recreational Linguistics
, established in 1968.
Farrell is a card-carrying member of the Flat Earth Society
, and Dennis E. Shasha, a New York University
computer science
professor, has awarded him the title of "Omniheurist, First-Class," for being the first person to correctly solve the embedded puzzle in Shasha's book, Puzzling Adventures, which led to a specific location in Greenwich Village
for a scheduled meeting with the author. (Indianapolis Star)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor emeritus of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He is well-known for having designed Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
's favorite puzzle, the 1996 "Election Day" crossword in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. He has also written puzzles for many other books and newspapers, such as Scott Kim
Scott Kim
Scott Kim is an American puzzle and computer game designer, artist, and author. He started writing an occasional "Boggler" column for Discover magazine in 1990, and became an exclusive columnist in 1999, and created hundreds of other puzzles for magazines such as Scientific American and Games, as...
's puzzle column for Discover
Discover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
magazine.
Biography
Farrell was born in Hastings, NebraskaHastings, Nebraska
Hastings is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. It is the principal city of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Adams and Clay counties. The population was 24,907 at the 2010 census...
, the oldest of three children to Belle Einsphar, and Paul Farrell, a third generation railroad man. Farrell himself worked for one summer on the railroad, as a "grinder", whose job was to plane down the railroad tracks so that they stayed smooth. He attended Hastings High School, graduating in 1955, and then going on to the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1963 with degrees in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. He later obtained a Master's degree in mathematics, and in 1966 was hired as a teacher at Butler University in Indiana, where he worked for the next 40 years, teaching nearly every subject in the mathematics department. He officially retired in 1994, but has continued to teach every semester.
He is best known for designing many crossword puzzles for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, starting in the 1970s for Margaret Farrar
Margaret Farrar
Margaret Petherbridge Farrar was an American journalist and the first crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times, from 1942 to 1968...
, and then continuing to design new puzzles after the department was taken over by Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
. In 1996, he designed his most famous puzzle, the "Election Day" crossword. One of the words had the clue "lead story tomorrow", with the answer being 14 letters long. However, the puzzle had two correct solutions: One could be "Bob Dole elected", and the other could be Bill "Clinton elected", and all of the "crossing" words were designed such that they could be one of two different words, to make either answer as needed. Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
called it an "amazing" feat, and said it's his favorite puzzle.
With his wife Karen, Farrell has helped to organize the biannual Gathering for Gardner
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature , philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion...
conferences, which started in 1993 as an invitation-only event for people connected with Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature , philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion...
.
In 2006 Farrell and his wife took over from A. Ross Eckler, Jr.
A. Ross Eckler, Jr.
Albert Ross Eckler, Jr. is a logologist and statistician, the son of statistician A. Ross Eckler. He received a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University....
as editors and publishers of the quarterly publication Word Ways: the Journal of Recreational Linguistics
Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics
Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics is a quarterly magazine on recreational linguistics and logology. It was established by Dmitri Borgmann in 1968. A. Ross Eckler, Jr. was editor until 2006 when he was succeeded by Jeremiah Farrell .- External links :*...
, established in 1968.
Farrell is a card-carrying member of the Flat Earth Society
Flat Earth Society
The Flat Earth Society is an organization that seeks to further the belief that the Earth is flat instead of an oblate spheroid. The modern organization was founded by Englishman Samuel Shenton in 1956 and was later led by Charles K...
, and Dennis E. Shasha, a New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
professor, has awarded him the title of "Omniheurist, First-Class," for being the first person to correctly solve the embedded puzzle in Shasha's book, Puzzling Adventures, which led to a specific location in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
for a scheduled meeting with the author. (Indianapolis Star)
Contributed works
- Zen and the Art of Magic Squares
- A.K. Peters publications (where he is called a "mathemagician")
- Discover magazine