Herb Farmer, who photographed football and basketball games along with track and field meets and other events for more than 70 years at USC, has died. He was 89. He worked for the cinema school and kept USC football coaching films there from the 1940’s through the early 2000’s.

Former USC assistant Craig Fertig used to say when he was hired, one of his duties was to be the film coach. He asked John McKay what a film coach did and McKay said, “Call Herb Famer in Cinema and he’ll tell you what to do.”

A statement from the Cinema school is after the jump.

Dr. Herbert Farmer, archivist, emeritus professor, former associate dean and SCA alumnus, passed away Sunday, November 22. He was 89 years old.

“Herb was an absolutely essential part of the School of Cinematic Arts, and it’s difficult to imagine him not being here,” said Dean Elizabeth M. Daley. “His devotion to the university, the school and the generations of students he instructed and inspired, is matchless. I am proud to have had him as a colleague and a friend.”

After making a cross-country trip from Buffalo, New York, Farmer began classes at USC in 1938, also finding time to produce the Trojan Newsreel, shoot football coaching films and surgical motion pictures for the university, and play sousaphone in the marching band.

A few months shy of his graduation in 1942, Farmer took over teaching a motion picture history class from a professor who had been called to active duty in World War II. Farmer, who also served in the war, returned to USC in 1946 and began teaching classes in basic film technology and distribution. He had been involved with the university ever since. He received his master’s degree in cinema from USC in 1954.

At the time of his death, Farmer was still dedicated to overseeing his extensive archive of historical films and equipment ranging from zoetropes to the soundboard from The Jazz Singer, which he had gifted to the university. These materials are part of a rotating collection that is regularly put on display.

Farmer’s son, Jim Farmer, also a Trojan, often accompanied his father on his trips to the university. “As we would go through the new building, the words would always be the same: ‘Incredible’, ‘beautiful’, ‘wow’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘fantastic’, ‘I wish I could go back to school – I’d have so much fun.’”

At a September 2008 celebration of Farmer’s 70 years of ongoing service to the university, Farmer spoke warmly about his time as a Trojan. “It’s been a wonderful life working with students here at the school,” he told the audience. “I’m grateful for the time that I’ve been able to put into it. And I’d do it again if I had to or could.”