11 Facts About Eugenia Farrar

Eugenia Farrar, whose full name was Ada Eugenia Hildegard von Boos Farrar, was a mezzo-soprano singer and philanthropist.

Eugenia Farrar was born in Sweden and lived most of her life in New York City.

Eugenia Farrar's parents were Fredericka Wilhelmina Berglund and Count John Matthias von Boos, whose title was through the German "House of Boos zu Waldeck".

Eugenia Farrar gave what is commonly believed to be the first live radio singing performance in the fall of 1907, when, while touring Lee de Forest's experimental radio station, she was encouraged by the inventor to perform two songs.

Eugenia Farrar did extensive work with families of prison inmates, and in 1908 announced plans to build a small settlement, Brookside Farm, located in Bardonia, for spouses and children of prisoners.

Eugenia Farrar performed in numerous charitable concerts, becoming known as the "Angel of the Tombs Prison" in recognition of her work supporting families of prisoners incarcerated there.

The May 22,1957 episode of the This Is Your Life television program honored Lee de Forest, and Eugenia Farrar was one of the featured guests.

Eugenia Farrar died on May 17,1966, and an urn containing her ashes was given to Oliver Wyckoff.

Eugenia Farrar later recollected that she accompanied an unnamed "woman reporter" to visit the Parker Building facility.

However, Eugenia Farrar appeared on the April 6,1939 broadcast of Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour, where she sang I Love You Truly, and commented that this national broadcast had a much larger audience than her 1907 debut.

Some accounts state that after Eugenia Farrar's singing was heard by radio operators at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, they contacted the New York Herald, which ran a short review which was read by de Forest.