Lou
Jack of all Trades
By: Kirsten Swanson
^
The median number of years a person stays with an employer
is 4.6 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That
equates to around 10 jobs in one’s lifetime. Lou Farrell '03 is
living proof of that statistic. Upper Perkiomen School District where he shared his passion
for teaching and history with thousands of students. He’s now
combining those passions with his culinary and brewing skills in
his latest venture, Ür Brewery.
On his resume, you will find an array of professions, including
trained chef, archaeologist, and history teacher. Oh, and a stop
at Gwynedd Mercy University to earn his bachelor’s degree in
history and secondary education as well as Temple University to
study in the Public Archaeology PhD program. Ür Brewery features a mix of both fan-favorite pale ales and
rare, colonial beers Lou has discovered thanks to the extensive
research skills he learned at GMercyU. He’s using his culinary
background to create a unique menu, focusing on small plates
to consciously pair the beer and food together.
But education
“ isn’t
always
about getting a
better job; it’s
about setting a
foundation and
learning how to do
new things. That
is what I learned
at GMercyU.
”
His job history and educational
journey may seem eclectic, but
they have all led him to his latest
occupation - a brewery owner.
Lou is considered one of the
country's earliest craft brewers.
In the early 1990s, he ran the first
all-grain brewery since Prohibition.
In addition to his passion for
beer-making, he’s a self-described
history buff. While Lou has always
had a love for history, he stumbled
upon his passion for education
accidentally.
It was on a trip to Fort Mifflin where instead of waiting an hour
for the next tour group to leave, he took his family on his own
guided tour. As they walked the grounds, visitors confused him
for a real tour guide and soon he was sharing his knowledge
with a group of more than 20 people.
It was then when his wife looked at him and said, “You know
you’re a teacher, right?”
Lou signed up for classes at Montgomery County Community
College a week later and was back in school at the age of 40.
After a few successful semesters, he transferred to GMercyU to
complete his degree.
“I knew that GMercyU had good education and history
programs. I was hired fairly quickly [after graduating] and
had a decade-long career as social studies teacher because of
GMercyU’s good reputation,” Lou said. “I was also accepted
into a PhD program at Temple to study historical archaeology
thanks to my grades at GMercyU and the help I received from
Professor Wayne Huss.”
Lou spent more than a decade as a social studies teacher in the
16
TODAY
“People may look at [my resume] and might not think of it as
the best story around,” Lou said.
“But education isn’t always about getting a better job; it’s
about setting a foundation and learning how to do new things.
That is what I learned at GMercyU.”
In the true Mercy spirit, a percentage of Ür Brewery’s profits
will be donated to the Philadelphia-based non-profit The
Welcome Church and people experiencing homelessness are
encouraged to apply for jobs.
Ür Brewery is set to open this spring at 320 Madison Street in
Lansdale, Pa.