Second Wall of Giants Dedicated to Farah Manufacturing

On May 22, 2010 El Paso Museum of History honored and celebrated the Farah Manufacturing Company and its former employees with the dedication of the El Paso's Second Wall of Giants. The Grand Opening also became a reunion of the former employees. More than 700 people enjoyed the event. Mansour Farah emigrated from Lebanon in the early 1900’s. He owned a dry goods store in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and later attended a clothing design and production school in New York. In 1920 he returned to open the Farah Shirt Manufacturing Company in El Paso, Texas. Production shifted to pants a few years later when the Texas prison system started making work shirts at a lower cost. When Mansour died in 1937, his wife, Hana, and their two sons, Jimmy and Willie, continued to run the business, which moved and expanded many times. During World War II they manufactured military uniforms, receiving an “E” award for efficiency. After the War, Farah turned to making “casual” clothing using innovative styles and fabrics. Farah was El Paso’s largest civilian employer for many years. Unionization occurred in the 1970s after a nationwide boycott was called on Farah products. The Company was sold to Tropical Sportswear in 1999, and the brand name is now owned and marketed by Perry Ellis International.

Area: Eastside / Cielo Vista

Source: El Paso Museum of HistoryExhibit design by Victor Mireles, Mireles Creative Inc.

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History