Vera King Farris always will have a special place at Stockton University.
The street that runs through the main campus in Galloway Township bears her name.
But her legacy in more than a winding stretch of asphalt. She helped stitch the fabric that turned the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey into the university it is today.
Now a documentary is set to tell the tale.
"Leading Change: Dr. Vera King Farris" will premiere at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Campus Center Theatre.
Subtitled "A Story of Vision, Resilience and a Commitment to Equity that Transformed a University," the film focuses on the school's third president who made state history by becoming the first African-American woman to helm a four-year college in New Jersey.
Vera Marion King grew up in Atlantic City and graduated third in her class from high school there.
She went onto Tuskegee Institute — now Tuskegee University — and then the University of Massachusetts.
It was at Stockton where she truly left her mark.
She led the college for 20 years, starting in 1983.
Farris was known for engaging with students, being able to speak easily on a wide spectrum of topics and her infinite love of hats.
In 1990, she was responsible for founding the Holocaust Resource Center and established the Ida E. King chair that brings scholars of international renown to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides at Stockton. Its name honors Farris' mother.
Farris also taught Sunday school and was a moderator at Seaview Baptist Church in Linwood.
She retired from Stockton in 2003, but remained in Galloway Township until her death in 2009. The next year, the road was named in her honor.
