He was also a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1884, Farnham got his start in film through his business relationship with theatre impresarios Gustave and Daniel Frohman who owned The Frohman Amusement Corp.

The Big Parade is probably the most famous of his works adapted to film.

Joseph Farnham was the very first Academy Award winner to die.

He died in 1931 of a heart attack while living in Los Angeles and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.