Inside Furman -- Campaign Launch

Your numb feet carry you down Nevskii Prospekt towards the Hermitage. The ground is covered with snow. It’s -5 degrees.

Suddenly you catch a glimpse of a tall figure jogging through an endless sea of furry hats and snow boots. The crowd parts, making way for this odd man donning a running suit and toboggan. They stare. Many shake their heads.

A deep Russian voice is heard: "Running in this weather. That man must be insane!"

Coming in from the cold
Happy to be inside a monastery in historic Suzdal, Russia, are Bill Lavery and two of the students on this year’s winter term tour of the Baltics: Jenny Adamson, senior political science major from Greenville, and Julie Jones, senior psychology major from Virginia.

Since joining Furman in 1968 after working for the Central Intelligence Agency, Lavery has become known both for his jogging and international travels.

His penchant for running in cold weather and travel can, at least in part, be linked to his hometown — Chicago, a city known both for its chilly climate and international flavor.

"We were an Irish Protestant family living in a neighborhood of mainly German Protestants and Polish Catholics," he says. "We picked up on their different languages, sampled their ethnic dishes and learned to appreciate their unique cultures."

Aside from gaining a taste of culture through his childhood environment, Lavery claims his father, a "Chicago patriot who loved the history of his city," was very influential in supporting his son’s education, constantly offering books and encouragement to Bill. "As far as Ican remember," Lavery remarks, "I was always reading history books."

After graduating from DePauw University in 1962 (he was a fraternity brother of Dan Quayle), Lavery ventured south to Chapel Hill where he became an expert in European affairs and eventually went to work for the CIA.

However, Lavery soon realized that his passion was history. He left Langley in 1968 and joined Furman to "read what I am interested in" and "to get better vacations." Eight years later Lavery first ventured abroad with Furman students when he led a study abroad program to the Middle East and Turkey.

He’s been hooked ever since. As a person with a healthy sense of humor, endless knowledge of both other cultures and "the best jazz clubs in Europe," students find Lavery to be an entertaining and delightful travel companion.

Through the years, Lavery has become both a friend and host to international students, often inviting them into his home during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

So he was the natural choice to succeed Charles Kimball as director of the Office of International Education three years ago when Kimball joined Wake Forest. In this role, Lavery helps organize study abroad trips, exchange programs and recruits international students. Furman has 27 international students enrolled representing 20 countries.