Furman 2019 Commencement Speaker
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Dear Furman Community,
I am excited to announce that our speaker for this year’s commencement will be National Public Radio correspondent Eleanor Beardsley ’86.
A native of South Carolina, Eleanor graduated from Furman with a B.A. in European history and French and received a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. She has brought the world to millions of listeners through her reporting from France and Europe. We are thrilled that she has agreed to be our principal speaker at the university’s 193rd commencement on May 11.
Eleanor’s pathway exemplifies a Furman education and the aim of The Furman Advantage, and she no doubt will share details about her experiences during various commencement activities.
In brief, Eleanor began reporting from France for NPR in June 2004 as a freelance journalist, covering all aspects of French politics, economics and culture. Based in Paris, she has since become an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team. She has covered the recent “yellow vest” protests in France, terrorist attacks, the arriving refugees in Hungary, Austria, Germany, Sweden and France, and traveled to Athens to follow the Greek debt crisis. Eleanor also covered the first Arab Spring revolution in Tunisia, and has reported on three presidential elections in France.
Before moving to Paris, Eleanor worked for three years with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. She also worked as a television producer for French broadcaster TF1 in Washington, D.C.
Our commencement ceremony is open to the public. Please share this exciting news with your family and friends as we prepare to send off our 2019 graduates and welcome home Eleanor Beardsley.
Warmly,
Elizabeth Davis
President