James L. Hamrick, a 1950 graduate earned a master’s degree in international relations from Duke in 1952. He married classmate Peggy Cater in 1952 and also went to work for Milliken and Company in Greenville. During a long career at Milliken, he held a variety of management positions, and he retired in 1993 as vice president of financial planning.

Mr. Hamrick is a loyal supporter of the Political Science Department. The James L. Hamrick, Sr. Political Science Scholarship provides funding for students majoring in Political Science who demonstrate both a monetary need and the scholastic ability to be successful at Furman University. In addition, James L. Hamrick, Jr. Endowment for Political Science provides monies for books for the Department of Political Science. Mr. Hamrick also proved instrumental in the planning for the funding of John E. Johns Hall. Overall, his remarkable generosity to the Department of Political Science has made possible the education of many of our very best students.

As former chair of the Furman Board of Trustees, he has served a number of terms on the board. In 1995, Furman awarded him an honorary doctor of humanities degree. The Hamricks’ two children also graduated from Furman. He and his late wife, Peggy, were founding members of the Furman Partners Scholarship program.