April 16, 2021: Joseph Vaughn Statue, Plaza Unveiling
The bronze statue recreates an iconic image of Joseph Vaughn taken during Vaughn’s first semester on Furman’s campus in the winter of 1965. It will be adjacent to a brick and grassy area interspersed with short walls to provide a place of reflection and celebration.
In the photo, he is walking up the steps to James B. Duke Library, wearing a cardigan and with books tucked under his arm.
The statue is among a set of recommendations from Furman’s Task Force on Slavery and Justice, formed in the spring of 2017 to acknowledge Furman’s ties to slavery and to honor and recognize on campus important figures in the university’s diverse history.
Baltimore-based landscape architectural firm, Mahan Rykiel, helped a university working group decide on the most prominent location on campus, and designed short walls for seating and space to acknowledge other individuals who have contributed to the university’s history. Unlike the photo, which has Vaughn facing the library, the statue is facing outward, toward campus, in a more prominent pose.
