News from campus and beyond
Alumni honors and new Benefactors Circle inductees
Benefactors Circle inductees: Trustee Doug Freeman ’72 and his wife
In mid-May, Furman’s trustees and boards and councils converged on campus for the annual Leadership Summit Weekend. In addition to regular meetings, key volunteers and donors gather for the presentation of the year’s four alumni awards, Benefactors Circle induction, keynote assembly, and the yearly gala, Night of the Stars, which celebrated the culmination of the $400 million Because Furman Matters campaign.
Honoring top Benefactors
There is a special honor roll at Furman recognizing top donor brass—those who cumulatively committed $1 million or more throughout a lifetime are honored at the Benefactors Circle adjacent to Cherrydale Alumni House. Engraved in granite beneath the careful watch of University founder Richard Furman, the names are familiar: Duke, Blackwell, Daniel, Hollingsworth, and Townes, to name a few.
On May 16, Furman added three more names to the roster of extraordinary philanthropy: “B.K.” and Frances Bryan, Doug ’72 and Tricia Freeman, and Robert ’83 and Margaret Platt Hill.
Read honoree biographies.
Alumni lauded
Furman honors four distinguished alumni every year, who are nominated and selected by the Young Alumni Council and Alumni Board of Directors.
Wayne and Rubye Reid Career Services Award: Jeff Walker ‘03
The Reid Award is named in honor of Wayne ’68 and Rubye Reid and recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the career development of Furman students.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Chad Bennett ‘03
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past fifteen years and who have expressed the finest of the Furman tradition through service to their profession and their community.
Gordon L. Blackwell Alumni Service Award: Marvin Hardy ‘91
The Alumni Service Award is named for the late Gordon L. Blackwell ’60, who served as president of the Alumni Association and was a member of the Board of Trustees. It is presented to alumni who have given loyal and dedicated service to Furman.
Distinguished Alumni Award: Lizanne Thomas ‘79
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually in recognition of significant professional accomplishments and continuing loyalty to Furman.