Furman to Hold Commencement May 7

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W. Randy Eaddy, a 1976 Furman University graduate and longtime member of the university’s Board of Trustees, will serve as commencement speaker when Furman holds its graduation exercises Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Paladin Stadium.

The public is invited to attend.  In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved to Timmons Arena and admittance will be by ticket only.

Furman also selects a graduating senior to address the students, and this year’s speaker is Nathan Thompson, an economics and political science major from Arlington, Va.

Furman will award approximately 600 undergraduate and graduate degrees during the ceremony. The day will include an 11 a.m. baccalaureate service in McAlister Auditorium, a ceremony that is reserved for graduates and their guests and is not open to the public.

W. Randy Eaddy

Eaddy, one of the nation’s top attorneys, is General Counsel and Secretary of Unifi, Inc., and Senior Counsel (formerly a partner) of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.  After graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Furman, he received his J. D. degree from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

In addition to his involvement with Furman’s Board of Trustees, Eaddy has served on the boards of numerous civic organizations, including the Winston-Salem State University Foundation, the Elon University School of Law, the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival.  He has been listed for over 20 years in Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law, and his interest in public policy and social issues has led to his leadership of numerous pro bono projects for Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.

Eaddy received the 1999 President’s Award from the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists in recognition of his contributions to the African American community as an attorney, legal scholar and civic leader.  He also received the 2005 Team Hope Award from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America for Corporate Management and Diversity Leadership.  Eaddy was elected to the Furman Political Science Department’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

Nathan Thompson

Thompson is a Herman W. Lay Scholar at Furman as well as a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa and Quaternion.  He received the Alfred S. Reid Memorial Award his freshman year, which is given to the male student in each class who has demonstrated the most outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship, and service to the university.

Thompson has been involved in many Furman activities, including Mock Trial, Bell Tower Boys, Twelve Peers, Furman Investment Committee and Religious Council.  He was also a participant in the Mere Christianity Forum, and was among a select group of Furman students who traveled to the APEC conference in the Philippines.

A 2012 graduate of Gonzaga College High School, he is the son of Curt and Phyllis Thompson of Arlington.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.