Joseph Vaughn statue unveiling scheduled April 16

Furman University President Elizabeth Davis sent the message below to the campus community on Tuesday, March 2.  Learn more about the unveiling and watch the live video stream of the event.

Dear Campus Community,

We are pleased to announce that a new date and time have been selected for the unveiling of the Joseph Vaughn statue. The event is now scheduled to take place Friday, April 16, at 1 p.m., in front of the Duke Library on the new Joseph Vaughn Plaza, where construction will soon be completed.

The unveiling of the statue, originally scheduled for Joseph Vaughn Day on Jan. 29, was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions on campus and concerns about spreading the virus. At this time, a program is planned that will include speakers from Furman’s community and Vaughn’s family. While the campus will likely still be closed to daily public activities, a small group of Vaughn’s family and friends will receive special invitations to attend. Students, faculty and staff will also be encouraged to gather, with masks on and physically distanced, for the event.

If COVID-19 conditions worsen and further restrictions are necessary, the statue will still be installed and unveiled on April 16, but plans for the event will be scaled down accordingly. More detailed plans will be available closer to the event.

The Joseph Vaughn statue was created by sculptor Steven Whyte and shipped to Furman in January. It has been stored by facilities for safe keeping and will be installed just before the event.

I would like to thank the Joseph Vaughn Day planning committee, co-chaired by Chief Diversity Officer Michael Jennings and Director of Community Relations Chandra Dillard, for their hard work and dedication to making sure the Furman community has a special day to celebrate Joseph Vaughn and diversity, equity and inclusion at Furman.

I look forward to our community coming together for this important and special celebration.

Warmly,

Elizabeth Davis
President