A rousing start to Furman’s year of Bicentennial celebrations

A Community Comes Together to Mark 200 Years

Furman University began, in earnest, it’s official Bicentennial Celebration today with a special convocation ceremony that brought together Furman leadership, past presidents, distinguished guests from peer institutions, longtime friends and, of course, students, faculty and staff.

The messages from more than a dozen speakers ranged from those of courage and conviction, determination and resilience, and reflection, thoughtfulness and respect. And through each, a common thread emerged: Hope.

President Elizabeth Davis speaks during the Bicentennial Convocation at McAlister Auditorium on Feb. 12, 2026.

Choosing What Is Right Over What Is Comfortable

“Time and time again, even when the path wasn’t easy, Furman has chosen to do what was right over what was comfortable,” said President Elizabeth Davis in her opening remarks as she invited spectators to think “about the legacy of courage we’ve inherited – and the one we’re creating right now, together.”

Between a variety of musical numbers by the Furman Symphonic Band, the Furman Singers and the Furman Symphony Orchestra, President Davis welcomed nine speakers and each shared what it means for the university to achieve such an auspicious anniversary.

“Anniversaries inspire reflection, but this bicentennial calls for more than just nostalgia,” Cindy Davis said. “It prompts us to think about not only how Furman has lasted for two centuries but also how it has consistently chosen – again and again – to lead.”

Honoring Impact and Transformation

Regenald Garrett ’98 was among the nine guest speakers at Furman’s Bicentennial Convocation on Feb. 12, 2026. The event was a kick-off of events throughout the year.

Faculty, staff and alumni were recognized during the event at McAlister Auditorium throughout the morning, including an energetic speech from Regenald Garrett ’98 where he recognized Furman’s tremendous impact on his own life, “helping to raise a young Black man” from the “rural roads” of Laurens, South Carolina, to pastor of one of the most influential and historic churches in the state.

“In its classrooms, I found more than information – I found transformation,” Garrett boomed from the stage in his iconic tone. “In its professors, I found more than instructors – I found mentors who challenged my mind and affirmed my voice. And in its community, I found that excellence and empathy can – and must – walk together.”

He also was sure to recognize that the road for students like himself was not always smooth and was paved by pioneers like Joseph Vaughn ’68, Furman’s first Black undergraduate student, and Lillian Brock Flemming ’71 and Sarah Reese ’71, Furman’s first Black female undergraduate students.

A Willingness to Adapt and Lead

Garrett’s was a message echoed by so many others on Thursday as each spoke to the leadership, integrity, commitment and impact that Furman has inspired. And all were sure to remind that a willingness to adapt and change was at the heart of the university and, without it, this Bicentennial Celebration would not be possible.

“Furman is and will be a place where students learn how to think, not what to think,” President Davis said. “Where they practice listening to perspectives that challenge their own. Where they discover discomfort isn’t danger, and disagreement isn’t disrespect.”

President Emeritus David Shi ’73 was the keynote speaker at Furman’s Bicentennial Convocation on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University

Trust, Legacy and the Road Ahead

When Furman President Emeritus David Shi took the stage as keynote speaker to bring the convocation to a close, there was one thing on his mind: Trust. During his humorous and nostalgic speech, Shi recalled taking what he learned at Furman during his undergraduate years and applying it to growing the university during his tenure from 1994 to 2010 in the aftermath of leaving the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 1992.

He told stories of his relationship with John Hollingsworth Jr., one of the university’s most influential donors, and Charles Townes ’35, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist and Greenville, South Carolina, native who invented the laser and attributed his career trajectory to his Furman professors. And each story came back to trust in Furman and the people who have sustained it for two centuries.

“This bicentennial belongs to you – and to the thousands of others who will carry this legacy forward,” Shi said. “To the students who will ask new questions and imagine new possibilities. To the faculty who will challenge and inspire. To the alumni and friends who will continue to believe, to give and to guide.”

To see the Bicentennial Convocation in its entirety, click here. For more information on Bicentennial events and other stories related to Furman’s celebration, visit furman.edu/bicentennial.