Return of the Ring: A found Furman ring reminds a family and a community what Floyd Ellison ’60 meant to so many

Seventeen-year-old Landen Stoddard often scans the bottom of Lake Keowee for treasures. Sunglasses, random gadgets or any type of trinket will appear through his swim goggles. But on one recent August afternoon, while exploring a shallow cove, something golden caught his eye. At first, he thought it was a bottle cap, but as he brushed away the sand and clay, an inscription came into view: “Furman University, 1960.”

Landen’s mother, Vickie, knew the ring must hold deep personal value. Before the family even left their lake adventure, she posted a picture on Facebook to find the owner.

Clark Hickerson ’17 stands between his grandparents Floyd and Betty Ellison at his graduation in 2017.

“If it were mine, I would be devastated,” she recalled.

Vickie only revealed a couple pieces of information along with a picture of the ring: The last name of the ring’s owner, the school and the graduation year.

Within hours, messages poured in. Most everyone recognized the last name “Ellison,” but one curious Furman alum used the last name, the graduation year and an old yearbook to determine the undisclosed initials inside the band, and the mystery quickly unraveled. The ring had belonged to the late Floyd Ellison, a respected Greenville physician and longtime Furman trustee.

Ellison gave years of service and support to his alma mater. His dedication to the University shaped his family as well. Two grandsons, Zachary Hickerson ’10 and Clark Hickerson ’17, graduated from Furman. Each were influenced by their grandfather’s pride in the school and their own memories of growing up at Paladin football and basketball games.

When Ellison died in 2023, his class ring was passed to Clark.

“He was the main reason I went to Furman,” Clark said. “He put so much importance on his ring, and I always looked forward to the day I got mine.”

Lake Keowee, in South Carolina’s Upstate, has 300 miles of shoreline. Three weeks before Landen dived for treasures, Clark had been swimming in the same spot when his grandfather’s ring slipped off his right finger. Despite searching for nearly an hour, he came up empty. It was a loss that hit Clark especially hard as the ring served as a daily reminder of his bond with his grandfather. He wore his own class ring on one hand and his grandfather’s on the other, a symbol of connection across generations.

The Stoddards were inundated with messages about the owner through Ellison’s former patients, Furman alumni and family and friends of Ellison’s and his widow, Betty. Just hours after posting the ring, Vickie and Landen were in touch with “Miss Betty” and scheduled a meeting to return the ring.

Clark Hickerson’s and Floyd Ellison’s rings sit side-by-side.

For Clark, the recovery felt extraordinary. Beyond restoring a treasured heirloom, it sparked an outpouring of memories about his grandfather’s life and legacy. Dozens of Furman alumni and community members shared stories online, reminding Clark just how many lives his grandfather touched.

“It was nothing short of a miracle,” Clark said. “Now I’ll never take for granted what this ring means to me or how lucky I am to have it back.”