{"id":40836,"date":"2026-01-30T12:29:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/?p=40836"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:16:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:16:24","slug":"new-book-by-tollison-celebrates-furmans-200-years-of-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/new-book-by-tollison-celebrates-furmans-200-years-of-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"New book by Tollison celebrates Furman’s 200 years of impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

In celebration of Furman University\u2019s 200th anniversary<\/a>, Courtney Tollison<\/a> has written \u201cFurman University: A Bicentennial History, 1826-2026\u201d (Duke University Press).<\/p>\n

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Tollison’s book is due out Feb. 12, 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n

The hardbound, full-color coffee table book spans Furman\u2019s history from its humble beginnings as an academy-seminary in Edgefield, South Carolina, to its rise as a university in downtown Greenville in 1851, to its move 100 years later to an expansive campus north of the city. Featuring a foreword from President Elizabeth Davis, 1,180 historic and contemporary images, and more than 350 pages of narrative, the book traces Furman’s evolving mission, identity and aspirations across two centuries.<\/p>\n

Tollison, Distinguished University Public Historian and Scholar at Furman, said an official history of the university has not been written since 1976, at the school\u2019s 150th<\/sup> anniversary.\u00a0Commissioned by Davis, this latest history follows those written by Professor of English Al Reid (1976), Dean Robert Norman Daniel (1951), and President William Joseph McGlothlin at Furman\u2019s centennial in 1926.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis history illuminates the people and moments – both the well-known and the under-recognized – that have shaped the university,\u201d Tollison said. \u201cI hope readers will develop a greater appreciation for how deeply rooted and connected Furman is in South Carolina and southern history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in 1826, Furman University is only 50 years younger than the country itself, Tollison noted. \u201cOur namesake, Richard Furman, was an influential patriot in the American Revolution,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have shaped and been shaped by events beyond our campus gates. My hope is that readers will be moved by the many men and women who spent their lives dedicated to Furman. Their loyalty to the institution and to each other is endearing and inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christine Velasquez, Furman assistant vice president for marketing and communications, said, \u201cThis volume represents the most comprehensive history in Furman\u2019s 200 years. It illustrates our leadership in, and commitment to, a liberal arts and sciences education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two 2025 Furman alumni, Bryant Garrison (accounting) and Emily Anne Harris (history), worked with Tollison on the project from start to finish. History and music major Pender Raymond \u201927 also contributed and continues to work on bicentennial initiatives with Tollison.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an incredible honor to write this and a responsibility our team took very seriously,\u201d Tollison said. \u201cIt is a gorgeous book. In addition to Furman\u2019s\u00a0fascinating\u00a0past, the book features nearly 1,200 images that capture our campus, which in recent years has been named one of the most beautiful in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proceeds from the book will go toward supporting the ongoing work of Furman University. \u201cFurman University: A Bicentennial History, 1826-2026\u201d is due out Feb. 12 and will be available through the Furman University Bell Tower Bookstore<\/a>, Duke University Press<\/a>, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other outlets.<\/p>\n

For more information, contact Courtney Tollison at Courtney.tollison@furman.edu<\/a>. Or contact Brian Edwards at brian.edwards@furman.edu<\/a>, and 864-294-2608. To see a full video of Tollison’s recent lecture about the book and Furman’s history, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The coffee table book spans Furman\u2019s history from its beginnings as an academy-seminary in Edgefield, South Carolina, to its rise as a university in downtown Greenville in 1851, to its move 100 years later to an expansive campus north of the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":265,"featured_media":40837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,3404,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-bicentennial","category-history"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40836"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41081,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40836\/revisions\/41081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}