{"id":41029,"date":"2026-02-12T19:51:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/?p=41029"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:12:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:12:06","slug":"a-rousing-start-to-furmans-year-of-bicentennial-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/a-rousing-start-to-furmans-year-of-bicentennial-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"A rousing start to Furman’s year of Bicentennial celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Community Comes Together to Mark 200 Years<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furman University began, in earnest, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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President Elizabeth Davis speaks during the Bicentennial Convocation at McAlister Auditorium on Feb. 12, 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n

Choosing What Is Right Over What Is Comfortable<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTime and time again, even when the path wasn\u2019t easy, Furman has chosen to do what was right over what was comfortable,\u201d said President Elizabeth Davis in her opening remarks as she invited spectators to think \u201cabout the legacy of courage we\u2019ve inherited \u2013 and the one we\u2019re creating right now, together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnniversaries inspire reflection, but this bicentennial calls for more than just nostalgia,\u201d Cindy Davis said. \u201cIt prompts us to think about not only how Furman has lasted for two centuries but also how it has consistently chosen \u2013 again and again \u2013 to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honoring Impact and Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n

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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.<\/p><\/div>\n

Faculty, staff and alumni were recognized during the event at McAlister Auditorium throughout the morning, including an energetic speech from Regenald Garrett \u201998 where he recognized Furman\u2019s tremendous impact on his own life, \u201chelping to raise a young Black man\u201d from the \u201crural roads\u201d of Laurens, South Carolina, to pastor of one of the most influential and historic churches in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn its classrooms, I found more than information \u2013 I found transformation,\u201d Garrett boomed from the stage in his iconic tone. \u201cIn its professors, I found more than instructors \u2013 I found mentors who challenged my mind and affirmed my voice. And in its community, I found that excellence and empathy can \u2013 and must \u2013 walk together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u201968, Furman\u2019s first Black undergraduate student, and Lillian Brock Flemming \u201971 and Sarah Reese \u201971, Furman\u2019s first Black female undergraduate students.<\/p>\n

A Willingness to Adapt and Lead<\/strong><\/p>\n

Garrett\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurman is and will be a place where students learn how to think, not what to think,\u201d President Davis said. \u201cWhere they practice listening to perspectives that challenge their own. Where they discover discomfort isn’t danger, and disagreement isn’t disrespect.\u201d<\/p>\n

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President Emeritus David Shi ’73 was the keynote speaker at Furman’s Bicentennial Convocation on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University<\/p><\/div>\n

Trust, Legacy and the Road Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

He told stories of his relationship with John Hollingsworth Jr., one of the university\u2019s most influential donors, and Charles Townes \u201935, 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bicentennial belongs to you \u2013 and to the thousands of others who will carry this legacy forward,\u201d Shi said. \u201cTo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

To see the Bicentennial Convocation in its entirety, click here<\/a>. For more information on Bicentennial events and other stories related to Furman’s celebration, visit furman.edu\/bicentennial<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Furman University kicked off its 200th anniversary celebration with a special convocation that recalled the past, cheered the present and looks forward to the next century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":389,"featured_media":41034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3404],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bicentennial"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41029","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\/389"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41029"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41079,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41029\/revisions\/41079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}