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Like many American colleges of a certain vintage, Furman University was founded by men who benefited significantly from slavery. And like some of those institutions, it is coming to terms with those ties.
On Wednesday, Furman's Board of Trustees approved recommendations of a Special Committee on Slavery and Justice that include changing the name of a building currently named for James C. Furman, the son of its founder, to just Furman Hall, which it said would recognize the "entire Furman family" -- "all of the students, faculty and alumni who have contributed to the university."
The board also said it would erect a statue of the university's first black student, Joseph Vaughn; put up plaques to honor its first female students; and rename other areas of the campus for enslaved people who helped build the campus and a former groundskeeper who was loved by students.
Last fall, in an initial response to the report of the special committee, the institution increased the value of a scholarship named for Vaughn to $1 million.
“We are proud of the work done by the special committee and the task force, looking honestly at Furman’s past while considering what will best move the university forward in the future,” said Elizabeth Davis, Furman's president. “It is important that all students, faculty, staff and alumni see themselves in the university’s story, and that all feel welcome here.”
