Furman University 1826–2026

Furman University: A Bicentennial History, 1826–2026 is a beautiful, hardbound, full-color coffee table book published in commemoration of Furman’s bicentennial. Featuring a foreword from President Elizabeth Davis, 1,100 historic and contemporary images, and over 250 pages of narrative, this history illuminates the people and moments—both the well-known and the under-recognized—that have shaped the university. Founded in 1826, just fifty years after the United States itself, Furman and her people have both contributed to and been influenced by our nation’s history. Yet, Furman is also a unique community, with a story that is exclusively its own. From its humble beginnings as an academy-seminary in Edgefield, 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, this book traces Furman’s evolving mission, identity, and aspirations across two centuries. Members of the Furman Family—faculty, staff, alumni, and friends—will long enjoy this legacy of Furman’s bicentennial. This project was commissioned by President Elizabeth Davis. Proceeds will support the ongoing work of Furman University.