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Joseph Vaughn Day will be held Friday, Jan. 26

The event begins at 12:15 in front of Daniel Chapel. This will be the first year the Black Alumni Council will present an annual award in honor of Idella Glenn '84.

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Students make their voices heard at the Joseph Vaughn Oratorical Competition

Joseph Vaughn was the first Black American to enroll at Furman in January 1965. An annual oratorical competition was established in his honor in 2008.

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Carmel sculptor Steven Whyte awarded grant for body of work

He is known in Furman University circles as the sculptor behind the Joseph A. Vaughn statue that now resides in the same-named plaza in front of the James B. Duke Library on campus. But Steven...

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Furman University unveils statue of Joseph Vaughn

During Friday's unveiling of the Joseph Vaughn statue honoring the first Black man to enroll at Furman University, family members and others from the Furman community gathered to celebrate and reflect on Vaughn's legacy. Furman...

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Joseph Vaughn statue unveiling scheduled April 16

Furman University President Elizabeth Davis sent the message below to the campus community on Tuesday, March 2.  Learn more about the unveiling and watch the live video stream of the event. Dear Campus Community, We are...

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Let Joseph Vaughn Day shine a light on our values

This morning, President Elizabeth Davis sent the following message to the campus community to celebrate Joseph Vaughn Day. Dear Campus Community, At last week’s presidential inauguration, poet Amanda Gorman reminded us that “there is always...

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Joseph Vaughn Day public event postponed

Due to the high rates of COVID-19 in the Greenville and Upstate areas, a public celebration of Joseph Vaughn on Jan. 29 has been postponed. Michael Jennings, Ph.D., chief diversity officer for Furman, and Chandra...

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Joseph Vaughn statue taking shape

Steven Whyte, a Carmel, California-based sculptor, is recreating an iconic image of Joseph Vaughn, Furman University’s first African American undergraduate student, as a bronze statue that will forever commemorate Vaughn’s walk up the steps to...

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POSTPONED: University to rededicate Furman Hall, unveil new plaque

UPDATE: Today’s Furman Hall rededication and plaque unveiling ceremony has been postponed due to inclement weather. We will update the campus community as soon as this event has been rescheduled. We look forward to holding the event...

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Today is Joseph Vaughn Day

On Jan. 4, 1965, newly elected President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his “Great Society” domestic agenda to end poverty and racial injustice. Two months later, on March 7, state troopers brutally beat civil rights activists...

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