Statue of Alester Furman Jr.
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- Memorial Type
- Memorial Context
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- Memorial Inscription
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Memorial Artwork
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Sculptural Memorial
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Furman Jr., Alester
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Statue of Alester Furman Jr.
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Outside the Furman Admissions Office is a statue in memorial of Alester Furman Jr., who was the great-great-grandson of Richard Furman. Being a descendant of the Furman family, he received status within the University and ultimately served on the Board of Trustees for the University as the chairman. He was influential in the move of Furman to the current campus from its previous location in what is now known as Downtown Greenville in the 1950s. As chairman and a member of the board of trustees, he was a key decision-maker in designing the current campus regarding building quality and overall design. Another important design for which he and other descendants took responsibility was replicating the downtown bell tower on the new campus. Also, during his time on the Board of Trustees stint in the 1960s in 1963 when Furman began the conversation of desegregation and whether or not the University should open admissions decisions to all qualified actions regarding race. Only one member dissented from the otherwise unanimous vote: Alester Furman. In his reasoning, he used his religious values to justify the continued segregation of the University. He continued only to admit qualified white applicants due to the perceived thought that it would be most beneficial for Furman’s reputation. Finally, another thing he wrote was that “men are not created equal” and believed it was necessary to educate African-Americans to teach “proper [racial] relationships” and prevent “miscegenation in any form.
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Length: 4' 2"
Width: 5' 9"
Height: 29.5 inches
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Alester Garden Furman Jr.
1895-1980
Fourth generation descendant of Richard Furman, who was the spiritual founder of Furman University
He served many terms on The Board of Trustees of the University. As chairman in determining the quality and design of the campus and buildings.
Maria Kirby-Smith, Sculptor
2001
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Kirby-Smith, Maria
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2001
Position: 10847 (8 views)