Furman University - Bonhomie Yearbook (Greenville, SC)

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As soon as the income will allow, it is proposed to reorganize tile departments of Philosophy and History, with a Professor of Philosophy and Education and a Professor of History and Political Science, and to add to the full Professorships in Chemistry and Physics a full Professor of Biology. A Cam. and a Chau.enge The facts here brought together constitute a call and a challenge. The South Carolina Baptist State Convention has here a great enterprise in its hands: a great and growing and quite incalculably useful enterprise of fundamental and essential importance to the progress of our people. It enshrines as no other enterprise does or can ever do the traditions and spirit of our history in this State: the great names of that history are forever linked with Purmah University. These great spirits of the past who rule us from their urns and who invested here their love and prayers and gifts, invite us of the present generation to join them in their service of all coming generations by like investment of love and prayer and gifts. A prosperity such as they never saw has dawned upon us: resources beyond their dreams are at command. And they challenge us to do with our means as well as they did with theirs. Men and women of South Carolina who love Christ and their fellows can win no surer title to the gratitude and veneration of coming generations than by linking their names with Furman University, and joining hands to make the University what the opening future demands. As compared with such a use of our resources the building of private fortunes is despicable indeed, which, as Mr. Andrew Carnegie has lately said, ministers not to any taste worthy of man.” Surely the time cannot be far off when individuals, some of whom are reading this article, will, of their own judgment as to wise investements. and without solicitation, put their thousands into Furman University. Of all such we may be sure that generations to come will rise up and call them blessed. —Written by President Pote nt 13

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In general appointment The Janies C. Furman Hall of Science is believed to be the equal of any building for similar purposes anywhere. It consists of tt;rec stories and a basement. There arc rooms for a Natural History Museum, laboratories for Physics. Chemistry, Biology ami Psychology, besides recitation rooms for Chemistry and Biology and a large general lecture room which will be in regular use for the Physics department. Each of the laboratories has a private research laboratory for the professor in charge, besides an office for the processor. The building is heated with steam and equipped with desks and tables and apparatus of the latest designs. It will be of very general interest to the people throughout South Carolina to know that the building bears the name of the first president of the institution. I)r. James C. Furman, and that in the hallway, near the cast entrance, is a bronze mural tablet in memory of I )r. Furman. The tablet was suggested by Rev. R. Y. Sanders, D.D., and contributed to by the friends of Dr. Furman. These have united to pay the cost of it. The tablet reads as follows: In memory of James Clement Furman. D.D.. President 1844-1879. Professor 1844-1891. At a crisis in 1868 Dr Furman was admonished to abandon the institution. His reply was. 'I will nail my colors to the mast of the old ship and if she goes down I will go with her.' The opening exercises were memorable by the unveiling of this tablet any by an able address by Rev. E. C. Dargan. D.D., of Macon. Ga.. on the Life and Work of Dr. James C. Furman. Another notable address was that delivered by President W. L. Poteat. of North Carolina, on The Teaching of Science l.’nder Christian Auspices. ' The occasion, as a whole, was one long to be remembered bv the friends of Furman, as it certainly marks a new era in the history of the institution. Tin-: Living Endowment Union In June. 1908. the Living Endowment Union was organized, and today there is listed in this form the sum of $43,000.00. On this amount 252 members agree to pay five per cent per annum. The subscriptions range from $50.00 to $2,000.00, and the annual payments from $2.50 to $100.00. From this source and from Current contributions of the churches the treasurer received in 1911 $3,055.03. I11 June. 1911. the Trustees voted to undertake an addition of $100,000.00 t the General Endowment. In October, following, the General Education Board of New York made an offer of $25. xx . x towards this $100,000.00. They agree to give this $25,000.00 on condition that wc secure, by July 31. 1914. in legally valid subscriptions. $75,000.00. the same to be paid in four annual payments. On January 1, 1912, Rev. M. V. McDuffie, the new Field Secretary of the University, went to work under this proposition. Mis reports for the first two months show gratifying progress. 12

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