Building a Legacy with The Furman Advantage

Insightful, successful builders, like Mr. Duke, are those who recognize a great need and a gap in what is available. None of the great industrialists of the 20th century did this more effectively than Mr. Duke. He recognized where electric power was needed, where it could be generated, the benefits of industrialization and modernization — jobs and better ways of life — and, of course, profits.

It was in this spirit that The Furman Advantage — a personalized, four-year pathway to graduation — was born. At Furman, we recognized that our university offered unique learning experiences, especially in undergraduate research, meaningful internships and studying away. Our faculty were exceptional in their fields and were committed to teaching and helping students. And we had a history of incorporating reflection into our lessons. In short, we had a power plant of ingredients.

But we identified a gap. Not all students were receiving everything Furman had to offer. We wanted to expand our concept of “access” to more than just getting into Furman; we wanted students to experience the fullness of what we have to offer. We did not want a campus of haves and have-nots.

Among the many pieces of The Furman Advantage that we built, with an initial $25 million grant from The Duke Endowment, were structures that allowed us to track and support all students so that no one fell through the cracks. We increased the number of scholarships for summer research, internships and study away so that students could stay on campus, or travel, and enrich their education without worrying about the expense.

The Furman Advantage has been a little like turning up the lights for our campus. We are energized and excited. Our faculty and students use “The Furman Advantage” to describe their work. What started as an idea has become our philosophy for education. We continually measure our progress, learn what we need to do differently and adapt.

The Duke Endowment, through a total of nearly $80 million for The Furman Advantage and a Gallup partnership to measure its success, helped us reform higher education by guaranteeing every student an unparalleled college opportunity that combines classroom learning with real-world experiences and self-discovery. We also help our students understand that when we talk about living lives of purpose and consequence, it means making a difference wherever they go.

We have Ben Geer to thank for our inclusion in The Duke Endowment. Ben taught Latin and English at Furman before going to work in the mills in 1911. In 1913, he met James B. Duke in the corporate titan’s office on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The two became good friends, exchanging thoughts and ideas over long weekends at Mr. Duke’s Somerville, New Jersey, estate and at his home in Charlotte. One day, on a train to New York, Mr. Duke told Ben of his plan to support North Carolina’s Trinity College.

Ben said, “Mr. Duke, I wish sometime you might help my little school down at Greenville a little bit, Furman University.”

Mr. Duke said, “Yes, I will.” And he did.

I think Ben Geer and James B. Duke would both be proud of what we’ve built, and continue to build, at Furman, with The Duke Endowment’s support. The Furman Advantage is as alive as the electricity powering our campus. And it represents more than a grant from the Endowment. It is something we have built with strategic partnerships, expertise, determination and a strong desire to fill a need and provide a better way of life.