Curated by Julia A. Cowart

In its one hundred and eighty-eight year history, Furman University has evolved from an institution established to educate male preachers, into a co-educational liberal arts college with a student body that today represents 44 states, 47 countries and many different cultural, religious, sexual, gendered and intellectual backgrounds.

In this year of commemorating the 50th anniversary of desegregation of Furman, this exhibition uses materials from the University Archives to document some of the events that lead to the admission of Joseph Vaughn as Furman's first African-American undergraduate student. To broaden the focus, this exhibition also briefly documents the integration of female students and international students into Furman's student body.

For more information on the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Desegregation at Furman, please visit Furman's web site.