Furman to hold fall convocation Thursday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m.

The university will hold its fall convocation Sept. 4.

Furman University will celebrate the beginning of the 2014-15 school year with its fall convocation Thursday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. in McAlister Auditorium.

Furman president Elizabeth Davis will preside as the university welcomes the class of 2018 and presents a number of major honors and awards.  Dr. Davis, who began her presidency on July 1, will also deliver the convocation address.

Furman alumnae Lillian Brock Flemming ’71 and Sarah Reese ‘71, the first African American women to attend and graduate from the university, will be awarded Honorary Doctor of Humanities degrees during the ceremony.  Furman is honoring the two women as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of desegregation at the university, which will take place throughout the school year.

Brock Flemming is the Professional Employment Recruiter for Greenville County Schools and a member of Greenville City Council. Reese, who teaches music at Pendleton High School, performed around the world during an outstanding career as an opera singer.

Carl Kohrt ’65, who served as Furman’s interim president in 2013-14, and his wife, Lynne, will receive the Bell Tower Award.  April Baker ’85, pastor of Glendale Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., will receive the Richard Furman Baptist Heritage Award.

The university will also recognize five members of the senior class who have been named Furman Fellows for the current academic year.  They are Cassie Chee of Clarksburg, N.J., Luke Christie of Due West, Kris Hajny of Mooresville, N.C., Orlin Sergev of Charleston, and Emily Vontsolos of Winston-Salem, N.C.

For more information, contact the Furman News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.