Dear President Davis (November 2025)
Challenging Alumni to Think Seriously about Furman's Future
November 10, 2025
President Elizabeth Davis
Furman University
3300 Poinsett Highway
Greenville, SC 29613
It was a pleasure to speak with you and Dr. Beth Pontari after the Tocqueville Center’s discussion on The Crisis in Higher Education during Homecoming. Your remarks and those of Ben Sasse, John Tomasi, and Brent Nelsen explored some of the fundamental political, economic, and technological challenges facing colleges today. And of course, we were gratified by your recognition of the FFSA for our “doggedness” as free speech advocates.
It was refreshing to see Furman turn Homecoming into more than a celebration of cocktails, tailgates, and football—though I’m the last person to argue against those traditions.
In addition, alumni were invited to engage with lectures on presidential powers by Dr. Jim Guth, on infectious diseases by Dr. Min-Ken Liao, a symposium on sports law, and the Tocqueville CLP. Taken together, it was a remarkable and intellectually engaging weekend.
Seeing Furman showcase its academic excellence reminded me of the time, long ago when the Furman Magazine was a thoughtful, challenging publication—more of an academic journal than the usual alumni magazine, which often focused on the lighter fare.
Take, for example, Furman Magazine, Vol. 19, Issue 2 (1971). Its pages feature long, thoughtful essays on the Vietnam War, an analysis of the 25th Amendment, and an exploration of the political philosophies driving America’s divisions—all written by Furman professors and students. The cover remains unforgettable: Dr. Harrill as a diplomat, Dr. Aeisi as a judge, Dr. Walters in a toga, and Dr. Gordon draped in computer printouts. I mention this as a striking example of how Furman once engaged its alumni at a remarkably high intellectual level. It can do so again. While reviving that dense, scholarly Furman Magazine may be a bridge too far, the renewed seriousness of some Homecoming activities is an encouraging step in the right direction.
In particular, your discussion with Sasse, Tomasi, and Nelsen—asking essential questions about the university’s purpose, its future in the age of AI, and its role as a guardian of free speech—was both thought-provoking in itself and a call for alumni to consider how Furman has influenced their lives and what challenges may hinder its growth ahead.
What steps can Furman take to deepen and broaden alumni understanding of the threats to free expression in higher education?
Two suggestions:
Position Furman Magazine as a platform for examining the university’s central purpose: the pursuit of truth through scholarship supported by freedom of inquiry. Each issue might feature a faculty-authored article approaching that mission from a distinct disciplinary lens.
Broaden Homecoming’s academic offerings with sessions devoted to Furman’s vision for the future, particularly in relation to the challenges discussed in the Tocqueville forum. Engaged alumni would no doubt contribute thoughtful insights to that conversation.
FFSA wishes you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Salmon
President
Furman Free Speech Alliance
Outstanding suggestions. I would really enjoy a Furman Magazine that deals with the challenges our universities and society are facing today, there are plenty. Two very important topics include defining Furman’s role and mission in the future and how Furman, along with other universities, can make college affordable again.