📰The Belltower Times (September 2025)
Furman has an extensive network of successful conservative alumni. Why don't they brag about it more?
Welcome to the Belltower Times — our flagship monthly newsletter
Announcements:
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) will release its free speech ratings this week. Last year, Furman ranked 163rd out of 248 schools.
Mark your calendars: Furman’s homecoming is set to occur October 24-26. FFSA will be there with BBQ.
Furman Trivia: Kickoff Edition
How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is about famous Furman alumni.
Question: Which notable Furman University alumnus won a Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the development of the laser and maser?
*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*
Campus Dispatch: Furman's Conservative Alumni
I know that some of the radical progressive professors and administrators who read the Belltower Times suspect that the Furman Free Speech Alliance is a right-wing conspiracy. A conservative front group.
And so, before I begin this post, I want to say two things.
First, Furman Free Speech Alliance is proud to be supported by people from across the political spectrum, and we’re happy to work with anyone to help improve our alma mater’s climate for free speech. It is true that we attract a disproportionate amount of support from conservative students and alumni – myself included – but it is not hard to understand why: Progressive ideology and politics are dominant among Furman’s administrators, faculty, and student body, and thus conservatives are more likely than progressives to experience threats to their freedom of speech.
Second, Furman has many impressive alumni who work in Democratic politics, such as D.C. Councilwoman Christina Henderson, Georgia State Representative Kim Jackson, and former Governor of South Carolina and Secretary of Education Richard Riley. These Paladins have been successful in their careers and good ambassadors for Furman, and they have given the university many reasons to promote them and their work frequently.
This post is not intended to criticize them or the university’s promotion of their work.
I’d simply like to highlight that, by comparison, Furman does relatively little to promote alumni working in conservative politics. For example, did you know that:
Alex Stubb – the center-right President of Finland, who President Trump reportedly considers a trusted source of advice in European affairs – is a Furman alumnus
Brett Shumate – a Furman alumnus – is the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice
Allie Beth Stuckey – who graduated Furman in 2014 – is the host of Relatable, one of the top conservative podcasts in the country.
There are many more examples of accomplished alumni on both sides of the aisle.
My objective here is not to list them all, but to point out what I perceive as disparate treatment.
Sure, the university occasionally releases a press release about President Stubb or Allie Beth Stuckey. I’m not denying that. However, my experience on campus was that Furman’s administrators and professors rarely elevated these alumni in the same way that progressive alumni were.
This is a lost opportunity. Furman has an extensive alumni network across the country, but the university struggles to connect current students to alumni and alumni to each other. This is especially true for conservative students and alumni, who are too often ignored by their alma mater.
Furman would be stronger if it celebrated the full breadth of its graduates’ accomplishments—progressive, conservative, and everything in between.
CLPs of the Month:
Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”
But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?
Here are some interesting CLPs from September:
On Thursday, September 11, “The Case for Israel” with Alan Dershowitz
On Tuesday, September 2,3 “Conservatives v Reactionaries” with Mark Lilla
On Tuesday, September 3,0 “If Black Lives Matter, Protect Us”
Trivia Answer:
Charles H. Townes, a 1935 Furman graduate, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 for his groundbreaking work on the laser and maser.
 | A guest post by
|
As a current student, I would say that the observation about conservative alumni isn't quite correct. Since becoming the president of Finland, Stubb has gotten far more press from Furman (U Comm and individual departments) and been the center of more discussion on campus than any Furman alumni currently in Democratic politics. Don't often hear about Jackson or Henderson. Riley is frequently promoted, but his ties to Furman are even stronger than the others because of the Riley Institute.
Stubb gave the commencement address in 2017. Stuckey spoke at Furman in 2018. Furman actively cultivates our relationship with these and many other conservative alumni. Your memory of your personal experience as a student might not be representative of what is generally true .