Furman University Receives $1M Gift

GREENVILLE, SC – March 24, 2009 – Frank and Susan Shaw of Dawsonville, Ga., have given Furman University a $1 million gift that will primarily support a scholarship fund on campus.

The majority of the bequest will go to the Etheridge Scholarship Fund, which was established in 1995 in honor of Susan Shaw’s parents, Ernesteen and Victor Etheridge.  Portions of the gift will also go toward a library fund supporting book collections.

Frank Shaw, a 1961 Furman graduate and a longtime member of the university’s Board of Trustees, is owner and chief executive officer of Shaw Executive Services, Inc., and Canton Convalescent Center, Inc., long-term health care companies.  Mrs. Shaw is a member of Furman’s Advisory Council, and both are active members of the Richard Furman Society and the Partners Scholarship Program.

With the gift, the Shaws have committed more than $2.8 million to Furman, including a naming gift for Shaw Hall, the primary meeting space in the Younts Conference Center on campus.

“Furman matters to us because of what it does today to produce talented young men and women and instill in them a sense of purpose,” said Frank and Susan.  “It was important to us to make this commitment now, to signal how worthy Furman is for support even during these trying times.”

The gift pushes total commitments in the Because Furman Matters campaign to $282 million toward its $400 million goal.  The campaign, which is focused on boosting the university’s endowment to support financial aid, teaching resources and student programs, is scheduled to end June 30, 2011.

“This generous commitment from Frank and Susan couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Furman president David Shi.  “Over many years their extraordinary generosity has had a transformational effect on Furman, and this latest gift will help ensure Furman’s future.  Their bequest is symbolic of the steadfast support we’re continuing to see from our alumni and friends.”