Nan Trammell Herring was a 1929 honors graduate of Greenville Woman's College, which was coordinated with Furman University in 1933. Frequently invited to sing at university gatherings, she introduced the song "Brown Eyes" to the Furman campus, and it has since become a cherished Furman tradition.
Mrs. Herring received her master's degree in English from Cornell University and taught in the Greenville-area public schools. She later attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1935 she and her husband, the late Rev. J. Alex Herring, who was a member of the class of 1929 at Furman, were appointed missionaries to China by the Southern Baptist Convention's Foreign Mission Board. They served as missionaries in China and Taiwan for more than 20 years and held pastorates in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The Herrings were parents of four Furman graduates: James A. Herring, Jr. '57, Sarah Alice Edwards '61, Nan Herring Scott '69, and Gordon R. Herring '65, who now serves as chair of the Furman Board of Trustees.
Gordon Herring and his wife, Sarah Weaver Herring '66, who are former Furman Singers, provided the lead gift for the Nan Trammell Herring Music Pavilion. "Three of our great loves are wrapped up in this one project: Furman, the Singers, and my mother," says Gordon. "Sarah and I are delighted to provide the launching gift that will help the Nan Trammell Herring Music Pavilion become a reality."
Named Rooms
The Elizabeth Stone Harper Music Hall honors Lib Harper, an alumna of Greenville Woman's College. She and her husband, Advisory Council member H. Caldwell Harper, have generously supported the arts in the Upstate and a variety of projects at Furman University. This recital hall, in addition to serving as the rehearsal facility for the Furman Singers and as a classroom, is used for public performances and for rehearsals and recitals by many campus groups.
The Robert J. Maxwell, Jr., Music Library is given in honor of Bingham L. Vick, Jr.' director of the Furman Singers, and his wife, Judy S. Vick, and in memory of Dr. Vick's parents, Beatrice H. and Bingham L. Vick. A benefactor of the arts and education, Robert J. Maxwell, Jr., has established the Vickwell Scholarships in music, the Charles E. Blackwood Scholarship in art, and the Allport Scholarship in psychology at Furman. The music library houses collections of recordings and music scores.
The Peggy Cater Hamrick Foyer is named in honor of a 1950 graduate who was one of several members of her family to attend Furman. A member of the Furman Singers while DuPre Rhame was the director, she is actively involved in her community as a volunteer and an arts patron. She and her husband, former Furman Board of Trustees chair James L. Hamrich, '50, are generous Furman supporters. Their two children, Mary Hamrick Boyer and james L. Hamrick, Jr., are Furman alumni.
The Edna Gladden Hartness Seminar Room honors a friend of the university who has provided awards for outstanding male and female vocalists, support for the Gladden and Hartness String Quartets, a scholarship for the best woman athlete, and the gift of a concert-grand Steinway on the birthday of her husband Thomas S. Hartness, a former chair of Furman's Board of Trustees. Their children, Jo Hartness Guinn, Pat, and Bobby, are Furman alumni. The seminar room contains state-of-the-art computer equipment for use by music theory and composition students.
The Becky Tapp Daniels Classroom honors a member of the class of 1957 who graduated with a degree in music. She has performed with the renowned Robert Shaw Chorale in Atlanta and appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She and her husband, Dr. Aubrey C. Daniels '57, were Furman Singers, and Aubrey has served on Furman's Alumni Board of Directors. Made possible by a gift from both Becky and Aubrey, the classroom provides space for fully integrated multimedia instruction.
The Ann A. Quattlebaum Office Suite is provided by Dr. Cecil L. Quattlebaum '61 in honor of his wife, who is a 1964 Furman graduate and serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. The Quattlebaums are active supporters of both academic and athletic activities at Furman. Their three children, Lan '90, Ana '92, and Rolyn '97, followed in their mother's footsteps as Furman Singers. This suite provides office and operational space for the music library.