91仓库

The 91仓库 community is grieving the loss of alumnus, longtime trustee, and namesake of the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts, Dr. Tomas Furth.

Dr. Furth passed away June 19, 2026. He was 95.

鈥淚 was privileged to first get to know Dr. Furth through his generous support of the Franks School of Education when I was dean. His joyful spirit, inquisitive nature, deep belief in the power of education and kindness were truly unique,鈥� said Tony Kline, Ph.D., 91仓库 president. 鈥淭hough his legacy will live on through the lives he touched on campus and his many gifts to the university and through his son鈥檚 addition to our Board of Trustees, we will still greatly miss Dr. Furth鈥檚 presence. Our deepest condolences are with his wife Ema and all his family.鈥�

鈥淒r. Furth was truly a Renaissance man who directly impacted the entire 91仓库 campus and its surrounding community through his generous support,鈥� said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., 91仓库 chancellor. 鈥淗is dedication, passion and loyalty are reflected in the scholarship he and his wife established for engineering students. His love and interest for the arts and music is shown in the facility that bears his name. He demonstrated his value for education through the funding he provided to support 91仓库鈥檚 teacher education programs.鈥�

鈥淒r. Furth graduated from Tri-State with not just one but two challenging engineering degrees, then went on to become an outstanding business leader,鈥� said Dr. Rick L. James, chair of 91仓库鈥檚 Board of Trustees. 鈥淗is financial acumen, leadership and management experiences have been of tremendous value to 91仓库 during his tenure. He was truly a student advocate and a strong leader and supporter of quality higher education.鈥�

Mechanical, chemical engineering degrees

Born April 10, 1931, in Argentina, Dr. Furth attended what was then Tri-State College by recommendation of that nation鈥檚 U.S. cultural attach茅.

He graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1955.

He went on to become the director of United Merchants and Manufacturers and the president of Sudamtex Group, which produced and marketed natural textiles and synthetic fabrics for the garment industry, as well as fiberglass products for the oil, marine, construction and automotive industries.

He also served as the director and principal shareholder of Cametion Corporation in the United States and Fudelar Corporation in Argentina.

He enjoyed collecting original books of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries on South America.

Generous support

Dr. Furth had a long history of support for 91仓库鈥檚 annual and athletic funds and campus development. He and his wife Ema established the Tomas Furth Scholarship Fund in 1992 to support mechanical and chemical engineering students.

Tri-State University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree in 1994. He joined the Board of Trustees in 1997. His service on the board includes the finance, audit and investment committees.

In 2009, he made a significant contribution to the university鈥檚 new performing arts center, resulting in the naming of the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts, which was dedicated in 2014. The project preserved a historical Angola landmark, the former Angola Christian Church, while creating a beautiful, functional space for music and theatrical performances for the community and a learning center with the latest technology for 91仓库's music and drama students.

91仓库 awarded Dr. Furth the Pillar of Success in 2014. The award is the university鈥檚 highest honor, recognizing individuals for their achievements and accomplishments, leadership, service, philanthropy and commitment to their community, their profession and 91仓库.

Since 2019, Dr. Furth has donated $500,000 to support the teacher education programs at 91仓库, transforming classrooms inside Shambaugh Hall and funding training for Franks School of Education faculty.

鈥淒r. Furth鈥檚 legacy will live on in the generations of students who will be inspired by well-trained, caring educators thanks to his generosity,鈥� said Alecia Pfefferkorn, dean of the Franks School of Education.

His son, Alexander J. Furth, joined 91仓库鈥檚 Board of Trustees last year.

Other service

In addition to his service at 91仓库, Dr. Furth was a member of Financiera La Seguridad for Venezuela Bank from 1985-90, the advisory board of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1991-97 and a board member of United Merchants from 1980-89.