Furnas, C. C. 1900-1969

Clifford Cook Furnas (October 24, 1900 – April 27, 1969) was an American author, Olympic athlete, scientist, expert on guided missiles, university president, and public servant. He was first cousin of the author Evangeline Walton. Furnas participated in the 5,000-meter event at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. He taught chemical engineering at Yale University, and directed the airplane division of Curtiss-Wright during World War II. He became the ninth chancellor of the private University of Buffalo in 1954. After guiding the University through the merger process with the State University of New York in 1962, Furnas became the first president of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Between 1955 and 1957 he was on a leave of absence to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Eisenhower administration. He retired from the University of Buffalo in 1966 and died in 1969 at age 68.