1922 Bachelor of Surgery, with honors, Purdue University
1926 Doctor of Philosophy,
1946 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Purdue University
1957 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Michigan
1958 Honorary Doctor of Laws, Alfred University
1960 Honorary Doctor of Science, Thiel College
1963 Degree Honoris Causa, Universidad Nacional de Asunción of Paraguay.
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 World War 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.
1920 Olympic Games, Antwerp, Belgium 1922 Big 10 Conference Medal, for best combined scholastic and athletic record 1922 Bachelor of Surgery, with honors, Purdue University 1922–1924 Mathematics teacher, Shattuck School, Minnesota 1924–1925 Research Chemist, United States. Steel Corporation 1926–1931 Physical Chemist, United States. Bureau of Mines 1931–1941 Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Yale University 1941–1942 Technical aide at the National Defense Research Committee 1943–1946 Director of Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Buffalo, New York 1946–1954 Director and Executive Vice President, Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory 1954–1962 Chancellor, University at Buffalo 1962–1966 President, State University of New York at Buffalo 1962–1966 President, Western New York Nuclear Research 1966–1969 President Emeritus, State University of New York at Buffalo 1952–1953 Chairman, Guided Missile Commission, Research and Development Board 1954–1957 Chairman, United States. Department of Defense Advisory Panel on Aeronautics 1954–1969 Member, United States. Army Science Advisory Panel 1955–1957 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Development 1956–1957 Chairman, Air Navigation Development Board 1961–1965 Chairman of the Defense Science Board 1961–1969 Chairman, New York Advisory Council, Industrial Research and Development 1968–1969 Vice-Chairman, National Research Council.
1955–1957 Member of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
1957–1969 Member of the Defense Science Board
1958–1969 Member of the Naval Research Advisory Committee.
