List of Mercer University people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mercer University is a private, coeducational university in Macon, Georgia, founded in 1833.
Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diverse fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music, engineering, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, theology, and continuing and professional studies. Mercer enrolls approximately 8,300 students in its eleven colleges and schools.
Alumni
This is a list of notable Mercer alumni and employees.
Arts, education, media, and industry
- Tom Abbott – broadcaster with Golf Channel and NBC Sports
- Gregg Allman – musician, received an honorary degree in 2016
- Steve Berry – author of six novels, including several New York Times bestsellers
- David Bottoms – Georgia Poet Laureate, 2000–2012
- James C. Coomer – political scientist and author
- Luis Eduardo Díaz Granados – businessman[1]
- Harry Stillwell Edwards – former editor, Macon Telegraph; author of 19 books, including the Southern classic Eneas Africanus
- Erick Erickson – political contributor for John King, USA on CNN
- Nancy Grace – legal commentator and guest host for Larry King Live; hosted her own show, Nancy Grace on CNN
- Keitaro Harada – opera and orchestra conductor
- Rufus Carrollton Harris – president, Tulane University, 1939–1960; president, Mercer University, 1960–1979, co-author of the GI Bill
- Malcolm Johnson – Pulitzer Prize-winning author (1949); his reports were the basis for On the Waterfront
- Anne B. Kerr – president, Florida Southern College
- William Heard Kilpatrick – career educator; first president of the Bennington College board of trustees, 1931–1938
- Bruce D. McDonald III – university professor, North Carolina State University
- Reg Murphy – former president and vice chairman, National Geographic Society; publisher, Baltimore Sun; editor and publisher, San Francisco Examiner; editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; author of Uncommon Sense: The Achievement of Griffin Bell
- William F. Ogburn – sociologist; former president of the American Sociological Society[2]
- George P. Oslin – former Western Union executive; invented the singing telegram in 1933
- Lyman Ray Patterson – law professor and copyright scholar; former dean, Emory University School of Law
- James Rachels – moral philosopher, university professor, and author; best known for his writing on euthanasia
- Adam Ragusea – popular food YouTuber and former journalism professor at Mercer University
- Ed Roberts – designed the first commercially successful personal computer in 1975; known as "the father of the personal computer"[3]
- Ferrol Sams – widely read Southern author, known for Run with the Horsemen and Whisper of the River
- Corbett H. Thigpen – psychiatrist; co-author of The Three Faces of Eve
- Ellis Paul Torrance – educator known for pioneering research in creativity; namesake of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development
- Phil Walden – music pioneer and founder of Capricorn Records; represented Otis Redding and The Allman Brothers
Law
For further alumni, see also: Walter F. George School of Law.
- Griffin Bell – judge, United States Court of Appeals, 1962–1976; 72nd Attorney General of the United States, 1977–1979[4][5]
- William Augustus Bootle – judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1954–2005; ordered the first admission of an African-American to the University of Georgia in 1961[4]
- G. Harrold Carswell – judge, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 1958–1969; judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1969–1970; unsuccessful nominee to the United States Supreme Court, 1970[4]
- Barry Cohen – criminal defense attorney, 1966–2018[6]
- Linton McGee Collins – judge, United States Court of Claims, 1964–1972[7]
- Brainerd Currie – law professor; noted conflict of laws scholar who developed the characterisation concept of governmental interest analysis[8]
- Thomas Hoyt Davis – judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1945–1969[4]
- Beverly Daniel Evans, Jr. – Georgia Supreme Court justice, 1904–1917; federal district judge for the Southern District of Georgia, 1917–1922[4]
- Albert John Henderson – judge, United States Court of Appeals, 1979–1999; judge, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1968–1979[4]
- Archibald Battle Lovett – judge, Federal District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, 1941–1945[9]
- Scott D. Makar – Florida Solicitor General[10]
- Carlton Mobley – chief justice, Georgia Supreme Court, 1972–1974; associate justice, 1954–1972; United States representative, Georgia's 6th Congressional district, 1932–1933[11][12]
- Willie Louis Sands – judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia; the first African-American to serve on the court[4]
- Jay Sekulow – chief counsel, American Center for Law and Justice[13]
- Marc T. Treadwell – judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
- L. Lin Wood – attorney and conspiracy theorist on President Donald Trump's legal team tasked with overturning the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election
Politics
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U.S. senators
- Four Mercerians have served as United States senators, all from Georgia.
- Walter F. George – United States senator from Georgia, 1922–1957, served as president pro tempore, 1955–1957; namesake of Mercer's Law School[14][15]
- Thomas W. Hardwick – United States senator from Georgia, 1915–1919; governor of Georgia, 1921–1923; as governor, appointed Rebecca L. Felton as the first female United States senator[16][17]
- Thomas E. Watson – United States representative, Georgia's 10th Congressional district, 1891–1893; United States senator from Georgia, 1921–1922[18]
- William S. West – United States senator from Georgia, 1914–1914[19]
Governors
- Eleven Mercerians have served as governors: six of Georgia, two of Alabama, and one each of New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Texas.
- Ellis Arnall – governor of Georgia, 1943–1947[20]
- Allen D. Candler – governor of Georgia, 1898–1902; United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1883–1891; namesake of Candler County, Georgia[21][22]
- Nathan Deal – United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1993–2010; served as governor of Georgia 2011–2019[23]
- Thomas W. Hardwick – United States senator from Georgia, 1915–1919; governor of Georgia, 1921–1923; as Governor, appointed Rebecca L. Felton as the first female United States senator[16][17]
- Richard B. Hubbard – governor of Texas, 1876–1879; US ambassador to Japan, 1885–1889[24]
- William D. Jelks – governor of Alabama, 1901–1907[25]
- Henry Dickerson McDaniel – governor of Georgia, 1883–1886[26]
- William J. Northen – governor of Georgia, 1890–1894; president, Southern Baptist Convention, 1899–1901; served as a Mercer trustee for 44 years, 1869–1913[27]
- Chauncey Sparks – governor of Alabama, 1943–1947[28]
- Meldrim Thomson, Jr. – governor of New Hampshire, 1973–1979[29]
- Blanton Winship – governor of Puerto Rico (1934–1939)
U.S. representatives
- Twenty-one Mercerians have served as United States representatives; the most recent (as of 2021) was Scott Rigell of Virginia. Seventeen were from Georgia, three from Florida, and one from Virginia.
- Doug Barnard – United States representative, Georgia's 10th Congressional district, 1977–1993[30]
- Allen D. Candler – governor of Georgia, 1898–1902; United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1883–1891; namesake of Candler County, Georgia[21][22]
- Edward E. Cox – United States representative, Georgia's 2nd Congressional district, 1925–1952[31]
- Martin J. Crawford – United States representative, Georgia's 2nd Congressional district, 1855–1861; representative to the Confederate Provisional Congress, 1861–1862; justice, Supreme Court of Georgia, 1880–1883[32]
- Nathan Deal – United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1993–2010; served as governor of Georgia 2011–2019[23]
- Robert W. Everett – United States representative, Georgia's 7th Congressional district, 1891–1893[33]
- Phillip M. Landrum – United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1953–1977[34]
- Thomas G. Lawson – United States representative, Georgia's 8th Congressional district, 1891–1897[35]
- Rufus E. Lester – United States representative, Georgia's 1st Congressional district, 1889–1906[36]
- Charles L. Moses – United States representative, Georgia's 4th Congressional district, 1891–1897[37]
- James W. Overstreet – United States representative, Georgia's 1st Congressional district, 1906–1907 and 1917–1923[38]
- Homer C. Parker – United States representative, Georgia's 1st Congressional district, 1931–1935[39]
- Scott Rigell – United States representative, Virginia's 2nd Congressional district, 2011–2017[40]
- Seaborn Roddenbery – United States representative, Georgia's 2nd Congressional district, 1910–1913[41]
- Dwight L. Rogers – United States representative, Florida's 6th Congressional district, 1945–1954[42]
- William J. Sears – United States representative, Florida's 4th Congressional district, 1915–1929; United States representative, an at-large Florida district, 1933–1937[43]
- Malcolm C. Tarver – United States representative, Georgia's 7th Congressional district, 1927–1947[44]
- Carl Vinson – United States representative for over 50 years, 1914–1965; long-time chairman, House Armed Services Committee; has been called the "patriarch of the armed services" and the "father of the two-ocean navy"; namesake of the USS Carl Vinson[45]
- Thomas E. Watson – United States representative, Georgia's 10th Congressional district, 1891–1893; United States senator from Georgia, 1921–1922[18]
- J. Mark Wilcox – United States representative, Florida's 4th Congressional district, 1933–1939[46]
- John S. Wood – United States representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1931–1935 and 1945–1953; chairman, House Un-American Activities Committee, 1949–1953[47]
Other
- Brad Bryant – superintendent of the Georgia public schools, one of Georgia's eight statewide executive officials, 2010–2011[48]
- Cathy Cox – Georgia secretary of state, 1999–2007; first woman elected to this position[49]
- Luis Eduardo Díaz Granados – Colombian representative[50]
- Walter C. Dowling – United States ambassador to South Korea, 1956–1959; United States ambassador to Germany, 1959–1963[51]
- Winfred Dukes – Georgia state representative[52]
- Bobby Harshbarger – Tennessee state senator (2025-present)[53]
- John Oxendine – Georgia insurance commissioner, 1995–2011[49]
- John Peyton – mayor, Jacksonville, Florida, the most populous city in Florida and the thirteenth most populous in the United States, 2003–2011[49]
- William Usery Jr. – United States Secretary of Labor, 1976–1977[54][55]
- Julian Webb – member of the Georgia State Senate 1963–1974 and the Georgia Court of Appeals 1974–1979[56]
- Samuel J. Welsch – member of the Georgia House of Representatives, the Georgia State Senate, and mayor of Marietta, Georgia.[57]
Military
- John Birch – missionary, U.S. Army intelligence officer, and OSS agent in China during World War II; namesake of the John Birch Society[58]
- Benjamin S. Griffin, general, U.S. Army – commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, 2004–08[49]
- Richard E. Hawes, rear admiral, U.S. Navy – commanded several vessels during World War II; recipient of the Navy Cross; namesake of the USS Hawes[49]
- Alexander T. Hawthorn, brigadier general, C.S. Army – commander, 4th Arkansas Infantry Brigade, 1863–65[59]
- Claude M. Kicklighter, lieutenant general, U.S. Army – commanding general, United States Army, Pacific, 1989–91; after military retirement, served in senior civilian positions in the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs; assistant secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2001–05; inspector general, Department of Defense, 2007–08[49]
- George J. Walker, brigadier general, U.S. Army – assistant chief of staff for Intelligence, U.S. Army Forces Command, 1987–89; member, Military Intelligence Hall of Fame[49]
- Perry L. Wiggins, lieutenant general, U.S. Army – commanding general, Fifth United States Army, 2013–present; commander, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, 2008–09
- Blanton Winship, major general, U.S. Army – Judge Advocate General (TJAG), 1931–33; governor of Puerto Rico, 1934–39
Science
- Kevin Greenaugh – nuclear engineer, first African-American to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering from the University of Maryland College Park
- Godwin Maduka – MD and founder of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Center
Other public service
- Ed Bacon – rector emeritus of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California
- Betty Cantrell – Miss America 2016[60]
- Louie D. Newton – influential Baptist minister; president, Southern Baptist Convention, 1947–1948; president, Georgia Baptist Convention, 1950–1951; pastor of Druid Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta for more than 40 years; namesake of Mercer's Newton Hall, a large chapel on the Macon campus[61]
- Steadman V. Sanford – former chancellor, University System of Georgia; namesake of Sanford Stadium at the University of Georgia[62]
Athletics
- Aldo Balsano – former goalkeeper for Mercer University's men's soccer team; member of U.S. Beach Soccer National Team (2013–2016); nominated to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2025
- Rob Belloir – former Major League Baseball infielder for the Atlanta Braves
- William Brennan – former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Cindy Brogdon – former basketball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics[63]
- Billy Burns – Major League Baseball outfielder in the New York Yankees organization
- Wally Butts – head football coach, University of Georgia (1939–1960), athletic director (1939–1963); member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame[64]
- Jimmy Carnes – head track & field coach, Furman University (1962–1964), University of Florida (1965–1976), U.S. Olympic team (1980); founding president of USA Track & Field (1980–1984)[65]
- Andrea Congreaves – women's basketball player in the WNBA and in Europe[49]
- Wesley Duke – former tight end for the Denver Broncos, 2005 AFC West Champions[66]
- Cory Gearrin – Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees
- Hilda M. Hankerson – high school basketball coach
- Big James Henderson – powerlifter who competed in the International Powerlifting Federation and won five world bench press titles (1994–1998)[49]
- Kyle Lewis – Major League Baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners
- Mike Mimbs – former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Sam Mitchell – head coach, Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (2004–2008); 2007 NBA Coach of the Year[67]
- Joe Pettini – former Major League Baseball infielder and coach
- Bill Yoast – high school football coach made famous in the film Remember the Titans[68]
