Lumberjack alumni make an impact

We’ve graduated thousands upon thousands of Lumberjacks since 1923. Today, SFA alumni make up a network of more than 100,000 individuals who are using their education to make an impact on the world. This impact spreads across the nation and around the world where SFA graduates live and work, making a name for themselves in business, sports, politics, entertainment, military and more.

Graduate spotlight

Nancy Dickey (1972) is just one example of an SFA graduate making an impact. She was the first female to be elected president of the American Medical Association in 1997. And now she serves as the president of Texas A&M University’s Health Science Center.

Bill Owens (1973), the governor of Colorado from 1999-2007, is another SFA alum. So is songwriter Will Jennings (1965 and 1967), winner of the 1983 Academy Award and Golden Globe for his song Up Where We Belong from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman and winner of the 1997 Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy for the song My Heart Will Go On from the movie Titanic.

And don’t forget our scientists like Dr. Virginia Burkett (1997), who won the Nobel Prize for her work in climate change, and Joseph W. Kennedy (1935), the co-discoverer of plutonium in 1940.

A sample of our successful alumni

It would be impossible to list all the positive impacts from Lumberjack graduates. Here’s a small sample of some of our most notable successes.

Sports

  • John Franklin-Myers ’18, Greenville, Texas
    • Fourth-round pick of the 2018 NFL Draft; selected by the Los Angeles Rams
    • February 2019 — Played in Super Bowl LIII; recorded a sack against the New England Patriots
    • Fall 2019 — Traded to the New York Jets
  • Chad Stanley ‘98, Ore City, Texas: played with Houston Texans; San Francisco 49ers
  • Jeremiah Trotter ‘98, Hooks, Texas: Former Philadelphia Eagle, played with Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, multi Pro Bowl choice
  • Mike Quinn ‘96, Houston, Texas: played with Houston Texans; Pittsburg Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins
  • Kristy Sims Curry ‘94, Lubbock, Texas: Head Coach of Women’s Basketball, Texas Tech University, Former Head Coach of Women’s Basketball, Purdue University 136-31 record at Purdue; 3 Big 10 titles; 2000-01 Final Four title game runner-up to Duke University.
  • Terrance Shaw ‘94, Marshall, Texas: 2003 Super Bowl runner-up Oakland Raiders; 2002 Super Bowl champions New England Patriots
  • Larry Centers ‘90, Tatum, Texas: NFL veteran; Top 20 Receivers Pro Football Hall of Fame; New England Patriots; Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins
  • Nell Fortner ‘87, Auburn, Alabama: Head coach, women’s basketball at Auburn University; Former Head Coach of USA Basketball; Led Team USA to a Gold Medal in Summer 2000 Olympic Games
  • Rosie Walker Montgomery ‘82, Center, Texas: Former Ladyjack basketball player; Member of the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Brad Roll ‘80 & ‘81, Orchard Park, New York: NFL Strength & conditioning coach, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills; 3 NCAA National Championship rings
  • Dianne Baker ‘79, Denton, Texas: Former Head Coach Softball, Texas Woman’s University; Led SFA softball team to 1985 NCAA National Championship Title
  • James Silas ‘72, Houston, Texas: Retired from the San Antonio Spurs
  • Mark Moseley ‘69, Livingston, TX: Retired from NFL Washington Redskins
  • Spike Dykes ‘59, Lubbock, Texas: Former Head Coach, Texas Tech Univ. Football
  • Don Gaston ‘54, Greenwich, Connecticut: Former General Manager, Boston Celtics
  • O.A. "Bum" Phillips ‘50, Goliad, Texas: Former Houston Oilers Head Coach

Entertainment and media

  • Bob Murphey ’42*: Noted Texas humorist; Mark Twain Award recipient from International Platform Association; Texas Monthly’s "Texas Best Good Old Boy”
  • Yvonne Gonzalez ’91, New York, New York: Opera Singer
  • Will Jennings ’65 & ’67, Los Angeles, California: Oscar and Grammy Award-winning songwriter (Up Where We Belong from An Officer and a Gentleman; My Heart Will Go On from Titanic; Tears in Heaven with Eric Clapton); Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductee
  • Jill Grove ’90, Boston, Massachusetts: Opera Singer
  • John Dickson ’86, Sherman Oaks, California: Musician, composer for film/TV
  • Brad Maule ’74, Nacogdoches, Texas: 14+ years as Dr. Tony Jones on ABC's General Hospital; scholarship with SFA Alumni Association; Adjunct Faculty, SFA College of Fine Arts
  • Brady Smith ’94, Los Angeles, California: TV Actor (Jag, CSI-Miami and ER)
  • Dustin Ellermann ’05, Zavalla, Texas: Winner of the third season of History Channel's marksmen competition Top Shot
  • Kelvin Davis ’88, Acworth, Georgia: CNN news executive
  • Don Henley, Gilmer, Texas: Grammy Award-winning musician
  • Rodney Crowell, Crosby, Texas: Grammy Award-winning musician

Education

  • James S. Cole ’67, Dallas, Texas: Dean, Baylor College of Dentistry
  • Paul Beran ’79 & ’80, Fort Smith, Arkansas: Chancellor, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
  • Janelle Ashley ’62 & ’64, Worcester, Massachusetts: Former president, Worcester State College
  • Charles Runnels ’48, Malibu, California: Chancellor Emeritus, Pepperdine University
  • Jack Morton ’77, Austin, Texas: Vice Chancellor, University of North Texas System
  • Michael Easley ’80, Brentwood, Tennessee: President Emeritus, Moody Bible Institute
  • Joe May ’76 & ’77, Dallas, Texas: Chancellor, Dallas County Community College
  • Greg Powell ’80, Carthage, Texas: President, Panola College
  • Deana Bolton Covin ’43, Kilgore, Texas: Former director, Kilgore College Rangerettes
  • Vance Gipson ’69 & ’71, Odessa, Texas: President, Odessa College
  • Mike Moses ’74 & ’75, Dallas, Texas: Former superintendent of Dallas ISD, former Texas Commissioner of Education
  • Monte Moses ’76, Englewood, Colorado: 2005 National Superintendent of the Year Cherry Creek School District

Business

  • Frank Melton ’74*, Chairman and CEO of TV-3 Inc. Foundation; Former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi
  • Steve Stagner ’91, Bellaire, Texas: President, CEO of Mattress Firm
  • Casey Coffman ’89, New York, New York: Executive Vice President, Business Development and Operations for Madison Square Garden (MSG) Sports (owns and operates sports franchises, including the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers)
  • Susan Gwin ’77, Dallas, Texas: Executive Director, Cushman & Wakefield of Texas; Former senior vice president with Roger Staubach Company
  • Nancy Dickey ’72, College Station, Texas: First woman elected president of the American Medical Association
  • Ellen Melton ’74, Jackson, Mississippi & Tyler, Texas: Pediatrician

Military

  • Lt. Gen. O.R. "Cotton" Whiddon ’55, Lufkin, Texas: Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, retired
  • Maj. Gen. George Cates ’59, Burke, Virginia: Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, retired
  • Maj. Gen. Dee Ann McWilliams ’68 & ’69, Alexandria, Virginia: Major General, U.S. Army, retired
  • Maj. Gen. Thomas Richardson ’80, Harker Heights, Texas: Major General, U.S. Army, retired
  • Maj. Gen. Michael Taylor ’74, Lufkin, Texas: Major General, U.S. Army, retired
  • Brig. Gen. Oscar Anderson ’75, Salado, Texas: Brigadier General, U.S. Army

Government

  • Michael Schneider ’65, Houston, Texas: U.S. District Judge for Eastern District of Texas
  • Bill Owens ’73, Denver, Colorado: Former Governor of Colorado
  • Kevin Mullally ’71, Washington, DC: Mission Director for Rwanda, US Agency for International Development, US State Dept.
  • Ron Lewis ’73, Mauriceville, Texas: Former Texas State Rep. (Library at Lamar State Orange named in his honor.)
  • Kim Brimer ’67, Arlington, Texas: Former Texas state senator
  • Roy Blake Jr. ’79, Nacogdoches, Texas: Former Texas state representative
  • Wayne Christian ’73, Center, Texas: Texas state representative
  • Donnie Marshall ’69, Oak Hill, Virginia: Former DEA administrator