List of University of Louisiana at Monroe alumni

This is a list of notable people who have attended University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Academia

• Milburn E. Calhoun (Junior College Class of 1949) - physician, philanthropist, and book publisher
• Dale Thorn - journalist, Louisiana State University professor, and press secretary to Governor Edwin Edwards, received bachelor's degree from ULM^[1]

Arts, entertainment, and humanities

• Keith Babb - former KNOE-TV personality; auctioneer of American Quarter Horses; ULM journalism graduate, resident of Ouachita Parish^[2]
• Tim Brando — CBS Sports and Fox Sports Net studio radio host
• Moon Griffon (Class of 1983) - radio talk show host operating from Monroe
• Tim McGraw — country singer, spouse of Faith Hill
• Keith Munyan, Jr. — photographer and former model
• Devon O'Day — radio personality, songwriter, and former model
• Rob Redding - syndicated talk show host^[3]
• Marc Swayze (Master of Fine Arts) — comic book artist and writer; former ULM art faculty member
• Patricia Brant - Miss Louisiana 1987 and 1st runner-up to Miss America 1988. Known for outstanding talent in ventriloquism.

Business

• Laura Ashley Hester - Louisiana businesswoman; Director of Underwriting and Product Development at Americas Insurance Company^[4]
• Lloyd E. Lenard — businessman, author, Caddo Parish Commissioner (R)
• Willie Robertson - owner and CEO of Duck Commander, which appears on the A&E series Duck Dynasty
• Aubrey W. Young — drug and alcohol abuse coordinator within the Department of Health and Hospitals, 1965–1999; aide-de-camp to Governor John McKeithen (D)

Government

Executive

• William Derwood Cann, Jr. - interim mayor of Monroe from 1978 to 1979 (D); attended Ouachita Parish Junior College in 1937-1938; chairman of ULM Military Department from 1954 to 1956^[5]
• Hyram Copeland - Mayor of Vidalia since 1992 (D)^[6]
• Bert Hatten - Mayor of West Monroe from 1966 to 1978; former newspaperman, attended Northeast Louisiana Junior College c. 1950
• Robert "Bob" Mann - Chair of Douglas Manship School of Journalism at Louisiana State University
• Jamie Mayo - Mayor of Monroe since 2001 (D)
• Charles McConnell - lawyer; mayor of Springhill from 1954 to 1958 (D)
• J. Kelly Nix - Louisiana education superintendent from 1976 to 1984 (D)
• Dave Norris (Class of 1963) - Mayor of West Monroe since 1978; ULM economics professor, 1966-1978 (D)
• Melvin Rambin (Class of 1963) - Mayor of Monroe, 2000 to 2001 (R)
• Floyd W. Smith, Jr. — former mayor of Pineville, Louisiana; attended ULM for one semester in 1950 (D)
• J. Robert Wooley (Class of 1974) - Louisiana insurance commissioner from 2000 to 2006 (D)

Judiciary

• Marcus R. Clark — Louisiana Supreme Court Justice (R)^[7]
• Scott Leehy — Monroe judge (R)
• William Wiley Norris, III (1936-2016 - city, district, and circuit court judge from West Monroe (D)
• William H. Pryor, Jr. — federal judge (R)
• Chet D. Traylor — Associate justice Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009; Republican primary candidate U.S. Senate, 2010 (R)

Legislative

• Edwards Barham — first Republican elected to the Louisiana State Senate since Reconstruction; from Oak Ridge (R)
• Robert J. Barham — Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; former member of Louisiana State Senate (R)
• Evelyn Blackmon — member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from West Monroe from 1984 to 1988 (D)
• William R. "Billy" Boles, Sr. — former member of Louisiana State Senate (D)
• Roy A. Burrell (B. S. Mathematics) - member of the Louisiana House for Caddo and Bossier parishes since 2004 (D)^[8]
• Donnie Copeland - Pentecostal pastor in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017^[9]
• J.D. DeBlieux — Louisiana state senator from East Baton Rouge Parish (1956–1960; 1864–1976); crusader for civil rights (D)
• Jimmy Dimos — retired judge; former member and Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives (D)
• J. C. Gilbert - former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature, attended ULL when it was Northeast Louisiana Junior College^[10]
• Frank A. Hoffmann — Louisiana state representative from Ouachita Parish (R)
• Ronnie Johns — former pharmacist, state legislator from Sulphur (R)
• Neal Lane "Lanny" Johnson — school superintendent in Tensas, Ouachita, and Franklin; former state representative (1976–1980) from Tensas and Franklin parishes (D); played basketball at ULM under Lenny Fant.^[11]
• Gary Lee Jones (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Education and Ed.D.), member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; former educator in Ouachita Parish; school superintendent in Claiborne and Rapides parishes.^[12]
• Bernard LeBas (Pharmacy, Class of 1968) - member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Evangeline and St. Landry parishes since 2008 (D)^[13]
• Speedy Long — member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1956–1964, and United States House of Representatives 1965-1973 (D)
• Vance McAllister - U.S. Representative, won his seat in Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election, 2013; unseated in 2014 by Ralph Abraham (R)
• Jay McCallum (Class of 1982) - former state representative for Lincoln and Union parishes (D); judge since 2003 of the Louisiana 3rd Judicial District court^[14]
• Fred H. Mills, Jr. (Pharmacy, 1976) - state representative from St. Martin Parish (R)
• Jonathan W. Perry (B.A., 1995) - State representative from Vermilion and Cameron parishes (R)
• Erich Ponti — member of Louisiana House East Baton Rouge Parish (R)
• Neil Riser — member of Louisiana State Senate (R)
• Jim L. Smithson — pharmacy graduate of ULM; former member of Arkansas House of Representatives and the mayor of Marshall, Arkansas (R)
• Lawson Swearingen (Class of 1966) - former state senator from Ouachita Parish and president of ULM from 1991-2001 (D)
• Francis C. Thompson — member of Louisiana State Senate from Delhi; former state representative (D)
• Jeff R. Thompson - former football player and sports announcer; lawyer, member of the Louisiana House from Bossier City since 2012; incoming judge of the 26th Judicial District Court (R)
• Thomas D. "Tommy" Wright — former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (D)
• Wayne Waddell — former member of the Louisiana House from Shreveport (R)
• Mike Walsworth — Louisiana state senator and former representative (R)

Sports

Football

• Marty Booker — NFL football player for the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Atlanta Falcons^[15]
• Larry C. Brewer - Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football player; obtained accounting degree from ULM
• Vincent Brisby — NFL football player for the New England Patriots^[16]
• Bubby Brister - quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings^[17]
• Jimmy Childress - assistant coach of Neville High School from 1958 to 1973 and head coach at Ruston High School from 1979 to 1991; received undergraduate degree at ULM, coached football and baseball at ULM from 1974 to 1976^[18]
• Pat Dennis — NFL football player for the Kansas City Chiefs^[19]
• Jimmy Edwards — professional football player^[20]
• Jackie Harris — NFL football player for the Green Bay Packers^[21]
• Sam Hughes — quarterback, Miami Hooters^[22]
• Stan Humphries — quarterback, San Diego Chargers Super Bowl XXIX^[23]
• Doug Pederson - NFL quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and the Rhein Fire in the World League of American Football; member of the Green Bay Packers Championship team for Super Bowl XXXI; offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs; former offensive QC coach and quarterback coach, Philadelphia Eagles^[24]
• Roosevelt Potts — NFL football player for the Indianapolis Colts^[25]
• Don Shows — football coach at ULM (graduate assistant, 1985) and West Monroe High School since 1989, winner of eight Louisiana Class 5A state championships
• Pete Thomas — American football player^[26]
• Larry Whigham — NFL football player for the New England Patriots^[27]
• Stepfret Williams — NFL football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals^[28]

Basketball

• Kristy Curry (née Sims) — head coach of the Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball team

Baseball

• Wayne Causey - MLB shortstop^[29]
• Chuck Finley - MLB pitcher California Angels, ex-spouse of Tawny Kitaen^[30]
• Ben Sheets — 2000 Olympics gold medalist; winning pitcher versus Cuba for gold, MLB pitcher, Atlanta Braves^[31]

Other

• Jimmy Upton — track star from Minden

References

1. "Obituary - Dr. Jesse Dale Thorn, May 14, 2014". Ouachita Citizen. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
2. "Keith Babb and Associates". keithbabbauctions.com. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
3. "AJC on Rob Redding".
4. http://www.americas-insurance.com/about-americas/our-team/
5. "William Derwood Cann, Jr.". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
6. "Mayor Hyram Copeland". concordiaed.com. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
7. "Justice Marcus R. Clark". Louisiana Supreme Court. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
8. "Representative Roy A. Burrell". Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
9. "Donnie Copeland". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
10. "J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert". Monroe News-Star. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
11. "Mark S. Rainwater, "Fant's legacy lives on in 'his boys'", October 13, 1998". Monroe News Star. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
12. "Gary Jones: Educational Consultant". linkedin.com. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
13. "H. Bernard LeBas". house.louisiana.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
14. "Louisiana: McCallum, Jay Bowen", Who's Who in American Politics, 2003-2004, 19th ed., Vol. 1 (Alabama-Montana) (Marquis Who's Who: New Providence, New Jersey, 2003), p. 787
15. "Marty Booker". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
16. "Vincent Brisby". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
17. "Bubby Brister". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
18. "Jimmy "Chick" Childress". The Monroe News-Star. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
19. "Jackie Harris". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
20. "Jimmy LaRoy Edwards". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
21. "Jackie Harris". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
22. "Sam Hughes". arenafan.com. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
23. "Stan Humphries". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
24. "Doug Pederson". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
25. "Roosevelt Potts". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
26. "PETE THOMAS". ulmwarhawks.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
27. "Larry Whigham". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
28. "Stepfret Williams". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
29. McGuff, Joe (January 27, 1965). "Talk of the Times". Missouri, Kansas City. The Kansas City Times. p. 13. Retrieved November 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Chuck Finley Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
31. "Ben Sheets Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 26, 2012.