Mississippi State University

 

Notable Alumni

  • Richard Adkerson is the president, CEO and co-chairman of the board of directors of Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world’s largest producers of gold and copper. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1969 and his MBA in 1970, both from MSU. The university’s school of accountancy bears his name.

  • James Worth “Jim” Bagley, a 1961 and 1966 electrical engineering graduate, is executive chairman of California-based Lam Research Corporation board of directors. The College of Engineering is named in his honor.

  • Best-selling novelist John Grisham is a 1977 MSU accounting graduate.

  • Former U.S. Rep. G V. "Sonny" Montgomery, a 1943 graduate, was chief architect of the Montgomery G.I. Bill of 1984, which was named in his honor.

  • Hartley Peavey, a 1965 graduate, has led Peavey Electronics to world leadership in sales of musical amplifiers and related products.

  • Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro, who played baseball as teammates at Mississippi State in the early 1980s, are former major league all-stars.

  • Eugene Butler, who founded Progressive Farmer Magazine – the forerunner of Southern Living – was a 1913 graduate.

  • Janet Marie Smith, a 1981 architecture graduate, is vice president of planning and development at Baltimore-based Struever Bros. Eccles and Rouse. Before joining the company in 2000, she served as president of Turner Sports and Entertainment Development – a division of Turner Broadcasting System – and as vice president of planning and development for the Atlanta Braves.

  • Brad Watson, a 1978 English graduate, is the author of the critically acclaimed short fiction collection "Last Days of the Dog-Men", and the novel, "The Heaven of Mercury", both published by W.W. Norton. He was a 2002 finalist for the National Book Award.

  • E.B. "Barney" McCool, a 1931 graduate, was a founder of the Holiday Inn franchise.

  • Four of nine Mississippi Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice, are MSU graduates. They include Chief Justice William L. "Bill" Waller Jr., 1974; Presiding Justice George C. Carlson Jr., 1969; Associate Justice Jess H. Dickinson, 1978; and Associate Justice David A. Chandler, 1972, 1974 and 1988.

  • Tyrone Keys, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a 1981 graduate. He was named the 2002 People's Champion by the Tampa Tribune.

  • Bailey Howell, a 1959 graduate and a National Hall of Fame member, played professionally for the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers.

  • Jeff Brantley, an '86 graduate, is a former major League pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, and Bobby Thigpen, '92 graduate, is a former major league pitcher for Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. They were teammates of Palmeiro and Clark and played in the 1985 College World Series.

  • Eric Moulds is a former professional football player. He was a first round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in 1996 and was selected to the Pro-Bowl in 1998, 2000, 2002. He played professionally for the Bills, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. He played wide receiver for the Bulldogs and was the 1994 NCAA Division I-A kickoff return champion with a 32.8 yrds/return average.

  • Kent Hull is a three-time Pro Bowl center for the Buffalo Bills. He played for the Bulldogs from 1979-82 before . In his 11 seasons with the Bills, Hull won four consecutive AFC titles and Superbowl appearances from 1991-1994.

  • William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter is the current manager of the Baltimore Orioles. He was an All-American in 1977 at Mississippi State and is a former professional baseball player and television analyst. He is also a former manager of the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Texas Rangers.

  • Eric Dampier is a professional basketball player currently with the Miami Heat. In 1996 he led the Mississippi State Bulldogs to the 1996 SEC Tournament championship and a showing in the Final Four before being drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. He has played professionally with the Pacers (1996–1997), Golden State Warriors (1997–2004) and Dallas Mavericks (2004-2010).

  • Dwight Douglas "D. D." Lewis is a former professional football player and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He played 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys is one of only eight NFL players who have played in five Super Bowls.
MSU Alumni Association
Post Office Box AA | One Hunter Henry Boulevard | Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526
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