The following is a list of notable people associated with East Texas A&M University, formerly Texas A&M University–Commerce, located in the American city of Commerce, Texas.

Notable alumni Politics and government Lindley Beckworth – former judge of United States Customs Court Mary Lou Bruner – Republican candidate for a seat on the Texas State Board of Education; received a master's degree in Special Ed. from the Commerce campus (when it was called East Texas State University) Lanell Cofer – former politician and lawyer Mike Conaway – Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 11th congressional district Phil Dyer – former mayor of Plano, Texas Marsha Farney (formerly Marsha Gonyaw) – Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Williamson County; received bachelor's and master's degrees in professional education from the Commerce campus in the early 1990s Brady P. Gentry – former politician Jimmy Hickey Jr. – Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate from Texarkana, Arkansas; obtained Bachelor of Business Administration from the Texarkana campus Justin Holland – Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 33rd district Alphonso Jackson – former secretary of Housing and Urban Development under U.S. President George W. Bush Tom Price – judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1997–2015 Sam Rayburn – Democratic representative for Texas's 4th congressional district and long-term Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Sam W. Russell – former lawyer and politician Hilda G. Tagle – senior judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Jimmy Turman – former politician and educator, served in the Texas House of Representatives and also was speaker of the house until 1963 Gary VanDeaver – former school superintendent for the New Boston Independent School District and incoming Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; received doctorate in education from TAMU-Commerce

Media and arts

Duane Allen – lead singer of The Oak Ridge Boys Tia Ballard – actress for Funimation Entertainment Linda Brookover – screenwriter, film producer, essayist on film topics Will Creedle – novelist and thought leader in the field of website ADA compliance Jim Fiscus – photographer specializing in editorial and advertising photography, including several campaigns for the Showtime series Dexter Morgan Garrett – voice actress Adrian Hall – former theater director Trenton Doyle Hancock – fine artist Colleen Hoover – New York Times bestselling author Sheryl Leach – author and co-creator of Barney & Friends Staley T. McBrayer – newspaper publisher and inventor of the Vanguard web offset press for newspaper printing John Charles Norman – advertising executive and graphic designer, chief creative officer, TBWA Chiat Day, Los Angeles Bill O'Neal – author who has written more than 30 books and 300 articles and book reviews on the American West Robyn O'Neil – artist known for large-scale graphite on paper drawings William A. Owens – author, folklorist and educator Gary Panter – illustrator and set designer of Pee Wee's Playhouse Jeff Parrott – painter Key Poulan – composer Michael Sampson – New York Times best-selling author Michael Schwab – graphic designer and illustrator, attended 1970–1972 Mark Seliger – photographer noted for his portraiture; regular front-page photographer for Rolling Stone, where he began working in 1987 Jordan Randall Smith – founder and music director of Symphony Number One Erin Trieb – photographer Lester Van Winkle – sculptor Renée Witterstaetter – comic book colorist, editor, and writer Ralph C. Wood – scholar of theology and English literature Susan Wood – poet John Clifton Wright – author

Athletes and coaches Autry Beamon – former NFL player Bobby Bounds – former Arena League Football player Chad Brown – NFL official, refereed Super Bowls XXXV and XLV Marv Brown – former Detroit Lion Curtis Buckley – former NFL player Althea Byfield – former professional basketball player and netball bronze medal winner for Jamaica John Carlos – former sprinter; professional football player; human rights activist Bob Carpenter – former NBA player Jake Carter – former NBA player Rob Childress – former college baseball coach at Texas A&M Tim Collier – former NFL cornerback Ricky Collins – former CFL wide receiver Derrick Crawford – former Arena Football League player Will Cureton – former starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns Clint Dolezel – former Arena Football League all-star quarterback; head coach for the Philadelphia Soul in the AFL Buck Fausett – former MLB player Harry Fritz – former professional tennis player, also was a member of East Texas State's men's tennis team that won the 1972 NAIA National championship Bill Gaines – former professional basketball player Jon Gilliam – former Kansas City Chiefs player, played in Super Bowl I Ernest Hawkins – Winningest football coach in Texas A&M-Commerce athletic history, also lead the team an NAIA National Championship title in 1972 Scott Highsmith – football coach currently serving as an offensive analyst for Southern Miss, previously served as head coach at Belhaven and East Texas Baptist Ross Hodge – current head coach for the West Virginia men's basketball team Rich Houston – American football player Lee Johnson – former NBA player Vernon Johnson – former professional football player Bo Kelly – former Arena League Football player for the Arizona Rattlers Kader Kohou – Ivorian NFL cornerback for the Miami Dolphins John Lotz – former men's basketball coach at Florida Dee Mackey – former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers Kyle Mackey – former NFL quarterback for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins Harvey Martin – former defensive end in the National Football League and Super Bowl XII MVP Danny Mason – current CFL Defensive End for the Ottawa RedBlacks Kevin Mathis – former starting cornerback for the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys Durwood Merrill – former MLB umpire Shelby Metcalf – former head coach of men's basketball at Texas A&M Mike Miller – former head coach of the Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball team, current assistant coach for the Washington Wizards Larry Nemmers – former NFL official Rex Norris – former defensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma John Pearce – former football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University Luis Perez – quarterback for the Arlington Renegades of the XFL Dave Philley – former MLB player Ron Poe – former high school football coach, one of the winningest high school football coaches in Texas history and state champion in 1979 Herb Raybourn – former MLB player, scout, and New York Yankees director of Latin American Operations Bryn Roy – professional Canadian football player Wes Smith – former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers Aundra Thompson – former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers Michael Trigg – former ArenaBowl-winning player and head coach Charles Tuaau – former professional football player Darrell Tully – former NFL player; superintendent of schools at Spring Branch ISD in the Houston area Alan Veingrad – NFL football player Devondrick Walker – professional European basketball player Sam Walton – NFL football player Kaliesha West – boxer and International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Curtis Wester – former Canadian Football League player Dwight White – Hall of Fame NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl Champion Darrell Williams – former professional basketball player Antonio Wilson – former professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League Wade Wilson – former NFL quarterback

Military personnel Chris Adams – United States Air Force officer and author

Other Ali Abdullah Al-Daffa – mathematician and scientist Mark Busby – professor of English at Texas State University T. Don Hutto – co-founder of Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) Ronny Woodruff – biologist and zoologist

See also

List of people from Texas Texas A&M University-Commerce

References

External links Texas A&M University-Commerce Alumni Association