East Tennessee State University: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has a rich history of producing successful graduates who have made significant contributions in various fields. From arts and entertainment to politics, business, and athletics, ETSU alumni have left their mark on the world. This article explores the notable alumni of East Tennessee State University, highlighting their achievements and contributions.

Introduction

East Tennessee State University, located in Johnson City, Tennessee, has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence and a commitment to preparing students for success. Founded in 1911 as East Tennessee State Normal School, ETSU has evolved into a comprehensive public research university. Over the years, ETSU has fostered a diverse and talented student body, many of whom have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their respective fields.

Arts and Entertainment

ETSU has produced several notable alumni who have excelled in the arts and entertainment industry.

Kenny Chesney: Country Music Superstar

Kenny Chesney is perhaps one of the most recognizable names associated with ETSU. An American country singer, Chesney has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Since releasing his debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, in 1994, he has released 19 follow-ups. His albums have produced 27 singles that have reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Timothy Busfield: Actor and Director

Timothy Busfield is an accomplished American actor and director. He is known for his roles as Elliot Weston in the television series thirtysomething, Mark in Field of Dreams, and Danny Concannon in The West Wing. In 1991, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for thirtysomething.

Read also: Affording ECU

Eureka O'Hara: Drag Queen and Reality TV Personality

Eureka D. Huggard, known as Eureka O'Hara, is a prominent drag queen and reality television personality. Eureka gained fame through appearances on RuPaul's Drag Race, appearing on the ninth and tenth seasons. She was removed from the ninth season due to a knee injury, and then given an automatic berth to season 10, where she placed as runner-up. In 2024, she competed on the second season of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World.

Jill Andrews: Singer-Songwriter

Jill Ellen Andrews is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. She co-founded the indie folk/alt-country band The Everybodyfields and later pursued a solo career. In 2018, she co-founded the duo Hush Kids with Peter Groenwald.

Bryan Lewis Saunders: Performance Artist

Bryan Lewis Saunders is an endurance artist, performance artist, videographer, performance poet, and self-portrait painter. He is known for his spoken word rants, art performances, and self-portraits.

Mo Sabri: Rapper and Filmmaker

Mo Sabri is an American singer, songwriter, and filmmaker from Johnson City, Tennessee. He gained prominence on YouTube and is credited with transforming his subgenre of music. Sabri has been featured in Vogue and named "Best Dressed" at the Grammy Awards. In 2013, he was invited to Washington D.C. to attend breakfast with President Barack Obama. His first album, The Overnight Classic, debuted as one of the top five highest-selling albums on the iTunes World chart in 2012.

Wiseman: Media and Communication Professional

Wiseman is a media and communication alumni, holding a bachelor’s in media and Communication and a master’s in Brand and Media Strategy. As a student, Wiseman worked at the East Tennessean. College is what you make it.

Read also: Your Guide to ETSU Academics

Politics and Government

ETSU has also produced numerous alumni who have made significant contributions to the field of politics and government.

Diana Harshbarger: U.S. Representative

Diana Lynn Harshbarger is an American pharmacist, businesswoman, and politician. representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district since January 3, 2021. Her district is based in the Tri-Cities area in northeastern Tennessee.

Ron Ramsey: Former Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee

Ronald Lynn Ramsey is an American auctioneer, politician, and lobbyist. He served as the 49th lieutenant governor of Tennessee and speaker of the State Senate from 2007 to 2017. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S. Wilder in 2007.

Matthew Hill: Former Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Matthew Joseph Hill is an American talk show host, businessman, and politician. He served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 2005 to 2021. Hill briefly served as Deputy Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

David Davis: Former U.S. Representative

David Lee Davis is an American Republican politician from Tennessee and one-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Tennessee House of Representatives. He represented Tennessee's 1st congressional district but was narrowly defeated in the 2008 primary by Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe.

Rusty Crowe: Member of the Tennessee Senate

Dewey "Rusty" Crowe is an American politician in the state of Tennessee. He is a member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 3rd district, which encompasses Washington County, Unicoi County, and Carter County.

Timothy Hill: Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Timothy Aaron Hill is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Kent Calfee: Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Kent Calfee is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 32 since January 8, 2013.

Tilman Goins: Former Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Tilman Goins is an American politician and a Republican who represented District 10 in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018, and a former county commissioner from Hamblen County, TN. He is a veteran of both the US Marine Corps and the US Army.

Mary Pat Angelini: Former Member of the New Jersey General Assembly

Mary Pat Angelini is an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly for the 11th legislative district from 2008 to 2016.

Gary Odom: Former Minority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Gary Odom is an American politician from Nashville, Tennessee, and the former Democratic Minority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was elected to represent the 55th district, which is part of Davidson County.

J. Jack Kennedy Jr: Former Member of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates

Joe Jack Kennedy Jr. is an American politician who served in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.

Business and Technology

ETSU alumni have also made significant contributions to the world of business and technology.

Bill Bain: Founder of Bain & Company

William Worthington Bain Jr. was an American management consultant, known for his role as one of the founders of the management consultancy that bears his name, Bain & Company. Prior to founding Bain & Company, he was a vice-president at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Harry L. Williams: President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Harry L. Williams is an American educator who is president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, an organization representing the Black College Community. Williams oversees its 53 member-schools and has held positions within the University of North Carolina General Administration, Appalachian State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Delaware State University.

Military Service

ETSU has a strong connection to the military, and several alumni have served with distinction.

Gary L. Harrell: Major General

Major General Gary Lynn Harrell was a United States Army general. He participated in numerous combat operations including Operation Just Cause in 1989, the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Athletics

ETSU has a strong athletic tradition, and several alumni have gone on to have successful careers in sports.

Jamey Chadwell: Football Coach

Jamey Chadwell is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Liberty University, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Chadwell served as the head football coach at North Greenville University from 2009 to 2011, Delta State University in 2012, Charleston Southern University from 2013 and 2016, and Coastal Carolina University, first in an interim capacity in 2017 and then on a permanent basis from 2019 to 2022.

Aaron Schoenfeld: Soccer Player

Aaron Maxwell Schoenfeld is an Israeli-American former professional soccer player who played as a forward.

Eleonora Goldoni: Soccer Player

Eleonora Goldoni is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lazio in the Serie B and has appeared for the Italy women's national team.

Sarah Zadrazil: Soccer Player

Sarah Zadrazil is an Austrian footballer who plays as a midfielder for German club Bayern Munich and the Austria national team.

Marcus Satterfield: Football Coach

Marcus David Satterfield is an American football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Satterfield served as the head football coach at Tennessee Tech University from 2016 to 2017. Satterfield played college football at East Tennessee State University.

Atlee Hammaker: Baseball Player

Charlton Atlee Hammaker is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played the majority of his career for the San Francisco Giants (1982-1990). He also played for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox.

Rhys Davies: Golfer

Rhys Davies is a Welsh former professional golfer. He is currently the player development manager in Europe for Excel Sports Management.

Eric Axley: Golfer

Eric Allen Axley is an American professional golfer.

Barclay Radebaugh: Basketball Coach

Barclay Radebaugh is an American college basketball coach. He is the former head coach of the men's basketball team at Charleston Southern University.

Dave Ewart: American Football Coach

David Ewart is the assistant head coach for the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League (NAL).

Simona Koren: Soccer Player

Simona Koren is an Austrian footballer who plays as a forward for Norwegian club LSK Kvinner and the Austria national team.

Ed Goodson: Baseball Player

James Edward Goodson is an American former first baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from 1970 to 1977 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ernie Bowman: Baseball Player

Ernest Ferrell Bowman was an American professional baseball player, an infielder who appeared in 165 games in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants from 1961 to 1963.

Other Notable Alumni

In addition to the alumni mentioned above, there are many other notable graduates of ETSU who have made significant contributions to their fields.

Steven M. Greer: Ufologist

Steven Macon Greer is an American ufologist and a retired physician. He founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) and the Disclosure Project.

Abraham Verghese: Physician and Author

Abraham Verghese is an American physician and author. He is the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for the Theory & Practice of Medicine, and Internal Medicine Clerkship Director at Stanford University Medical School. In addition, he is the author of four best-selling books.

Phyllis Tickle: Author and Lecturer

Phyllis Natalie Tickle was an American author and lecturer whose work focuses on spirituality and religion issues. She served as the founding editor of the religion department at Publishers Weekly and was a voice in the emergence church movement.

Amythyst Kiah: Singer-Songwriter

Amythyst Kiah is an American singer-songwriter. Kiah is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee and currently lives in Johnson City. She plays guitar and banjo.

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to alumni of the College of Business and Technology at ETSU. The recipients include:

Dr. Kenneth R. Philip D. Michelle R. Freddie H. John M. John W. Thomas E. Mark W. Lt. Jerry L. Jack C. Robert J. John H. Betty W. James W. James J. Paul E. Scott M. Bill F. Dwight B. Barbara B. John G. Daniel J. William B. Gary M. Steve G. Robert B. K. J. John E. P.C. Frank T. Vance W. Carl R. Lt. Col. Lewis P. Timothy D. W. Stuart E. Ruth C. W. Maj. Gen. Gary L. C. C. James E. Olan O. Dale A. Raymond R. Ronald L. M. James W. Frank E. Kenneth W. D. Stephen J. Charles O. Glenn N. R. Brig. Gen. Billy J. John A. Stanley P.

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