Troy’s Most Famous Residents …
Per my subjective list, either DeMarcus Ware or “Sister Schubert” Barnes are the most famous people who once lived in Troy. Douglas Edwards held this honor for many decades.
By BILL RICE, JR.
For today’s dispatch, I thought it might be fun to update a list my late father included in his two history books and identify “the most famous people to come from Troy.”
Before I get to my candidates, a few caveats .…
“Famous,” of course, is not the same as “influential.” Per Dad’s local history books, the most influential person who ever lived in Troy was Urban Jones, the man who brought the railroad to Troy in 1870.
The measure of “fame” is, of course, subjective … and fame can be fleeting. Many people on this list were famous or well-known for brief periods of time, but wouldn’t be known by most people outside of Troy today. Also, one’s fame dies out as the people who remembered you pass away.
For decades, the most-famous person to ever come from Troy was Douglas Edwards, the first American TV news anchor (Walter Cronkite’s predecessor). Alas, while just about everyone in America once knew who Douglas Edwards was, probably few Americans living today are familiar with this name.
If I was gauging fame for the entire history of Troy, Mr. Edwards might still lead this list.
I also need to define “Trojans.” For this list, I’m going to simply list people who once lived in Troy. If they lived here for at least a year, I’m calling them “former Trojans.” (As you will see from the top of this list, this includes former Troy University students and athletes, but these Trojans might deserve an asterisk).
Most of these “famous Trojans” might be famous primarily in our state of Alabama - or even one section of our state. With the list that follows, I’m attempting to name current or former residents that hundreds of thousands of people could identify or have heard of … people who were well-known in one period of time.
Famous natives of Pike County ….
This is also a list of famous people who once lived in Troy - not Pike County. For example, former Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis might be the most famous person to come from Pike County.
Dr. Ed Richardson, who served as state superintendent of education on two occasions and is also a former president of Auburn University, is also known by many Alabamians, but did not live in Troy.
Fred Baxter and Cornelius Griffin, both from Brundidge, later played in the SEC and had long careers in the NFL.
Audrey Williams, the wife of Hank Williams and mother of Hank, Jr., was from Banks. Hank Williams, Sr. is certainly the most famous country musician of all time and his son would be near the top of the same list.
(I just learned from Wikipedia that Audrey was also a musician and once managed her husband’s career.)
It’s worth noting that, for a short period of time, Hank Williams, Jr. owned a house on Crowe Hill in Troy and still visits his hunting place near the Pike County/Bullock County border often (along with his buddy, Kid Rock).
With these caveats offered, I think these are/were the most famous people to come from Troy …
DeMarcus Ware tops my list as he was not just a famous NFL football player, he was one of the best players to ever play in the NFL as his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2023 confirms.
DeMarcus, who grew up in Auburn and played for Coach Larry Blakeney at Troy for four years from 2001-2004, became famous as a standout “sack leader” for “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. He later was a key player for the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl champs.
The NFL is America’s most popular sport with big games regularly attracting audiences of 20 to 50 million people. The vast majority of NFL fans certainly know who DeMarcus Ware is.
Or “Sister Schubert” Barnes …
However, if we/I restrict our list to people who owned a house in Troy or lived here for many decades, the most famous former Trojan would probably be Patricia “Sister Schubert” Barnes.
Every consumer who shops in the major grocery store chains - and enjoys great yeast and cinnamon rolls - has probably heard of, or repeatedly purchased, the trays of rolls that made the former Sister Wood so famous.
According to this story from 2015, three bakeries produce nine million Sister Schubert yeast rolls every day!
That would mean that billions of Sister’s rolls have been purchased and consumed by Americans in the last five decades (since Ingram’s Curb Market in Troy first started stocking them in the late 1980s).
According to my research, “most major grocery stores across the United States” sell different packages of Sister’s rolls. Also, Sister Schubert is the brand Chick-fil-A uses for its ultra-popular chicken minis.
While her rolls became famous while she was living in Troy, Sister now lives in Andalusia and her rolls, which used to be made in Troy, are made in Luverne and other bakeries.
If you coached ‘America’s Team,’ you were famous …
For third place on my list, I’m going with Coach Chan Gailey.
Now retired, Coach Gailey became known to millions of NFL fans as the head coach of - again - “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys from 1998-99. After that, he became a household name to fans of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, where he served as head coach for six years.
Coach Gailey made his first big splash as a head coach, leading our own Troy State Trojans to our first NCAA Division II national championship in 1984. He got his start in coaching when Charlie Bradshaw hired him as a Troy assistant in the early 1980s.
Stewart Vance. Growing up, I would never have thunk it, but my long-time friend (CHHS Class of 1984) and former University of Alabama fraternity brother is probably the most famous former Trojan - at least in central and south Alabama.
This is because Stewart’s law firm (The Vance Law Firm) is probably the biggest and most consistent TV, radio and billboard advertiser in the counties north, south, east and west of Montgomery. (Growing up, we all knew Stewart as Earl Vance.)
It’s a guesstimate, but I’d bet at least one million people in central Alabama are very familiar with Stewart's name, image and his law firm’s phone number, which is even more famous than “867-5309.” (This phone number is so famous, I don’t even have to publish it in this article).
Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. If you are the president of a college like Troy University for 34 years, many people are going to know who you are. However, the reason I put Dr. Hawkins high on the list is he’s often been the face (and name) of Troy University advertising campaigns (for good reasons because Dr. Hawkins is so well-spoken and telegenic).
Several years ago, Dr. Hawkins considered running for governor. Personally, I think he would have been a wonderful governor and might have won … because his “name ID” was so excellent in at least one-half of the state.
Wes Allen. Pike County’s former probate judge comes from a political family and is now known throughout the state as Alabama’s Secretary of State. Many politicians have used this office as a stepping stone to higher office so, it’s possible Wes might become even better known than he already is.
Wiley Sanders, Jr. Mr. Sanders passed away in 2019 and definitely did not seek the limelight. However, even today, his name is widely known if for no other reason than every person who has been on a highway has seen the trucks with his name written in big red and black letters.
Wiley Sanders Truck Lines is one of the largest truck lines in the South (and his other company’s are well-known and ultra-successful as well). Wiley Sanders, Jr., who grew up on Orange Street, became one of the most successful business owners in Alabama history. No person in Pike County history has produced more jobs than Sanders.
Mary Harmon Black Bryant deserves to be on this list because she was the long-time wife of, arguably, the most famous Alabamian of them all, Coach Paul “Bear” Byrant.
Mrs. Bryant, who was born in Troy in 1915 and is kin to several of our town’s most prominent citizens, moved to Birmingham as a child when her father died. She’s also the mother of one of our state’s most-successful business men, Paul Bryant, Jr. For at least 25 years, every Alabama fan (and there’s more than a few of them) knew who coach Bryant’s wife was.
Larry Blakeney - Every sports fan in our state probably knew who the coach of the Troy Trojans was for a quarter century. Blakeney, who was well-known as a player at Auburn and then a key assistant for Pat Dye, is enshrined in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Dr. Ralph Adams served as Troy State chancellor and president for 25 years before Dr. Hawkins. He was also one of the closest friends of, arguably, Alabama’s most famous former resident, Gov. George C. Wallace.
Few college baseball coaches become famous - and indeed legends - but Coach Chase Riddle, who is also in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, is the exception.
Neal Brown, the former head coach of Troy University, led the Trojans to three straight 10-win seasons and was, thus, well known to regional college football fans. However, he is now even better known since he became head coach at West Virginia.
Brown’s successor, Coach Jon Sumrall, is now the coach at Tulane and - if he continues his successful coaching trajectory at higher-profile programs - seems to be on a path to becoming even more famous.
Douglas Edwards - Already mentioned, Edwards, who graduated from Troy High School in 1934, became a famous war correspondent in World War II working with Edward Murrow. He later became CBS News first national TV news anchorman in 1947, a position he held until 1962 when replaced by Walter Cronkite. He remained with CBS for many more years, anchoring the network’s daily “news updates” at noon.
For many decades, Edwards was the most famous person who ever came from Troy.
Charles Henderson - While Henderson is one of the most-influential Trojans in town history and served as Alabama’s governor in World War I, the reason his name is still famous is the local high school is named for him - and every adult in our state has probably heard of Charles Henderson High School.
Bobby Marlow, who is also in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, was the best athlete Troy ever produced and was a three-year star running back (and linebacker) for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1950-1952. Alf Van Hoose, the long-time sports editor of The Birmingham News, once said Marlow was the best Alabama running back he ever saw play. (Marlow averaged 7.5 yards per carry in the 1950 football season).
Marlow might have become even more famous if he’d gone to the NFL. While he was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants, he was offered more money to play in Canada and played for many years in the Canadian Football League.
Marlow, who grew up at the Alabama Baptist Children Home, was known as the “Orphan Boy from Troy.”
Brian Meadows was the first Troy native to make it to the Big Leagues, where he was a pitcher for several Major League teams.
Braxton Garrett, who spent the early years of his childhood in Troy before moving, is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins. Braxton was the 7th pick of the 2016 MLB draft and has started 63 games in his Big League career.
Bobby Jon Drinkard enjoyed more than 15 minutes of fame because he was a cast-member of the hit TV show “Survivor” not just for one season, but two seasons. While Bobby Jon’s fame might not have persisted, for many weeks, his name was well-known to tens of millions of people who love this show (which is still airing).
Dr. Johnny Long was certainly the best-known band director in Troy University history and, arguably, was the best-known band director in the entire state. He undoubtedly produced more future band directors than any other person in state history.
Fred Nall Hollis, who recently passed away, spent his early childhood in Troy and later moved back to Troy. The eccentric and extremely-talented Hollis was certainly one of the most famous artists Alabama’s ever produced. Today, Nall’s art work is enjoyed at several RSA-owned hotels and is depicted at a gallery named for him at Troy University. His pieces are owned by many famous friends including Ringo Starr and Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Emory Folmar grew up on College Street and became one of the state’s most famous politicians as the long-time mayor of Montgomery. He also once ran for governor and, after serving as Montgomery’s mayor, was the director of the State Alcohol Board.
Paul Hubbert became famous as the long-time director of the highly-influential Alabama Education Association and twice ran for governor. Before becoming the leader of the AEA in 1969, he was superintendent of education for Troy City Schools.
Jean Lake was a well-known artist from Troy, but her fame is mostly explained because the Jean Lake Arts Festival - one of the best-known arts festivals in Alabama - was named in her honor.
John “Bubba” Trotman grew up on College Street before becoming well-known in the cattle industry where he served as president of the national and state chapters of the Cattleman Associations. Trotman also played center at Auburn and his son, Charlie became quarterback for the Tigers and, later, the long-time color commentator for AU radio broadcasts.
But Bubba’s fame flows from the fact he was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, was a long-time civic leader in Montgomery and had many thousands friends (I was one). Until supplanted by Bubba of “Rick and Bubba” fame, Trotman was our state’s most famous Bubba.
Billy Atkins led Troy to its first sports national championship (in the NAIA in 1968). Before this landmark local event, Atkins was the team MVP of Auburn’s 1957 national championship team and had a successful career as a defensive back in the NFL.
UPDATE (6-14-25): I just learned that Coach Atkins’ son, Ace Atkins, a crime novelist who has written 30 books, including several books that made the NY Times’ best-seller list, was born in Troy in 1970 (see story from 6-13-25).
Charlie Bradshaw had a run of successful teams at Troy State in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but most of his fame came from being the former head coach at Kentucky in the mid-1960s. Before that, he was an assistant for Coach Bryant and was a standout player for the Wildcats in the Bryant era. Bradshaw also brought Chan Gailey to Troy.
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Other famous Trojans …
Jimmy Lunsford - Small-town mayors typically aren’t famous beyond their communities, but Lunsford was mayor for more than 30 years (longer than any other Troy mayor) and was well-known in our section of the state.
Bill Blount was chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party when this political party was the most important in the state. Bill was also a well-known investment banker and was SGA president at the University of Alabama.
Judge Keith Watkins, a long-time local attorney, was appointed U.S. Federal Judge for the Middle District of Alabama in 2006. Watkins was appointed by President George W. Bush. Watkins is the only Trojan to become a federal judge.
Manuel “Manley” Johnson served as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board from 1986-1990. Johnson, who grew up on Orange Street, served as the No. 2 person on the Fed beneath Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan.
The libertarian Johnson Center at Troy University is named for him and the Johnson Cultural Arts Center is named for his late parents (Holman Johnson was the town photographer).
Steve McMillan, one of the great basketball players in CHHS history, once served as CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation, an international conglomerate whose portfolio includes many well-known consumer brands and had revenues in excess of $19 billion in 2006.
Bob Howell was the best-known media personality in central and south Alabama for many decades as the anchor of WSFA’s newscasts. Originally from Geneva, Howell is a graduate of Troy University and thus lived in our community for several years. He later taught at Troy’s School of Broadcast Journalism. Many former TSU broadcast journalism students became well-known in local TV markets.
Besides Paul Finebaum, Kevin Scarbinsky was Alabama's best-known newspaper columnist and sports journalist for several decades with The Birmingham News. Kevin, who is once again writing columns for al.com, is also a Troy University alumnus.
Max Howell, a former player and assistant coach at Troy who also worked for the athletic department later in life, became well known as the host of multiple syndicated sports radio programs across the South. A recent inductee of the Troy Sports Hall of Fame, Howell “pioneered the medium of southern sports radio and is widely known for his times as a sports talk host in the Atlanta area.”
My great friend Mike Amos (aka “Famous Amos”) might not be super famous outside of Pike County, but he is arguably the most famous Trojan of the last five decades in Troy and Pike County because of his work on “Bogie Vision” of Troy Cablevision. Mike, who is famous for being Troy’s No. 1 civic cheerleader and Troy University booster, is also a member of Troy University’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Steve Flowers was well-known as a long-time state representative, but became well-known throughout Alabama when he started a weekly syndicated newspaper column on Alabama politics. The column was soon published in almost every smaller newspaper in the state and by other media organizations. Steve also became the best-known TV political analyst (succeeding the late Bob Ingram) when he was hired by WAKA TV in Montgomery as this station’s chief political analyst.
Note: See today’s Reader Comments for other well-known people who once lived in Troy. Others former residents who became very well known include Tonya Terry of WSFA and several other former Troy athletes, including Osi Umenyoria and Danny Cox. As I note in the Reader Comments, eight former Trojans are members of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, a list that should expand to 10 when Osi and long-time TROY baskeball coach Don Maestri are (hopefully) inducted. Readers are invited to comment on my selections and provide names of well-known people I no doubt missed.
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I was just surfing Facebook and saw a post from Tonya Terry, who is from Troy and became central Alabama's version of Oprah Winfrey at WSFA. Tonya became quite famous in our quadrant of Alabama.
... Check that: Bubba Trotman is no longer our state's "most famous Bubba." I forgot about Bubba of "Rick and Bubba" fame. Still, Bubba Trotman was known by an awful lot of people.