General William James Livsey is a retired Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Command/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army (CINCUNC/CINCCFC/COMUSFK/CG EUSA), 1984-1987. Livsey served as an infantry platoon leader during the Korean War with the 3d Infantry Division in 1953, and in Viet Nam with the 4th Infantry Division.

Livsey's awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Silver Star, Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with "V" Device, Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Combat Infantry Badge (2nd Award), Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.  

Commander of 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment "Nightstalkers"

US Army WWII Veteran With Patton's Third Army

Pulitzer Prize Winner

Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Patterson is the former editor of the Atlanta Constitution and managing editor of the Washington Post. For the seventeen years before he retired, he served as editor, chairman, and CEO of the St. Petersburg Times. He won the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing at the Atlanta Constitution for his columns and editorials supporting civil rights for black Americans. He won the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with oak-leaf cluster during World War II combat in Europe with the Tenth Armored Division of Patton’s Third Army. He holds honorary degrees from fifteen institutions including Harvard, Duke, Emory, and Indiana universities.

 "There is no question that being in the North Georgia Corps of Cadets profoundly shaped my future. The Corps experience provides a fast learning curve in a low risk environment for the key drivers of one's life. Few other experiences at that stage of life provide you with insight into personal discipline, sacrifice, integrity, the importance of teamwork, an understanding of one's self, and the critical dynamics of what it takes to be a leader. The Corps is a leadership laboratory because it, in effect, is run by the cadets. Few other institutions are willing to risk turning that kind of responsibility over to people of college age. And yet, cadets at North Georgia accept the mantel and perform. And they perform at very high levels - both at North Georgia and in their future personal and professional lives. When I tell people I am from North Georgia, they know instantly that I am a leader, that my word is my bond, and that they can count on me no matter what the challenge. The Corps laid the foundation for my development as a leader. It gave me a jump start on life and for that I will be eternally grateful."

Thomas B. Murphy
NG '43

US Navy, WWII
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Georgia State Assembly 

Thomas B. Murphy, a native of Bremen, Georgia, was a 1943 graduate of North Georgia College.  From 1943 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II.  Discharged in 1946, he returned to Bremen where he married Agnes June Bennett.  They moved to Athens, Georgia where he attended the University of Georgia Law School.  After law school, he moved back to Bremen and joined his brother to open the law firm of Murphy & Murphy.  Mr. Murphy ran and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1961.  In 1974, he was elected as Speaker of the House and held the position for twenty-eight years.

Mike Higley 

NG '80

Managing Director

"The opportunity for me to experience four years at NGCSU (1976-1980) definitely gave me the foundation, discipline, leadership skills and confidence to enjoy a successful 24 year career with FedEx Express. Not only did NGCSU prepare me for a rewarding career with a global corporation, it allowed me to build lifelong friendships with both Military and Civilian Alumni. I am proud to say NGCSU played a major role in developing me into the person I am today."  

NG '92
Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

 "At NGC I learned how to lead and communicate effectively! In the Corps, I saw what leadership looked like…the words…the stature…the confidence. The attention to detail and the ability to plan and execute are just some of what I learned there and what has benefited me the most.  The Corps will equip you for life!" 

NG '94
Abbott Labs, Regional Training Specialist and Interim District Manager

"I was one of the females in the Corps, but unable to commission due to asthma. However, I became Alfa Company Commander my senior year, (and to my knowledge, the first female company commander of a line company.... there had been Band CO's that were female, and BN CDR's, but not any of a line company). I credit NGC for how successful I have been in the working world, and have used experiences from my time there on EVERY job interview I have been on. I state that I do not believe life can throw anything at me that I didn't already experience my senior year of college. For every interview question, on resolving conflict, motivating teams, managing people, accomplishing a goal, etc, I can tie back to NGC, (and then move forward). Nothing prepares you more for the real world, (or the real Army) than having to motivate your peers or those that do not really need to listen to you, (Upper class Privates). It is easy to lead the "gun-ho" people, it is challenging to lead those that just want to go to school. If you can motivate and lead those people, than you can lead anyone that life brings to you. People are impressed that I attended a "senior military institution" ... willingly and voluntarily :) To this day, when dealing with severe challenges at work, I pull out my NGC ring and wear it to remind me that I can get through anything. I am currently working at Abbott Labs as a Regional Training Specialist, and currently Interim District Manager, (with the expectation that I will be the final DM at the end of November). It will seem a bit of an overkill, but I'll attach my resume so you can see that I continue to keep NGC on there. It allows a conversation that no other potential job candidate I have come across yet, can mirror."

NG '72
"I was a member of the Corps from fall '68 until I graduated in Spring '72. After graduation I was commissioned in the Navy, spending 4 years on active duty and completing a career in the naval reserve. After active duty I became a US Treasury agent, spending the next 25 years in federal law enforcement. I consider my time in the NGC Corps a life changing experience (for the good). What I learned as a cadet and my experiences in the NGC military program were directly applicable to sea service and a civilian career. A student who doesn't take advantage of participating in the Corps while at NGCSU is missing an education equally as valuable as that learned in the classroom."

NG '80
Senior Vice President, Government Industry Strategist, bank of America

"My experience at North Georgia was the foundation to my success (professional and personal) and also contributed to some of my closest friendships even after 25 years."
 

Greg Blount
NG '78

In 1974, Greg Blount received one of the first scholarships awarded by the North Georgia College & State University Foundation. With its impressive liberal arts program and leadership opportunities in the Corps of Cadets, North Georgia provided an excellent platform for his plans to become an attorney.

Today, Greg is an environmental lawyer and partner with international law firm Troutman Sanders. With nearly 30 years experience, he has worked as an Assistant Attorney General, in-house counsel to Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources and national environmental counsel for a Fortune 50 company. Recognized as one of the country’s leading environmental lawyers, he actively counsels local

governments in the Tri-State Water Wars. For Greg, like so many other outstanding leaders in the state, it all goes back to the values that defined his education at North Georgia. “The discipline of the

military with its absolute truths, balanced by the liberal arts program and its metaphorical search for truth… as an attorney, those values are my foundation.”

Dr. John McHugh
NG '77
Chemistry Major, English Lit Minor

North Georgia College & State University had everything John McHugh was looking for in a college. Excellent academics, athletics, and an outstanding military leadership program, all within an inspiring mountain setting. But the most important factor was the school’s reputation as the place to go if you wanted to get into medical school.  Today, Dr. John McHugh is a urologist who believes his experience at North Georgia instilled in him the values he practices today. Respect, responsibility and leadership. Service through a lifetime of mentoring and coaching youth, and helping patients through stressful times with humor and grace. A prostate cancer survivor himself, John even authored a book to help others make treatment choices. “I am fortunate to be a physician and be able to provide for my family and be of service to others. I owe all of that to North Georgia.” – Dr. John McHugh, 1977 NGCSU graduate, Chemistry major, English Lit minor

NG '08
Former Student Government Association President

Bernie Richardson believes that he can change lives. That’s because his life was changed by the opportunities and encouragement he experienced at North Georgia College & State University. A 2008 graduate, Bernie teaches reading to fifth- and sixth-graders in the Louisiana Recovery School District through the Teach for America program. As a music education major with a minor in political science, Bernie was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Golden Eagle Band. He was involved with the Student Government Association for four years, the last two as its president. “My leadership   opportunities were due to the belief that the faculty had in me. They encouraged me to be my best; to give back to my community and the world,” Bernie says. “Today, I try to mentor my students in the same manner that I was taught at North Georgia. I incorporate values like self-confidence, leading

with conscience and seeking solutions that contribute to making the world a better place. This is especially meaningful to these students in New Orleans. I am confident that when they have the opportunity, they will be fully ready to fulfill their dreams – and their community’s dreams.”