28 Things You Didn't Know About President Underwood

Sixteen years and still going strong. Mercer’s 18th president, William D. “Bill” Underwood, has led this university fearlessly. Always pushing Mercer to reach its full potential, his list of accomplishments is impressive. But have you ever wondered about his coffee order or what he does for fun?

We got the inside scoop in an exclusive interview and we’ve compiled this list to give you an idea of who our president really is. We think he’s pretty great, and we think you’ll agree.

1. He’s a regular at Z Beans Coffee. His coffee order? A large non-fat cappuccino.

2. He always looks forward to fried chicken Wednesdays in the Caf.

3. He may be afraid of heights, but he’s been to the top of the tower more times than he can count. And he thinks it’s the best view in town.

4. You might spot him floating down the Ocmulgee River.

5. He agrees with the rest of the student body that his favorite Mercer memory is the time we beat Duke. We’ll never let that one go.

6. During his free time, you can find him hanging out with his dog, Cricket!

7. His favorite building on campus? Our iconic Administration Building, of course. Which is where he spends a lot of his time.

8. His inspiration? Mercer students. He describes them as sincere, intelligent, and passionate.

9. His proudest accomplishment here has been the Mercer On Mission program.

10. He grew up in Texas.

11. Before coming to Mercer, he was a law professor.

12. You might spot him at Bragg Jam. (A popular Macon music festival.)

13. He loves “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding. (A Macon legend.)

14. He called Gregg Allman a friend. (Another Macon legend.)

15. He’s on Twitter. Give him a follow. @MercerPrez

16. If you ever go to the Macon dog park, you’ll probably run into him.

17. If he was given a plane ticket to anywhere, he’d fly to New York.

18. You won’t ever see him eating pizza.

19. He’s never binge-watched anything on Netflix. We are impressed at that one!

20. He took his wife to a midnight movie on their first date.

21. He’s a donut kind of guy.

22. Mountains or beach? He’s definitely going to the mountains.

23. His spirit animal? The Bear, of course.

24. He has a green thumb.

25. After the Mercer Bears, his favorite team to root for is the New York Yankees.

26. He was a Trekkie growing up.

27. Favorite movie? The Verdict.

28. Favorite book? To Kill a Mockingbird..

If you could ask President Underwood anything…what would it be? Comment below!