William D. Underwood
Encyclopedia
William D. Underwood has served as the eighteenth President of Mercer University
since 2006. He was the interim President of Baylor University
from 2005 to 2006.
, and received a J.D.
from the University of Illinois in 1985. He was an editor of the University of Illinois Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif
. He clerked for Sam Johnson
, then joined a law firm in Dallas, Texas
. In 1990, he became a Law Professor at Baylor University
. While a professor at the law school, he served as interim President of Baylor University
from 2005 to 2006. Since 2006, he has served as the President of Mercer University
.
He has been involved with the American Law Institute
, the American Bar Foundation
, the Texas Bar Foundation
, the Atlanta Regional Consortium on Higher Education, the Tubman Museum
, the Georgia Cancer Coalition
, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce
, the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities
, the American Baptist Historical Society
, and the MidCountry Financial Corporation. He is also President of Atlantic Sun Conference
. He is a Baptist
.
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
since 2006. He was the interim President of Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
from 2005 to 2006.
Biography
He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist UniversityOklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...
, and received a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Illinois in 1985. He was an editor of the University of Illinois Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
. He clerked for Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson
Samuel Robert "Sam" Johnson is an American politician and a retired career U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot. He currently is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Texas...
, then joined a law firm in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. In 1990, he became a Law Professor at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
. While a professor at the law school, he served as interim President of Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
from 2005 to 2006. Since 2006, he has served as the President of Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
.
He has been involved with the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
, the American Bar Foundation
American Bar Foundation
Established in 1952, the ' is an independent, nonprofit national research institute located in Chicago, Illinois committed to objective empirical research on law and legal institutions...
, the Texas Bar Foundation
State Bar of Texas
The State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Bar is responsible for assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas...
, the Atlanta Regional Consortium on Higher Education, the Tubman Museum
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
, the Georgia Cancer Coalition
Georgia Cancer Coalition
The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an American independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. state of Georgia...
, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is a statewide membership organization centered on a mission of pro-business advocacy and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia...
, the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities
International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities
The International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities, formerly known as the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools, is an organization of Baptist universities in the United States and abroad. It comprises 51 schools. It is located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:It was...
, the American Baptist Historical Society
American Baptist Historical Society
The American Baptist Historical Society is the oldest Baptist historical society in the United States.-History:It was created in 1853 after the instigation of John Mason Peck. In 1862, it was chartered under the laws of Pennsylvania. In 1896, a fire destroyed the archives. That same year, Samuel...
, and the MidCountry Financial Corporation. He is also President of Atlantic Sun Conference
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
. He is a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
.