Riverside Military Academy Notable Alumni
Riverside Military Academy has produced many notable alumni for over a century. RMA alumni include athletes, inventors, actors, business owners, lawyers, and judges as well as many others who have gone on to accomplish great things. If you know of others, email alumni@riversidemiltary.com.
James Earl Carter, Sr. (1911) The father of U.S. President Jimmy Carter
George P. Oslin (1913) The inventor of singing telegram, executive at Western Union and author of The Story of Telecommunication and One Man’s Century: From the Deep South to the Top of the Big Apple
Everett Strupper (1914) Leading scorer in the 1916 GA Tech 222 versus Cumberland 0 football game and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He is credited with the origin of University of Alabama’s Red Elephant mascot after quoting a fan in an Atlanta Journal Constitution Article he wrote.
Chester W. Slack (1916) Distinguished artist, painted for the Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Darrow families. He painted the portrait of Col. O.R. Horton for Riverside.
Robert “Bob” Brumby (1922) World War II correspondent. He wrote for the New York Daily News as well as the International News Service.
Henry Russell “Red” Sanders (1923) The head football coach for Vanderbilt University 1940-42 and 46-48, UCLA 1949-57 and a member of College Football Hall of Fame.
Lucius Chappell (1923) Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy (WWII). He was a Submarine commander and was awarded the Navy Cross. He commanded the USS Sculpin submarine.
David L. McDonald (1924) (Admiral) U.S. Chief of Naval Operations during the Vietnam War.
Peyton Anderson (1924) Owner and publisher of the Macon Telegraph and News for nearly twenty years. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as a public relations officer. He was later awarded a bronze star for his service. Upon discharge from the Navy in 1945 he worked in Alabama as the publisher of the Gasden Times until returning to Macon in 1947. He sold the Macon Telegraph and News in 1969 and retired to oversee his investments. At his death in 1988 the majority of his fortune, approximately $35 million, went to the Peyton Anderson Foundation to be used for the benefit of Macon and middle Georgia.
Johnny Riddle (1926) American major and minor league baseball player. He played in the major league as a catcher for the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates and the minor league for 19 seasons. He was manager of the Birmingham Barons from 1942-44 and coached five major league teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1948-50), St Louis Cardinals (1952-55), Milwaukee Braves (1951), Cincinnati Reds (1958), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1959).
Leo “Bill” Disher (1928) Famed UP World War II Correspondent cited for heroic coverage of the Battle of Oran Harbor and chief of the United Press bureaus in Czechoslovakia and the Balkans. He was a partner in establishing the magazine Discovery.
Bertram Cowgill Harrison (1933) (Lieutenant General) USAF, Commander of Sixth Allied Tactical Airforce, Turkey.
Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill (1938) Jazz musician and professor of jazz. Nominated for Best Latin Jazz Performance Grammy in 1996 for his album Pure Emotion.
Tommy Prothro (1938) College and professional football coach. He coached at Oregon State and UCLA as well as for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Cleveland Browns.
Douglass Watson (1938) Soap opera, movie, and stage actor. He was nominated for three Daytime Emmy awards and won twice for his work on the soap opera Another World.
Wade Denning (1939) Music writer, composer, and arranger of many familiar commercial songs and jingles including the Maxwell House song.
John W. Jacobs, Jr. (1940) Member of the group responsible for founding Gainesville, GA radio station WDUN. He is responsible for bringing cable television to Gainesville, GA. He acquired WCGA, Gainesville's oldest radio station and is the owner of Wide Travel travel agency and chairman of the family run business, Jacobs Media. He and his wife Martha were named Gainesville's philanthropists of the year in 2010.
William T. Webb (1943) Author of Escapades and True Happenings.
Leroy Raffel (1944) Co-founder of fast food chain Arby’s.
Richard Langford (1944) Survivor of the shipwrecked teaching ship, the Albatross and author of the true story White Squall: The Last Voyage of the Albatross.
John R. Wood (1947) Lawyer and founder of John R. Wood Realtors in Naples, Florida.
Richard Aronson (1949) One of the nation’s leading authorities on gymnastics. He has competed, coached and judged gymnastics at multiple levels. He has published articles on various subjects. He is the recipient of several awards including the College Athletic Hall of Fame, Eastern Judges Hall of Fame, multiple awards for service and dedication, and the College Gymnastics Association service award was renamed the “Richard Aronson Service Award”.
Howard A. Kalmenson (1949) Founder, president, and CEO of Lotus Communications Corporation, the largest privately owned radio station group in the U.S. The corporation owns 27 radio stations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. The company also owns three low power television stations in Arizona, Florida, and Texas.
Peter Lyons (1949) Retired attorney and author of Torts and Suds.
Gilbert M. Berg (1951) M/SGT (R). He has been inducted as an honorary member of the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1999 and as a distinguished honorary member of the 75th Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2007.
E.J. Salcines (1956) Retired judge, Florida Appellate Court.
Bobby Greenwood (1957) Played gold on the PGA circuit for seven years. He also works as a golf course architect.
Clinton Laird (1961) Author of Clinton’s Story: A Cadet’s Travail.
Luis Proenza (1962) President of the University of Akron.
Domingo R. Moreira (1963) CEO and president of Ladex Corporations. The Moreira family is the largest single-source producer, marketer, and distributor of shrimp coming from South and Central America. He is a founding member and former director of the Cuban American National Foundation and the former head of the Free Cuba Political Action Committee (PAC). In December of 2010 he was honored by Florida Southern College with a degree of Honorary Doctor of Business. He is a 1967 graduate of FSC.
Mike Neveaux (1965) Retired Chief Pilot, Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division.
Henry Roediger III (1965) Professor at Washington University in St. Louis whose main focus is on researching human learning and memory. He has published over 200 articles and chapters on various aspects of memory. He co-authored three textbooks and served as the president of the American Psychological Association, now the American Psychological Society, from 2003 to 2004. Other achievements include memberships in several associations including an induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Ira Middleberg (1966) Attorney, Middleberg, Riddle, & Gianna in New Orleans.
Jeffrey Weiner (1966) Criminal trial lawyer, Miami, Florida.
Clayton B. Smith (1967) Author of Margin Calls & Other Disasters.
Mario Padilla (1967) Broadway actor, singer, and dancer. His stage name is Marcelino.
Félix Arturo González Canto (1986) Senator and former Governor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
Pablo Espinosa (1987) Actor in several television dramas, television movies, and feature films.
Rocky Lanz (1990) USA winter Olympic-Worldcup Bobsledder.