Alabama Supreme Court Justice and alumnus Tommy Bryan will provide the keynote address at Troy University’s Spring Commencement on Friday, May 13 in Trojan Arena.

Some 737 undergraduates and 215 graduate students from 30 U.S. states and territories and 13 nations outside the United States are expected to participate in two ceremonies. Undergraduate students will participate in a 10 a.m. exercise, while graduate students, including 11 doctoral and 9 educational specialist students will participate in a 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Tickets are not required for either ceremony.

Justice Bryan was raised on a family farm in southern Crenshaw County, Alabama, where his parents taught him the values of faith, family and hard work. 

A 1974 graduate of Brantley High School, Justice Bryan continued his education at Troy State University, where he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in education.  

In 1983, he graduated for the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.  After graduating from law school, Justice Bryan served as a staff attorney for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

In 1987, Justice Bryan became an assistant attorney general for the State of Alabama, serving as an associate general counsel for Alabama’s environmental department.  In that position he gained valuable experience in defending and interpreting highly technical and scientific regulations and standards, as well as drafting administrative orders and reviewing legislation pertaining to environmental issues.

In 2004, Justice Bryan ran for a seat on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and, after winning every county in the state during the Republican primary election, he went on to win the general election after challenging an incumbent judge.  He was sworn into office as a Judge on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in January 2015.  He was reelected in November 2010.  In 2012, during his tenure on the Court of Civil Appeals, Justice Bryan was named “Judge of the Year” by the Family Law Section of the Alabama State Bar.  Also in 2012, Justice Bryan was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court and was sworn into office as an Associate Justice in January 2013.  He was reelected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2018 without opposition.

Justice Bryan is a member of the Alabama Bar Association. Also, he has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the District of Columbia.  In 2014, Justice Bryan was named as a “Significant Sig” of the Sigma Chi international fraternity.  He was also a charter member of Troy University’s Sigma Chi chapter in 1977.  In 2019, he was recognized as one of Troy University’s Alumni of the Year.  

Justice Bryan is married to the former Pamela Mizzell from Tuscaloosa, and they have two children—a daughter, Thomason, and a son, Tucker.  The Bryan family lives in Montgomery where they attend Montgomery’s First Baptist Church.  Justice Bryan is a deacon there and is a former member of the sanctuary choir.  He also teaches an adult Sunday School and has done so for the past 20 years.