Prominent victims' rights advocate, legal commentator and Mercer University alumna Nancy Grace will speak at Founders’ Day on Feb. 4 in Toney Auditorium. Grace graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1981 and received her juris doctor from Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1984. She has been an active alumna and Mercer trustee throughout her professional career.
Grace said she initially intended to become an English professor following graduation. However, her plans were quickly upended during her sophomore year at Mercer.
“My fiancé was murdered while I was a student at Mercer, and it was one of the hardest times of my life. I dropped out of school, withdrew a lot socially, yet my friends and community at Mercer never stopped supporting me in my darkest hour,” Grace said. “When I finally went back to school, Mercer welcomed me with no questions asked.”
Grace began her career as a special prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney's office and became a well-known crime television personality through her passionate involvement in high-profile cases involving murder, rape, assault, arson and child molestation.
Her first appearance on television was as a co-host of Court TV’s “Cochran and Grace.” She later appeared on “Closing Arguments,” a live program that covers daily trials. She also hosted her own daytime program, “Swift Justice with Nancy Grace,” for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2011. Grace regularly appeared as a legal analyst on ABC News until 2013 and was named one of the most impactful and powerful women in entertainment by both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter in 2011.
Today, Grace hosts a daily true crime podcast, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and she runs a website that shares breaking crime news, missing persons and cold cases.
Born in Macon, Ga., Grace’s connection to Middle Georgia and Mercer runs deep. Grace attributes much of her success in her personal and professional life to her time at the University.
“Both as a student and as a trustee, the Mercer community has given me so much that I am grateful for,” Grace said. “I always love the opportunity to use my words to support and give back.”
Grace last spoke at Founders' Day in 2017.
“So much has happened since then. The world has changed – the geopolitical climate has changed – and what graduating students face once they leave the Mercer bubble has changed,” Grace said. “There is a whole new set of skills required to make it today as compared to a decade ago.”
She said that her message in 2026 will differ from her previous words.
“I think that my message at Founders’ Day this year will address this and hopefully encourage students to do what they need to both survive, excel and stay inspired in 2026,” Grace said.
Grace said the key to students' success is embracing the community that nurtures them and engaging in what they are most passionate about.
Mercer's mantra is to "'Be the Bear,' not 'Be a Bear.' It means to be the Mercer Bear, which stands for everything good and true,” Grace said. “It also means to be determined, diligent and ferocious when it comes to accomplishing your goals.”
Hannah Mock ‘29 is a communications major at Mercer and is currently a staff writer for The Mercer Cluster. When she’s not at a coffee shop catching up on her studies, she is working on her latest artistic projects or out hiking a new nature trail. Her favorite things to write about include arts and culture, social issues and community accomplishments.
