The Machine.

For over a century it has held almost total sway over Greek life and the Student Government Association at the University of Alabama.

The so called “secret society” has been the topic of a cover story in Esquire magazine. It’s been featured in the New York Times. It’s been accused of election-rigging, voter fraud and intimidation. It was even blamed by some for the SGA being shut down for several years in the wake of harassment and assault allegations.

But it’s also been responsible for electing UA SGA Presidents who have gone on to become some of the most well-known and successful leaders in Alabama history.

Here’s a partial list:

1915-16 Lister Hill, the first UA SGA President, became a United States Senator
1920-21 Joseph W. Sewell played for the New York Yankees with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
1923-24 John J. Sparkman became a United States Senator
1928-29 Albert Boutwell, Sr. became the Mayor of Birmingham
1935-36 Hugh Davis Merrill, Jr. became Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives
1951-52 Robert Smith Vance became a Federal Judge
1952-53 William J. Edwards III became a U.S. Congressman
1955-56 Walter W. Flowers became a U.S. Congressman and was a key democrat on the Watergate Panel. When Nixon lost his vote on the panel, he knew he had to resign.
1967-68 Don E. Siegelman became Alabama Secretary of State, Attorney General, Lt. Governor and Governor
1974-75 William Bell Blount became the Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party

There have also been dozens of Alabama students who rose through the SGA system with the backing of The Machine and went on to be pillars of their communities across the state as business and civic leaders.

But in the past 100 years, there have only been seven Alabama students who conquered The Machine to become SGA President without their blessing.

1936-37 Carl A. Elliot became a U.S. Congressman.
1963-64 Donald Wilbur Stewart became an Alabama State Senate and United States Senator
1970-71 James W. Zeigler served on the Alabama Public Service commission before earning the nickname “Mr. 49 percent” for always coming up just shy of getting elected
1976-77 Cleophus Thomas, Jr. became the first black SGA President, went on to Harvard Law and served on the UA Board of Trustees
1978-79 A. Jerry DeVaney, after whose election The Machine added sororities to their ranks to bolster the size of their voting bloc
1983-84 John N. Bolus
1986-87 John Merrill, who currently serves in the Alabama House of Representatives

Two of those seven, Jim Zeigler and John Merrill, now find themselves on the verge of being elected to statewide office in Alabama, decades after being introduced to the rough and tumble world of politics while taking on The Machine.

Zeigler won the Republican primary runoff for State Auditor last week and faces and now faces Democratic nominee Miranda Joseph in the fall. Merrill squeaked out a close victory in the Republican primary runoff and should easily beat his Democratic opponent in November.

“When I enrolled at Alabama and started looking at the history of the SGA Presidents, those people were the ones who were in key positions in leaderships in our state — senators and congressmen, even a governor,” Merrill recalled. “Before I became SGA President, The Crimson White (student newspaper) asked me, ‘What is the Machine?’ And I told them, ‘The Machine is select coalition of fraternities and sororities that is specifically designed to influence and dominate campus politics.’ They still use that description to this day.”

Although the office he is currently seeking involves a much higher level of responsibility, Merrill says that his experience in student politics at Alabama undoubtedly prepared him for what he’s doing now.

“At least two times during my campaign people wrote on my Facebook wall, ‘well there’s another ‘Machine’ or ‘Greek’ candidate just going on to his next step.’ I told them that they better do their homework because I beat The Machine. And let me tell you, I didn’t run my campaign for Secretary of State any different than how I ran my campaign for SGA President. I went to see people where they were. I met with key leaders. I raised money. We had billboards, ads, brochures and t-shirts. We got statewide news coverage. So the opportunity to participate in the SGA thoroughly prepared me to know how to participate in the electoral process and how to be successful at it.

“It is a good training ground,” Merrill said in conclusion. “The main thing I learned very early on after getting elected SGA President was that it’s about getting things done, not getting credit for getting things done. I’ve carried that with me ever since.”

Jim Ziegler could not be reached for comment.

(This story was updated to correct our statement that Ziegler faces no opposition in the General Election.]

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