Mercer Alumnus Dr. Ferrol Sams Jr. , 90, died Tuesday of natural causes. Sams was know by his friends as, “Sambo.” Sams is best known to Mercer students as the author of “Whisper of The River.” The book was first published in 1984. “Whisper of The river” has been required reading for Mercer students for several years.
Sams wrote eight books including a trilogy featuring the character Porter Osborne Jr., largely based on Sams’ own experiences during his childhood and studying at Mercer University.
A Funeral Service for Sams will be held on Friday 1 at 4 p.m. at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. The family is holding a visitation on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mowell Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
Sams was born in Woolsey, Ga., on Sept. 26, 1922. He earned his bachelor’s in 1942 at Mercer and his Doctor of Medicine at Emory University Medical School in 1949. He served on the Mercer Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1997.
Sams is survived by his wife, Helen Sams; four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.