James W. Rane is an American businessman, and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Great Southern Wood Preserving, the largest pressure treated lumber producer in the world. He has frequently appeared in advertisements for the company portraying a fictional cowboy named "the Yella Fella" after the company's flagship product of YellaWood. With an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, Rane is the wealthiest person in Alabama.

Samford University is a private Baptist university in Homewood, Alabama. It was founded in 1841 as Howard College by Baptists. In the fall of 2023, the university enrolled 5,791 students from 49 states, 1 U.S. territory, and 16 other countries.