John Heritage Bryan (1825-1891) was one of fourteen children born to Mary Williams Shepard and John Herritage Bryan, a prominent lawyer and US congressman from New Bern and Raleigh, NC. Young Bryan entered the University in 1840, joined the Philanthropic Society, and graduated with third honors in 1844. He became a teacher, receiving an MA degree from the University in 1847. Later in his life he was a lawyer and bank teller.