© 2024 WUGA | University of Georgia
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former Georgia Governor and Creator of the HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Dies at 86

Former Georgia Governor and US Senator Zell Miller has died at the age of 86. Born in the North Georgia town of Young Harris, Miller first entered politics in the late 1950s, serving as mayor of Young Harris from 1959 to 1960. He followed that with a stint in the Georgia State Senate, and in 1974, he was elected as Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor, serving for sixteen years. In 1991, the conservative democrat began the first of two terms as Governor, where one of his signature achievements was the passage of the HOPE Scholarship. In 2000, then-governor Roy Barnes appointed Miller to the US Senate, where he served until 2005.

Miller’s career was controversial at times. In 2004, he famously clashed with cable TV host Chris Matthews. In both the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, the lifelong Democrat endorsed the Republican candidates.

According to a statement from the Miller family, the former governor passed away at his Young Harris home, surrounded by family. A public condolence book is available on the Miller Institute Foundation's website at millerfoundation.com.

Martin Matheny is WUGA's Program Director and a host and producer of our local news program 'Athens News Matters.' He started at WUGA in 2012 as a part-time classical music host and still hosts WUGA's longest-running local program 'Night Music' which is heard on WUGA and GPB Classical. He lives in Normaltown with his wife, Shaye and dog, Murphy.
Related Content