Coverdell, Paul Douglas (1939-2000), a Republican from Georgia, was a United States senator from 1993 until his death in 2000. He served as secretary of the Senate Republican Conference, the formal organization of the Republican members of the Senate. He was known as a hard worker and admired for his quiet efficiency and his organizational abilities.
Coverdell chaired the Marketing, Inspection, and Product Promotion Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. He was a member of several other Senate committees, including Appropriations; Foreign Affairs; and Small Business. One of his special interests was education. He supported education savings accounts, which would allow tax-free withdrawals for school expenses.
Coverdell was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 20, 1939. His family later moved to Missouri, where he graduated from high school in 1957. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1961.
From 1970 to 1989, Coverdell served in the Georgia state Senate. He was director of the Peace Corps from 1989 to 1991. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and reelected in 1998. He died on July 18, 2000.
