Miller, Zell Bryan (1932-2018), a Georgia Democrat, was a member of the United States Senate from 2000 to 2005. Miller also served as the governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999.
In the Senate, Miller was known as a conservative. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, he worked to improve conditions for Georgia farmers. He also focused on such matters as banking issues and veterans’ affairs. In 2004, Miller—though a Democrat—campaigned for President George W. Bush, a Republican. Miller helped Bush win reelection as president.
Miller was born on Feb. 24, 1932, in Young Harris, Georgia. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953 to 1956. He then attended the University of Georgia, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1957 and a master’s degree in 1958. From 1959 to 1964, Miller taught history and political science at several colleges. From 1961 to 1964, he served as a member of the Georgia Senate. He was elected lieutenant governor of the state in 1974 and held that post until 1991.
In 1990, Miller was elected governor of Georgia. He took office in 1991. As governor, Miller won popularity for establishing the state’s lottery, which provided funding for college scholarships and for preschool programs. He was reelected as governor in 1994, but term limits prevented him from seeking a third term in 1998. After his second term as governor, Miller returned to college teaching and served on the boards of several corporations.
In 2000, Miller was appointed to temporarily fill the Senate seat of Georgia Republican Paul D. Coverdell, who died in office. In November 2000, Miller won a special election to fill the remaining four years of Coverdell’s term. Miller did not seek reelection, and he retired from office when the term ended in January 2005.
Miller wrote several books, including They Heard Georgia Singing (1984; rev. ed., 1996), a guide to the state’s musical history, and Corps Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned in the Marines (1997), a collection of essays. In his book A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat (2003), Miller criticized the Democratic Party.
Miller died on March 23, 2018.
