Whereas Zell Bryan Miller (referred to in this preamble as Zell Miller ) was born to Stephen Grady Miller and Birdie Bryan Miller (referred to in this preamble as Birdie Miller ) on February 24, 1932, in Young Harris, Georgia; Whereas Stephen Grady Miller died when Zell Miller was 17 days old; Whereas Birdie Miller, a new mother and widow, raised Zell Miller alone in a home that she built for herself and for Zell Miller with rocks from a nearby stream in Young Harris; Whereas Zell Miller grew up in Young Harris and graduated from Young Harris College in 1951; Whereas Zell Miller served in the Marine Corps from 1953 to 1956 and rose to the rank of sergeant; Whereas Zell Miller credited his success to the discipline that he learned as a Marine and the independence that he learned from Birdie Miller; Whereas, on January 14, 1954, Zell Miller met his wife Shirley Carver, to whom Zell Miller was married for 64 years and with whom Zell Miller had 2 sons; Whereas Zell Miller obtained a master’s degree in history from the University of Georgia in 1958 and returned to Young Harris to begin a long career as an educator; Whereas Zell Miller served as mayor of Young Harris from 1959 to 1960; Whereas Zell Miller served as a Georgia State Senator from 1961 to 1964; Whereas Zell Miller was a member of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles from 1973 to 1975; Whereas Zell Miller served as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Georgia for 16 years, and was the longest-serving lieutenant governor in the history of the State of Georgia; Whereas, on January 14, 1991, Zell Miller was sworn in as the 79 th Governor of the State of Georgia and served the State for 2 4-year terms; Whereas, as Governor of the State of Georgia, Zell Miller— (1) in 1992, created the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally scholarship, known today as the HOPE scholarship, which has enabled more than 1,800,000 students to attend college in the State of Georgia