Zell Miller Papers: Collection Summary

Descriptive Summary
Title: Zell Miller Papers: Collection Summary
Creator: Miller, Zell Bryan, 1932-2018
Inclusive Dates: 1926-2016
Bulk Dates: 1988-2005
Language(s): English
Extent: 512 box(es) (350.75 linear feet)
Collection Number: RBRL213ZM
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
Abstract: Zell Miller served as Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (1975-1991), Georgia Governor (1991-1999), and U.S. Senator (2000-2005). His papers document all areas of his career, particularly as governor and senator, and include campaign files, constituent  correspondence, legislative files, press files, photographs, and audiovisual materials.

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Collection Description

Biographical Note

Zell Bryan Miller was born on February 24, 1932 to Stephen Grady Miller, Dean of Young Harris College and former state senator (40th district, 1926-1928), and Birdie Bryan Miller, an art teacher at the same institution. Seventeen days after his son's birth, Stephen Miller passed away. Birdie Miller and their two children, Jane and Zell, remained in Young Harris until the onset of World War II, when they moved to Atlanta so that Mrs. Miller could work at the Bell Bomber plant making buckles for gas masks in support of the war effort. While there, Miller attended Williams Street Elementary School and Luckie Street Elementary School and developed a life-long love of baseball.

At the end of the war, the Miller family moved back to Young Harris and Miller continued his education at Young Harris Academy, graduating in 1949. He continued on to Young Harris Junior College and graduated in 1951. During that time he met Shirley Ann Carver of Cherokee County, North Carolina, who was attending college in preparation for law school; they were married on January 15, 1954. Miller joined the United States Marine Corps in 1953 and spent three years in service. After basic training, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, serving in an artillery regiment and writing for the base newspaper, The Globe, and editing the regimental newspaper, The Cannoneer. He received the Good Conduct Medal and the Expert Rifleman's Medal and left the Marine Corps with the rank of sergeant.

After receiving an honorable discharge in 1956, Miller entered the University of Georgia and was awarded a bachelor's (1957) and master's (1958) degree in history. During his time in Athens he held a variety of jobs, including tutor for members of the football team and cook at Allen's Hamburgers. After graduation he accepted a position teaching history and political science at Young Harris College and also served as faculty advisor for the Enotah Echoes and coached the baseball team.

Echoing his parents' civic involvement, Miller became active in local politics and was elected as Mayor of Young Harris in 1958. He won a seat in the state senate representing the 40th district (Towns, Union, and Rabun counties) in 1960 after making an agreement with college administrators that he could take off winter quarter to serve in the Capitol if he taught extra classes during the other quarters. During the 1961 and 1962 sessions, Miller served on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the County and Municipal Government Committee, and as secretary of the Educational Matters Committee.

In 1962, the county-unit system of voting in Georgia was abolished due to the judicial panel ruling of the Gray vs. Sanders lawsuit. The area that fell under Miller's representation changed from three counties to sections of eight (Towns, Union, Rabun, White, Habersham, Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens counties). He won his seat again and was able to enter the session with seniority that might not have been afforded him had redistricting not taken place. His committee appointments in 1963 and 1964 were the Appropriations Committee, Educational Matters Committee, Rules Committee, and he acted as Chair of the Health and Welfare Committee.

Miller opted to run for the U.S. House of Representatives against Phil Landrum in the 1964 Democratic Primary to represent the ninth district. He lost by 5,176 votes according to the Georgia Statistical Register but carried Banks, Barrow, Cherokee, Fannin, Forsythe, Gwinnett and Towns counties. The same year he served on the State Board for Children and Youth but resigned in 1965 to be the Director of the State Board of Probation. He ran against Landrum again in 1966 for the same congressional seat but lost the primary by a wider margin than two years earlier.

Miller spent 1967 and 1968 serving as a personnel officer on the State Board of Corrections then becoming the assistant director until January 22, 1970. In 1969, Governor Lester Maddox appointed him to be his executive secretary after former Executive Secretary Tommy Irvin was named State Commissioner of Agriculture. Miller was concurrently selected to be the State Commissioner of Conservation, a post he held until 1970. He continued to work with Maddox through June of 1971, when he was named Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, a position he held until 1973. Miller represented the state of Georgia as a delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami. In April 1973, he took a position on the Board of Pardons and Parole.

On December 31, 1973, Miller tendered his resignation to the Board in order to run for the office of Lieutenant Governor. Together, he and Shirley Miller spent 1974 campaigning around the state against nine other candidates including Max Cleland and J. B. Stoner. The Democratic Primary in August resulted in a run-off between Miller and Mary Hitt on September 3, 1974 in which he received 60.82% of the vote. In November he ran against Republican John Savage and won by almost 300,000 votes.

Zell Miller's tenure as lieutenant governor lasted for sixteen years and was the longest term of any lieutenant governor in the state of Georgia's history. His successive terms of service in that position were also a first in the history of the office since its establishment in 1946. Miller's time in office was notably marked by his relationship with Thomas "Tom" Murphy, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1973 to 2002. Their positions as leaders of the state senate and house, respectively, put them publicly at odds on numerous issues. Although both were Democrats, their personal leanings within the party also added to their differences as Miller was widely considered more progressive than Murphy.

During his time in office, Miller worked on such projects and initiatives as opening previously closed senate committee meetings to the press and public, supporting the ratification of ERA, campaign finance reform, hand gun legislation, tax reform, welfare increase, and state-wide kindergarten programs. He and other top state officials began engaging in trade missions to countries such as Germany and Japan to generate interest in capital investments in the state.

Miller's love of country music was well-known and proven by his repeated use of country music lyrics in his speeches as well as his use of music to support his campaigns, beginning with Whispering Bill Anderson in 1964. The annual Zell Miller Birthday Party, which began in 1968 as a small gathering featuring friends who were musicians, rose to its height in 1978 as a campaign fundraiser when Miller was running for his second term as lieutenant governor. He was a major supporter of a tape and record anti-piracy bill (sponsored by Representative Al Burns), which was signed into law by Governor George Busbee in 1975, and one of the biggest advocates for establishing the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

In 1980, Senator Herman Talmadge was up for reelection and Miller opted to run against him. Although he made it through the Democratic Primary and forced a run-off with Talmadge, their negative campaigns and a series of bitter debates cost Miller the party nomination and Talmadge the election (which he lost to Republican Mack Mattingly). In 1988, Miller decided to run for governor in the 1990 election. He assembled a campaign staff including Paul Begala, James Carville, Jim Andrews, Doug Kelly, Keith Mason, and Steve Wrigley. In the primary, Miller defeated Andrew Young and then Johnny Isakson in the general election. His chosen platform and the most important reform of his administration was the adoption of the state lottery. By law all lottery revenue had to be spent on education, and Miller directed the bulk of it to the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship for students who had earned at least a B average and to improve technology in the schools and colleges.

In addition to the lottery, Miller gained approval for an ethics bill that required lobbyists to report what they spend trying to influence legislation and set new limits on campaign financing, an anti-crime package, welfare reform, and "boot camp" prisons for non-violent criminals, mountain protection legislation and congressional reapportionment. He drew the ire of many Georgians for calling for a change in the state flag, which had flown since 1956, but was unsuccessful in his attempt.

In 1994, Miller defeated Guy Millner in the general election and was elected to a second term as governor. One of the major hallmarks of his second term was the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, which were held in Atlanta. His other achievements included abolishing sales tax for groceries, raising the salaries of teachers, and advocating the Preservation 2000 and RiverCare 2000 programs, which promoted state acquisition of undeveloped land and waterways for conservation and public access purposes.

Miller's involvement with the Democratic National Party reached its zenith in the 1990s. His friendship with Arkansas Governor and later President Bill Clinton placed him in a position to influence the party. Miller introduced his 1990 campaign advisor James Carville to Clinton and also gave the keynote at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. He was also active in drafting the party platform in 1996.

Upon leaving the Governor's Mansion in January of 1999, Miller accepted adjunct teaching positions at the University of Georgia, Emory University, and Young Harris College. In June of 2000, Republican United States Senator Paul Coverdell died and Governor Roy Barnes appointed Miller to the vacant seat in July. He won a special election in November of 2000 to remain in Washington, D.C. and finish Coverdell's original term, promising to fulfill the late senator's conservative objectives. It is widely noted that Miller did this in his service in the Senate through his increased support of the Republican Party, which culminated in his keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention in support of President George W. Bush. He also authored two books critiquing the Democratic Party, A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat (2004) and A Deficit of Decency (2005).

Miller authored several other books outside of his political career. They include: The Mountains Within Me (1975), Great Georgians (1983), They Heard Georgia Singing (1985), Corps Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned In the Marines (1997), Listen to This Voice: Selected Speeches of Governor Zell Miller (1999), The Miracle of Brasstown Valley (2007), and Purt Nigh Gone: The Old Mountain Ways (2009).

Miller passed away on March 23, 2018 at his home in Young Harris, GA from complications of Parkinson's Disease.

Scope and Content

Zell Miller's papers document his entire political career, especially his service as Georgia Governor (1991-1999) and U.S. Senator (2000-2005). The papers include campaign files, constituent  correspondence, legislative files, press files, photographs, and audiovisual materials. Common subjects include appropriations, healthcare, the military, national security, and taxes.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection is organzed into 9 series: I. Personal, II. Early Political, III. Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, IV. Governor of Georgia, V. United States Senator, Series VI. Photographs, Series VII. Artifacts, Series VIII. Publications, and Series IX. Audiovisual Material.

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Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use with the following exceptions:

Voter Research files are restricted for 20 years from the date of creation.

Candidate Opposition files on rival candidates for public office are restricted for 20 years from the date of creation.

Financial information containing account numbers is restricted for 75 years from the date of creation.

A box that includes restrictions will be open for research use after the restrictions have expired for all folders in that box.

Series IV. Governor, Series V. United States Senator, and Series VI. Photographs contain electronic files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use.

Preferred citation

Zell Miller Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Processing Information

Clippings and thermofax papers have been copied onto bond paper for protection of content. Photographs, artifacts, oversized items, and audiovisual materials have been separated for preservation. Scrapbooks have been microfilmed.

Copyright Information

Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

User Restrictions

Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding Aid prepared by Adriane Hanson, 2015.

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Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Related Collections in this Repository

Birdie Bryan Miller Papers

Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Series

Keith Mason Papers

William H. (Bill) Burson Scrapbooks

Clifford (Baldy) Baldowski Editorial Cartoons

Thomas Gresham Collection of Lester Maddox Speeches

Bill Shipp Papers

Clifford H. Brewton Collection of Lester Maddox Speech/Press Records

Democratic Party of Georgia Papers

Ed Jenkins Papers

George Busbee Collection

T. Rogers Wade Collection of Herman E. Talmadge Materials

Joe Frank Harris Papers

Richard Hyatt Research Files

Related Collections in Other Repositories

Lester Maddox Photographs, Atlanta History Center

Georgia Lieutenant Governor's Office, Zell Miller, Georgia Archives

Georgia Office of the Governor, Zell Miller, Georgia Archives

Thomas B. Murphy Collection, University of West Georgia

Joseph Elvin Duncan Papers, University of West Georgia

Georgia Government Documentation Project, Georgia State University

Zell Miller Commercials, Political Commercial Archive, University of Oklahoma

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Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

Series I. Personal, 1941-1959

1 box(es) (0.25 linear feet)

The personal series consists of items belonging to Miller prior to his political career. Items include newspaper articles that he wrote as a teenager in Young Harris as well as while he was in the Marine Corps. Miller's diplomas from the University of Georgia are also in this series.

Personal files are in original order.

This series is open for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

 

Series II. Early Political, 1961-1980

5 box(es) (2.5 linear feet)

Series II. Early Political documents Miller's early career in state politics, beginning in 1960 when he was elected to the state senate (a position that he held through 1964) and continuing through his positions on the Board of Corrections (1966-1967), as Executive Secretary for Governor Lester Maddox (1969-1971), as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia (1971-1973), and on the Board Pardons and Paroles (1973) before resigning to run for Lieutenant Governor in 1974. Materials include three scrapbooks of clippings documenting his positions, clippings, a senate resolution about the Board of Regents, and campaign memorabilia. The series also contains information regarding Miller's campaigns during this time frame, including his two bids in 1964 and 1966 against U.S. Representative Phil Landrum, as well as his 1980 bid for U.S. Senate against incumbent Herman Talmadge. Files for his early campaigns include flyers and promotional material. The 1980 campaign files include promotional material, subject research, opposition research based primarily on Talmadge, and demographic research.

Series II. Early Political is organized by position held.

This series is open for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

 

Series III. Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, 1974-1990

18 box(es) (3 linear feet)

Series III. Lieutenant Governor documents Miller's service as Georgia's longest serving Lieutenant Governor, including promotional material from campaigns, speeches, clippings, correspondence, news releases, memoranda, political cartoons and scrapbooks. Campaign files include information about fundraising events as well as the campaign handbook for the 1978 race, clippings, and promotional materials, including the Miller Messenger newspaper and the Zellmobile. General Files include clippings and magazine articles as well as personal files involving trade missions to China and Greece in 1986 and research on courthouses around the state of Georgia. There are also personal notes and correspondence as well as copies of memoranda from the office of lieutenant governor and speeches made while Miller was in office. Six original political cartoons with personalized inscriptions by Clifford Baldowski of the Atlanta Journal Constitution are located in this series as are seventeen scrapbooks of clippings dating from 1975 to 1989. The Messer Files are those of Shirley Miller's executive assistant, Beverly Messer. They contain correspondence and news releases from Mrs. Miller's office as well as speeches that she gave and information regarding events she attended.

Series III. Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is organized into the following subseries: A. Campaign, B. General Files, and C. Messer Files.

This series is open for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

Subseries A. Campaign , 1974-1982 ( 41 folder(s) )

Campaign files include information about fundraising events as well as the campaign handbook for the 1978 race, clippings, and promotional materials, including the Miller Messenger newspaper and the Zellmobile.

Subseries B. General Files , 1974-1990 ( 61 folder(s) )

Material includes clippings and magazine articles as well as personal files involving trade missions to China and Greece in 1986 and research on courthouses around the state of Georgia. There are also personal notes and correspondence as well as copies of memoranda from the office of lieutenant governor and speeches made while Miller was in office. Six original political cartoons with personalized inscriptions by Clifford Baldowski of the Atlanta Journal Constitution are located in this series as are seventeen scrapbooks of clippings dating from 1975 to 1989.

Subseries C. Messer Files , 1978-1990 ( 17 folder(s) )

The Messer Files are those of Shirley Miller's executive assistant, Beverly Messer. They contain correspondence and news releases from Mrs. Miller's office as well as speeches that she gave and information regarding events she attended.

 

Series IV. Governor of Georgia, 1961-2000 (1988-2000)

267 box(es) (135 linear feet, 11.5 megabytes)

Series IV. Governor of Georgia documents Miller's service as Georgia Governor from 1991 to 1999. The majority of the series is composed of campaign materials, press and speech materials, and staff files.

This series is organized into 5 subseries: A. Campaign, B. Press, C. Executive Assistants, D. Trade Missions, and E. Personal Political Files.

This series is open for research use with the following exceptions:

Subseries A. Campaign, Subseries C. Executive Assistants, and Subseries E. Personal Political Files contain Voter Research files and Candidate Opposition files, which are restricted for 20 years from the date of creation.

Subseries B. Press and Subseries E. Personal Political Files contain electronic files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use.

Subseries A. Campaign , 1988-1995 ( 58 box(es) )

Campaign files are divided into four sections: general files, voter surveys, chronologies, and clippings. Material includes opposition files, voter surveys, lists of contributors, debate research, memoranda, travel schedules, press releases, and chronologies, which are condensed compilations of clippings that document issues and events of which Miller was a part. Issue files include budget, crime, the lottery, the state flag, education and the environment. Files were generated by Miller's campaign staff included Steve Wrigley, Keith Mason, Doug Kelly, Jim Andrews, Paul Begala, and campaign manager James Carville.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this subseries, visit the finding aid for this subseries.

Subseries B. Press , 1990-1998 ( 77 box(es) )

Press files are divided into four sections: Press Releases, Press Logs, Speeches, and Clippings. The clippings were generated by a clipping service and are organized by year. The speeches in the series are copies of all of Miller's gubernatorial speeches, many of which were written by speechwriter Sarah Eby-Ebersole.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this subseries, visit the finding aid for this subseries.

Subseries C. Executive Assistants , 1961-1999 ( 98 box(es) )

The executive assistant files are organized into Keith Mason files, Steve Wrigley files, and Beverly Messer files. Keith Mason served as Miller's Executive Secretary from January 1991 to July 1993 and Deputy Campaign Manager for the 1990 gubernatorial campaign. He also worked on Miller's earlier campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s and his files document these events.

Steve Wrigley worked as Miller's Executive Assistant in 1988 and continued on as a member of his campaign staff during the 1990 election. He then became Senior Executive Assistant in Miller's administration and was promoted to Executive Secretary when Mason resigned in 1993, remaining in that position until the end of Miller's second term in 1998. Wrigley also acted as Chief of Staff to Miller's second gubernatorial campaign in 1994. Wrigley's files are very similar to Miller's executive files in Series IV, sub-series E (Personal Political Files) as both are a mix of subject research, correspondence, and clippings. Wrigley's files contain a great deal of information generated by the 1994 campaign, including voter surveys and opposition files, both of which are currently restricted. Beverly Messer first served as Shirley Miller's executive assistant when Zell Miller served as Lieutenant Governor. Messer moved with Miller to the Governor's Mansion and her files document their work on literacy, promoting GEDs, and breast cancer awareness as well as speeches and public appearances Shirley Miller made.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this subseries, visit the finding aid for this subseries.

Subseries D. Trade Missions , 1991-1998 ( 6 box(es) )

Miller engaged in marketing missions around the world as governor. He, Shirley Miller, and their staff visited the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Israel, South Korea, Argentina and South Africa. Materials include itineraries, executive briefings, and tourism information. The many photographs taken during these trade missions have been separated for preservation purposes and may be found in Series VI.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this subseries, visit the finding aid for this subseries.

Subseries E. Personal Political Files , 1989-2000 ( 28 box(es) )

Personal political files are organized into six sections: correspondence, National Governor's Association (NGA), entertainment, mansion events, Clinton, and executive files. Materials in this series include personal correspondence, files documenting Zell and Shirley Miller's involvement in the NGA and entertainment at gubernatorial events. Files chronicling events at the Governor's mansion from 1991 to 1997 are included as well as material on the Clinton/Gore Democratic Presidential campaign in 1992 and 1996. Miller's personal executive files are also in this series and are similar to those of Steve Wrigley, who was his Executive Assistant from 1993 through 1998. These files are a mix of subject research, clippings, schedules, and copies of executive orders and reflect Miller's gubernatorial work on such issues as the HOPE scholarship, the creation of the lottery, the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996, and environmental issues. Material also includes Miller's work on the Democratic National Party Platform Committee.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this subseries, visit the finding aid for this subseries.

 

Series V. United States Senator, 1928-2016 (2000-2005)

141 box(es) (140 linear feet, 3 gigabytes)

Series V. United States Senator documents Miller's service as a U.S. Senator for Georgia from 2000 to 2005. The series includes his correspondence with constituents , committee and legislation files, and press files. Of note are materials related to healthcare, the military, the Iraq war and to Miller's support of President George W. Bush despite being a Democrat.

This series is organized into 5 subseries: A. Constituent  Mail, B. Legislative, C. Press, D. Political and Personal, E. Office.

This series is open for research use with the following exceptions:

Subseries D. Political and Personal contains Voter Research files and Candidate Opposition files, which are restricted for 20 years from the date of creation.

Each subseries contains electronic files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use.

Some files in Subseries A. Constituent  Mail must be reviewed for case mail, academies, and recommendations prior to research use. Please request these files 3 business days prior to your research visit to allow time for this review.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

Subseries A. Constituent  Mail , 1997-2005 ( 41 box(es) (41 linear feet, 1.3 gigabytes) )

Subseries A. contains correspondence between Zell Miller and his constituents  about the wide variety of issues that concerned them. Some frequent subjects include agriculture, abortion, banking and finance, the budget, the environment, human cloning, same sex marriage, the war in Iraq, John Ashcroft's nomination as attorney general, opposition to taxes, and opposition to the patients' bill of rights. The correspondence includes paper letters, emails, and Miller's constituent  mail database. The subseries also contains information about projects, grants, and appropriations requests from Miller's district, daily call logs that list what constituents  called about each day.

Subseries B. Legislative , 1944-2007 (2000-2005) ( 78 box(es) (77.25 linear feet, 230 megabytes) )

Subseries B. Legislative contains files related to Miller's committee service, correspondence with colleagues about legislation, files on appropriations requests for each fiscal year, and subject files about upcoming legislation and areas of interest. Common subjects include agriculture, defense and veterans' affairs, energy and the environment, healthcare, and transportation.

Subseries C. Press , 1940-2012 (2000-2005) ( 10 box(es) (10 linear feet, 770 megabytes) )

Subseries C. Press is composed of newspaper clippings about Miller's Senate career, as well as copies of Miller's press releases, speeches and floor statements, opinion pieces, newsletters, and website. The subseries documents his viewpoints on a wide variety of issues, including agriculture, appropriations and the government's budget, education, healthcare, the justice system, the military, national security, and taxes.

Subseries D. Political and Personal , 1928-2012 (2000-2010) ( 11 box(es) (10.25 linear feet, 55 megabytes) )

Subseries D. Political and Personal includes Miller's daily schedules with supporting documents about the events he was attending, routine correspondence with constituents  and acquaintances, materials about his campaigns and involvement with his political party, and Miller's writings about his childhood in Appalachia. Of note are papers related to his support for George W. Bush as president in 2004 despite being a Democrat and notebooks that Miller used to record his thoughts throughout his term in the Senate.

Subseries E. Office , 2000-2004 ( 2 box(es) (1 linear foot, 725 megabytes) )

Subseries E. Office includes office policy manuals, itineraries related to CODEL travel, guest books, and staff files. The staff files, which are entirely digital, include analysis of legislation, constituent  correspondence, and research files. Common subjects include appropriations, healthcare, and the military.

 

Series VI. Photographs, 1926-2009

17 box(es) (8 linear feet, 1.6 gigabytes)

Series VI. Photographs contains a variety of photographs from Miller's career in politics. The majority were generated during his tenure as Lieutenant Governor and Governor and document events in which he took part, including speaking engagements, state dinners, dedications, awards ceremonies, and conventions. Photographs also show Miller at festivals, parades, and fairs around the state as well as at work in his office in the Capitol and in the Senate Chamber. Several shots show Miller posing with groups of people at these events, many of whom are unidentified. Some shots include the governors with whom Miller served, George Busbee and Joe Frank Harris, as well as Miller's Lieutenant Governor, Pierre Howard. Shirley Miller is posed with her husband in many photographs of events. There are also pictures of Miller with famous politicians and country music singers and songwriters. The digital photographs were generated while he was a U.S. senator and show Miller with constituents, at events and speaking on the floor, as well as images of his staff.

Series VI. Photographs is arranged chronologically.

This series is open for research use.

This series contains electronic files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

 

Series VII. Artifacts, 1962-2002

61 box(es) (circa 61 linear feet and 32 oversize items)

The artifacts in the Zell Miller Papers include gifts of state that Miller received as Lieutenant Governor and Governor as well as memorabilia generated by his political campaigns from the early 1960s through the 1990s. Miller's involvement with the Democratic Party of Georgia as well as the Democratic National Party yielded items relating to the 1972, 1992 and 1996 presidential elections including paperweights, buttons, and passes. There is also memorabilia from the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games held in Atlanta, including signage from the events, and items from the previous summer Olympics in Barcelona. Artifacts document Miller's trade missions overseas in the 1980s and 1990s include souvenirs from Israel, Germany, and China. The collection also includes two pairs of custom-made cowboy boots that are decorated with his initials as well as the state seal of Georgia.

This series is open for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

 

Series VIII. Publications, 1996-2009

2 box(es) (1 linear foot)

Series VIII. Publications includes notebooks containing drafts, uncorrected proofs and galleys, correspondence, and clippings relating to five of Miller's books: Corps Values, Deficit of Decency, Listen to This Voice: Selected Speeches of Governor Zell Miller, A National Party No More, and Purt Nigh Gone: The Old Mountain Ways.

Arranged by publication.

This series is open for research use.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.

 

Series IX. Audiovisual Material, 1974-2006

3423 item(s)

Over 3,000 audiovisual materials in the collection include one and two inch video, betacam, VHS, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, mini-cassette tapes, reel-to-reel, and Umatic tape. These formats document inaugurations, public appearances, speeches, debates, interviews, press conferences, campaign commercials, television news mentions, and Miller's appearances on the television shows Lawmakers (on Georgia Public Broadcasting) and The Georgia Gang (on WAGA in Atlanta).

Series IX. Audiovisual Material is organized by format.

Though the series is open for research, reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available on request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings.

To view more detailed information or to request materials from this series, visit the finding aid for this series.