MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Johnson (19th)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE CAREER OF FORMER SENATOR BURTON MCMILLAN, THE OLDEST LIVING FORMER MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATOR.

WHEREAS, former Senator Burton McMillan represented Leake County from 1940-1948, served under four Governors, and is thought to be the oldest living former Mississippi legislator; and

WHEREAS, McMillan's Mississippi roots run deep: he was born December 10, 1907, in Attala County, was quite athletic, played football at a junior college in Carthage, Mississippi, (which later became East Central Mississippi Community College), in 1926, he attended Delta State College on a work scholarship, while earning a Master's Degree in History at Mississippi State University, he taught at Leake County Agricultural High School and later taught English at a Choctaw school in Leake County which eventually led to his work at Navajo schools in the west, and now he is back home in Mississippi residing in the State Veterans Nursing Home in Kosciusko, continuing at the age of 92 to keep up with politics; and

WHEREAS, he ran for the Senate in 1939, receiving about 1,700 of the 2,500 votes cast in his district, and joined a group of legislators who resided for $1.00 a day at The Edward House, later to be known as the King Edward Hotel, and were characterized by the newspapers as "the biggest spenders in the history of the state" even though they saved enough money to declare the state debt-free in 1945; and

WHEREAS, McMillan, 37 at the time, was one of the Mississippi legislators who were well beyond draft age but voluntarily joined the Army solely to serve during World War II, serving as an Army clerk for 18 months in northern Europe and returning in time for the 1946 Regular Session; and

WHEREAS, veterans were popular legislators, and McMillan helped push through a controversial bill to build Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, taking advantage in the huge interest in athletics in post-war Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, on his ring finger is his wedding band which is a tribute to his wife of nearly 50 years, the former Evelyn Sanders who died in 1985, and who McMillan met at Delta State; and

WHEREAS, the passing of the 20th Century provides Burton with time for reflection, and he attributes the development of the atomic bomb and man landing on the moon as the top stories of the century; and

WHEREAS, he anxiously awaits the annual Mississippi Senators grand reunion, where he is a favorite of all former Senators and an inspiration to all who attend; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this well-known former Senator who still feels that Mississippi does things better than any other state:

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the career of Senator Burton McMillan, the oldest living former Mississippi legislator, and wish him success in his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Burton McMillan and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.