BLN/Hon. Les Miller Jr. and Hon. Gwen Miller Scholarship
Lesley “Les” Miller, Jr. and Gwendolyn “Gwen” Miller are both natives of Tampa. Both attended the Hillsborough County Public Schools, and graduated from the historically Middleton High School.
Gwen Miller attended Florida A&M University and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was employed by the Hillsborough County Public School System for 37 years.
Gwen was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 5 in 1995 and served in that position for 8 years. In 2003, she was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 1 City-Wide seat becoming the first Black person to be elected to a City-Wide Council seat. She served in the position for 8 years. Gwen served as Chair of the Council for 4 years, becoming the first Black person ever to serve in the position.
Les Miller attended the University of South Florida and earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Florida A&M University.
Les was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 5 in October 1991, but served for 56 days. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1992 and served in that position for 8 years. From 1998-2000, he served as the Democratic Leader becoming the first Black person to serve in the position. In 2000, he was elected to the Florida Senate and served in the position for 6 years. From 2004-2006, he served as the Democratic Leader, becoming the first Black person to serve in the position. He is the first person in the history of Florida to serve as Democratic Leader in both the House and Senate. In 2010, he was elected to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Les and Gwen have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
Scholarship Criteria
Full-time undergraduate students, pursuing an Education major, in the College of Education, on the Tampa campus. This scholarship is renewable up to 8 semesters. Preference for students engaged in the Black Leadership Network that supports African Americans and African American initiatives throughout the USF System and in our community.
Requires personal statement and student resume.
