George E. Miles, a proud 1960 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, understood the value of higher education.
Now, his legacy will live on through students on the lower Eastern Shore, thanks to recent gifts from his estate to local colleges and universities, including approximately $3.3 million each to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University, and $2.32 million to Wor-Wic Community College.
Each gift will benefit students through scholarships and financial aid.
Born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Miles spent most of his adult life in the Salisbury area. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, he took a job at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
There, he worked on projects that included sounding rockets, which conduct brief flights into space ranging from 30 miles to more than 800 miles above the earth.
“We are grateful Mr. George E. Miles remembered the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in his estate plans,” said UMES President Heidi M. Anderson. “This is all the more fitting, given his work at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and the strong relationship UMES has with Wallops with respect to our engineering and aviation science programs. Mr. Miles’ legacy will live on in meaningful ways for many years to come.”
Miles’ gift to UMES is the second largest from an individual philanthropist in the university’s 135-year history.
“According to Mr. Miles’ family, his education and career were points of pride throughout his life,” Salisbury University President Charles Wight said. “This generous gift from his estate will afford similar educational and career opportunities to countless SU students in the form of scholarships and financial aid. We are grateful for his posthumous support and that of his family.”
Members of Miles’ family said they hoped his donations will inspire others to support higher education on the Eastern Shore.
“Wor-Wic is proud to establish the George E. Miles endowed scholarship fund with this transformative gift,” Wor-Wic President Ray Hoy said. “Income from the endowment will be used to bring life-changing education in the form of scholarships that will enhance the learning experience and opportunities for students on the lower Eastern Shore.”
George Ernest Miles died March 7, 2018 at his home in Salisbury. He was 79.
