George E. Miles, a proud 1960 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, understood the value of higher education.

Photo: From left, Jessica Hales, director of development and executive director of the foundation, and Dr. Ray Hoy, president, both of Wor-Wic Community College, meet with Peyton U. Bender and Rand Underwood, George E. Miles’ niece and nephew, to accept a $2.32 million donation for a scholarship fund.

The late George E. Miles.

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 $2.32 million for Wor-Wic Community College and $3.3 million each for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Salisbury University (SU).

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. He passed away at his home in Salisbury in 2018.

“Wor-Wic is proud to establish the George E. Miles endowed scholarship fund with this transformative gift,” said Dr. Ray Hoy, president of Wor-Wic. “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.”

Members of Miles’ family said they hoped his donations will inspire others to support higher education on the Eastern Shore.

“We are grateful Mr. George E. Miles remembered the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in his estate plans,” said Dr. Heidi Anderson, UMES president. “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.”

“According to Mr. Miles’ family, his education and career were points of pride throughout his life,” said Dr. Charles Wight, president of SU. “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.”

Visit https://www.worwic.edu/Pay-For-College to find out more about scholarship opportunities at Wor-Wic