[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING LARRY H. MILLER

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I wish to speak of one of Utah's most 
outstanding citizens, Larry H. Miller, who passed away recently.
  Larry Miller is a true American success story. He graduated from high 
school. He wasn't able to cut it in college and ended up working in a 
parts department in an auto dealership. Not a very auspicious beginning 
for someone who became a billionaire, but Larry Miller had two things 
that many people do not have. No. 1, he had in effect a photographic 
memory. I understand that if you went to Larry Miller while he was 
running this parts department and asked for an axle or for a head lamp 
or for any other auto part, he knew exactly where it was. Somehow he 
had that in his head and he made a tremendous success out of that. He 
ultimately began his career by buying an auto dealership and then built 
a string of 40 auto dealerships.
  The other thing he had was an incredible work ethic. Larry Miller 
worked hard every day and demanded that kind of performance from those 
who worked with him.
  He is best known in Utah for the fact that he was the minority owner 
of the Utah Jazz, the NBA's least successful team financially. The Jazz 
reached the point where they had to be sold because they couldn't 
survive anymore. They were losing money at every turn. The majority 
partner made a deal whereby the franchise would be sold to someone 
outside of the State. As minority partner, Larry Miller was required to 
sign the deal. He picked up the pen to sign the deal and then he 
couldn't bring himself to sign it, and he turned to the majority 
partner and said, Sam, I can't do it. So he bought the majority partner 
out, kept the Jazz in Utah, and then he presided over the revival of 
the Jazz. They won more games. They have been in the playoffs more than 
most people. They have been to the national finals twice and the only 
reason they haven't won an NBA national championship is because the 
Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan at the time. Against any other team or 
any other star, the Jazz would have won the NBA championship. I 
remember the last failed game very well, and the shot Jordan put up 
that won the game that was fantastic, but that was Jordan's legacy.
  Larry Miller is known for all of these things, but that is not how I 
wish to remember him before the Senate here today, because this man, 
who was a philanthropist and gave his money to community colleges to 
help people who were more like him in terms of their academic needs, 
became in his later years a history buff. He fell in love with the 
Founding Fathers. I remember talking to Larry Miller about John Adams, 
about Thomas Jefferson, and recommending a book to him. He had just 
read McCullough's book on John Adams and I said, Have you read Joseph 
Ellis's book, ``Founding Brothers''? He said, no. I said, I will send 
it to you. I got caught up in all of my difficulties and all of my 
distractions and realized I had failed to keep my word. So finally, 
with some embarrassment, I got hold of Larry and said, I apologize I 
have not sent you a copy of ``Founding Brothers.'' He said, that is all 
right, Senator. I went out and bought one on my own. He followed 
through where I didn't.
  He fell in love with this country, not as an entrepreneur, although 
he did that way; not as someone who had been very successful and 
blessed by this country, although he did that way; but toward the end 
of his life he fell in love with this country as one who studied its 
history and understood its underpinnings. He was generous. He was 
inventive. He was tenacious. The people of Utah have been more than 
blessed by the fact that he chose Utah as his home. We miss him 
terribly and extend our deepest sympathies to his family.

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