Paul Douglas Coverdell (January 20, 1939 – July 18, 2000) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 1993 until his death in 2000.

A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the director of the Peace Corps from 1989 to 1991 under President George H. W. Bush.

[4] Coverdell was unsuccessful in his first attempt to win election to the state senate in 1968 but he ran again and won in 1970[4] representing north Fulton County.

"[1] During Coverdell's time as minority leader he worked for pension reform, supported DUI legislation, and raising the legal drinking age in Georgia.

[7] Coverdell found Bush's address in a phone book, went to his home, knocked on the door and introduced himself to the future president.

[4] Coverdell's primary initiative as Peace Corps Director was the creation of the "World Wise Schools" program.

[4] During the time Coverdell was in office, the World Wise Schools program connected volunteers with 5,000 classrooms in the United States.

[11] In testimony before the International Relations Committee in the House of Representatives on March 18, 1998, Coverdell testified in support of expansion.

"[11] Meanwhile, Coverdell had his eye on the Senate seat held by Wyche Fowler, the man who defeated him in the special election for Congress in 1977.

"[14] In 2001, the Georgia trips issue returned to the news when some senators proposed renaming the Peace Corps building after Coverdell.

[16] Senator Phil Gramm, then chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he was appalled the first time he saw Coverdell speak.

[14] On November 24, Coverdell won the runoff by slightly over 16,000 votes, aided by an endorsement from Hudson, who was no longer in the race;[18][19] he became only the second Republican Georgia sent to the Senate since Reconstruction.

[4] Coverdell was also aided by a memorable ad campaign, highlighted by the "Jingle" television and radio spots featuring a ditty written and sung by senior citizen Margie Lopp.

[22] Coverdell also worked against tax increases, to protect federal lands in national parks, and for humanitarian concerns.

[23] In 1999 before an exploratory committee was formed, Coverdell took on the job of liaison between then Governor George W. Bush's campaign and the Senate.

"[8] On a trip to Georgia for a weekend of speaking engagements and constituency services, Coverdell complained of a severe headache.

[4] More than 50 senators and representatives from both parties joined 900 other mourners at Coverdell's funeral at the Peachtree United Methodist Church in Atlanta.

Texas governor George W. Bush took time from the 2000 presidential campaign to attend the services with his wife Laura.

[1]Coverdell was often described as a quiet, soft-spoken man, but he left profound marks on the governments of both the state of Georgia and the nation in a relatively brief period of time through the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, which are used by millions of Americans to fund college educations for their children, and the establishment of a strong Republican Party in Georgia.

[16] Political columnist David Broder wrote that Coverdell's "name rarely appeared in the headlines, and his face was not seen on magazine covers or the Sunday TV shows" but that he was admired and cherished by his colleagues.

[27][28] He was an esteemed Director of the agency and many programs were rebranded to bear his name in recognition of the work he provided to create them.

The move came under some criticism as, ironically, Paul Coverdell had opposed the funding for the building while he was serving in the Georgia Senate.