Representative Charles Thomas McMillen

Charles Thomas McMillen (born May 26, 1952, in Elmira, New York) is an American politician, businessman, and former professional basketball player who served as a Democratic Representative from Maryland in the United States Congress from 1987 to 1993. Widely known as Tom McMillen, he is also a Rhodes Scholar and author, and is believed to be the tallest-ever member of Congress, standing 6 feet 11 inches tall.

McMillen grew up in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, where he emerged as one of the nation’s most highly regarded young basketball players. In 1970, he was rated the number one high school basketball player in the country coming out of Mansfield and became one of the most sought-after recruits in college basketball. His decision to attend the University of Maryland was considered a major early recruiting victory for coach Lefty Driesell, who secured McMillen’s commitment over prominent rivals Dean Smith of the University of North Carolina and John Wooden of the University of California, Los Angeles.

At the University of Maryland, McMillen played basketball for the Terrapins from 1971 to 1974 while pursuing academic studies in the sciences. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Maryland in 1974, in what is now the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. During his collegiate years, he also gained international experience as a member of the 1972 United States Olympic basketball team, which lost a controversial gold medal game to the Soviet Union at the Munich Games. His academic excellence led to his selection as a Rhodes Scholar, and after graduating from Maryland he attended University College, Oxford, in England.

McMillen’s professional basketball career began in 1974, when he was drafted in the first round of both major professional leagues: ninth overall in the first round of the 1974 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves and in the first round of the 1974 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires. He signed with the Braves but postponed his entry into the National Basketball Association in order to take up his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford. While at Oxford, he played for the Oxford University basketball team and commuted to Bologna, Italy, to play professionally for Virtus Bologna. After completing his studies, he embarked on an eleven-year NBA career. Over the course of that career, he played for the Buffalo Braves, the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Washington Bullets, retiring from professional basketball in 1986 to pursue a career in politics and public service.

McMillen was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Maryland’s 4th congressional district in 1986 and took office on January 3, 1987. He served three consecutive terms, remaining in office until January 3, 1993. His tenure in Congress coincided with a significant period in American history marked by the final years of the Cold War and the beginning of the post–Cold War era. As a member of the House of Representatives, McMillen participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents in the 4th district, which included portions of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Future President Donald Trump contributed to McMillen’s first congressional campaign, an early intersection between McMillen and a later national political figure. Throughout his service, he was noted for bringing his background in athletics and education to bear on policy discussions, particularly in areas touching on sports, ethics, and youth.

In 1992, McMillen’s political fortunes were affected by redistricting. Maryland’s 4th congressional district was redrawn as a black-majority district pursuant to a mandate from the U.S. Department of Justice. McMillen’s home in Crofton, Maryland, was shifted into the Eastern Shore–based 1st congressional district, represented at the time by first-term Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. McMillen chose to run in the 1st district, and although he performed strongly in the more urbanized areas near Baltimore and Washington, D.C., he was unable to overcome Gilchrest’s advantage on the Eastern Shore and lost his bid for reelection. His departure from Congress in January 1993 ended six years of legislative service. During and after his time in office, McMillen’s unusual height drew notice; at 6 feet 11 inches, he has been widely regarded as the tallest person ever to serve in Congress, in contrast to fellow Marylander Senator Barbara Mikulski, who is believed to be among the shortest.

Following his congressional service, McMillen remained active in public affairs, business, and issues related to sports and ethics. He authored the book “Out of Bounds,” a critical examination of the unhealthy influence of sports on ethics and public life. President Bill Clinton appointed him chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a position in which he worked to promote physical activity and health nationwide. He resigned from that post in November 1997 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided a separate healthcare business he was operating; no prosecution was ever brought in connection with that investigation. On March 22, 2011, McMillen was appointed chairman of the inaugural Board of Directors of the President’s Foundation on Sports, Physical Fitness, and Nutrition (later known as the National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition), further cementing his role as a national advocate for physical fitness and youth sports.

McMillen also played a significant role in higher education governance and intercollegiate athletics reform. He served on the Knight Foundation’s Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, which examined abuses and systemic problems within college sports and recommended reforms to strengthen academic integrity and oversight. In 2007, he was appointed to the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland, where he served until June 30, 2015. In a notable historical symmetry, he was succeeded on the board by Robert R. Neall, the Republican politician whom McMillen had defeated in his initial 1986 congressional race. In March 2023, McMillen was again appointed to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, this time succeeding Gary L. Attman. In September 2015, he was selected to lead the Division I-A Athletic Directors’ Association as it relocated from Dallas to Washington, D.C. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the renamed Lead1 Association, he has continued to advocate on behalf of athletic directors at Football Bowl Subdivision universities, focusing on governance, student-athlete welfare, and the evolving landscape of college sports.

In his personal life, McMillen married Dr. Judith Niemyer, and the couple has resided in Fauquier County, Virginia, since 2010. His public profile has occasionally intersected with broader media narratives involving other prominent figures. In 1992, he attended an NFL-related party hosted by Donald Trump, arriving with his girlfriend at the same time as financier Jeffrey Epstein, an encounter captured by NBC cameras. McMillen was filmed briefly speaking with Ghislaine Maxwell; in 2025 he stated that he had merely been greeting people as he walked through the event. His name later appeared in flight logs associated with Epstein for a date two months after the party, but McMillen has said those logs are false. In a statement to the program “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” he said he did not have a close relationship with Epstein and would not have considered him a friend. An email later released by Congress showed Gwendolyn Beck reaching out to Epstein and claiming that McMillen wished to be reintroduced to him to help raise funds in pursuit of a possible ambassadorship from the Obama administration; McMillen has said he does not recall making such a request, that he would not have invoked Epstein’s name, and that he was not seeking an ambassadorship, noting his support for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Throughout his varied career in sports, politics, and public service, McMillen has remained engaged in issues at the intersection of athletics, ethics, and public policy.