The late President John Evans Atta Mills was born on July 21, 1944 at Tarkwa in the Western Region and launched his academic career at the Achimota Secondary School where he obtained the Advanced Level Certificate in 1963.
He attended University of Ghana, Legon where he received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in Law in 1967.
While earning the Ph.D. in Oriental and African Studies from the University of London, the late President was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford Law School, USA.
His first formal teaching assignment was as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana, Legon.
He spent more than 25 years in the lecture hall and rose from the position of lecturer to a senior lecturer and to associate professor.
Late President Mills� contribution to the University was remarkable, having served on numerous boards, committees and schemes.
Also during those 25 years, he travelled as a visiting lecturer and professor to the Temple University USA, and Leiden University, Holland, and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences throughout the world.
He has more than one dozen publications to his credit, including:
Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974)
Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977)
Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1, 2 & 3, (1977) and
Ghana's Income Tax laws and the Investor. An inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana.
His expertise goes well beyond the classroom, and is evidenced by the various examiner positions he held with finance related institutions throughout Ghana such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Bankers and Ghana Tax Review Commission.
As an advocate for recreation, he supported the community through groups such as the Ghana Hockey Association, National Sports Council of Ghana, Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club.
The following are a few of his activities and projects:
� Member of the Ghana Stock Exchange Council
� Board of Trustees, Mines Trust
� Management Committee of Commonwealth Administration of Tax Experts
� United Nations Ad Hoc Group of Experts in International Cooperation in Tax Matters
� United Nations Law and Population Project
� Study on Equipment Leasing in Ghana
� Casebook preparation on Ghana's Income Tax
� Review of Ghana's Double Tax Agreement with the U.K
The late President Mills had a track record of financial knowledge and strong professional credentials that led to his several important appointments.
In 1988, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills became the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service of Ghana and named Commissioner in September 1996 and in 1997, he received another important appointment.
On January 7, 1997, he was sworn in as the Vice President.
He is survived by his wife Ernestina Naadu, an educationist, and a son, Samuel Kofi Atta Mills
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