Houston suffered a great loss with the passing of George P. Mitchell, 94, a businessman and philanthropist, on July 26 who greatly impacted the city and whose legacy will be remembered.
George P. Mitchell
Mitchell’s family immigrated from Greece to Galveston Island in 1907. His parents hard work enabled him to attend Texas A&M University and graduate with a degree in petroleum engineering.
After serving in World War II he started his own engineering company, Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation. His company pioneered new technologies in which extract natural gas from shale rock formations and allowed the United States to be less dependent on foreign oil.
Mitchell also led the way in master-planned communities. In the 60s, he acquired and developed 27,000 acres of land, which is now the Woodlands. His vision was to create self-sustaining communities for people to live, work and play. The preservation of trees and wildlife on the land was also a top priority.
Aside from oil and land developing, Mitchell dedicated his life to preserve a city close to his heart — Galveston. Throughout the 40s and 50s, he witnessed numerous historic homes and buildings being torn down and poured millions of dollars into the city to restore those that remained to create today’s historic district.
He spent his life determined to make changes for the better. He has donated millions of dollars to numerous schools and organizations with goals of improving society.
In 2003, Mitchell gave a $20 million donation, the largest grant in UH history, in honor of his late wife Cynthia Woods, creating the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
“His legacy, and that of his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell, lives on through the cutting edge arts programming we offer annually to the UH community and the public, supported by the endowment he established,” said Mitchell Center executive director Karen Farber. “We are continually inspired by his vision and grateful for his generosity.”
Mitchell was also a major contributor to the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, the University’s Tier One Scholars initiative and established the UH’s Distinguished Authors Award.
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