Born in 1919 to poor Greek immigrants in Galveston, he graduated first in his Texas A&M class in 1940, Created drilling innovation that led to shale revolution, lowering energy prices as well as carbon dioxide emissions, Founded and funded The Woodlands as an experiment in sustainable and accessible living, Helped lead revitalization and historic preservation of Galveston's Strand, Donated millions to Texas A&M, including $30 million for the ground-based Magellan telescope. The township's main backer contributed land, capital and vision. "He knew he could do better. "My grandparents, Cynthia and George Mitchell, had an unflagging dedication and devotion to investing in and supporting the Galveston community throughout their lives," said Katherine Lorenz, chair of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation board. Restaurants. Owned by the George P. Mitchell Family Bald Head Island has seen many important dates in its long and colorful history, but few have had the lasting impact of June 14, 1983, when the George P. Mitchell Family purchased the island's unsold land and made a commitment to responsible and sustainable development. Such rebirth was cause for celebration, so together they reintroduced the long-dormant Mardi Gras festivities to the island. Advanced After the 2008 storm, he spent $24million to renovate three of his hotels on the island. WOODLANDS HISTORY. |, Related topics: The idea was a bit of a stretch, said Kyle Shelton, a program manager at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. 33 of 42 34 of 42 George P. Mitchell, Chairman and CEO of The Mitchell Family Corporation, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, in his downtown Houston office. By far the biggest discovery of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. came in the late 90s, and it stands as a testament to the intellect, optimism, and perseverance of George Mitchell. Genealogy for George P Mitchell (1882 - 1943) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. George P. Mitchell, a 1940 petroleum engineering graduate of Texas A&M University, legendary oil and gas pioneer and real estate developer, and all-time most generous donor in Texas A&M history, has passed away at the age of 94. . | While Mitchell's long and colorful career made him a billionaire, friends and colleagues said he always stayed grounded. George P. Mitchell was raised as a child of meager means who, throughout his life, believed in giving back to the community that made his success possible and lending a hand to the less fortunate struggling to reach their potential.. 2012-2023 Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. Photographed in his office, Tuesday, July 22, 2008, in Houston. "He took a declining, slow area of the Strand and he has made it into a really top-notch property," Jones said. He would buy dilapidated properties, restore them and resell them with covenants ensuring their preservation. Mitchell's funding and vision also boosted his hometown of Galveston. View Subscription Options The idea for The Woodlands came after Mitchell saw the destruction of Los Angeles' Watts neighborhood following race-fueled riots in 1965, said his granddaughter, Katherine Lorenz. Join our email list for updates on island news and events. Husband of Lillie May Mitchell. NGI All News Access. The vast majority of this amount is related to science, environmental sustainability, and sustainability science-related fields, including the foundation's current grant-making programs which focus on sustainability science, clean energy, water, and natural gas sustainability. This donation is the latest in a series supporting science and the physics department in particular. With offices in Austin and The Woodlands, the foundation has eight full-time staff members and operates with professional support donated by the Mitchell Family Corporation. "There's not a lot of companies that would stay with something this long," he said. (He held on to a 5% stake of the company). Though poor, George remembers a modest home over the cleaning business where his generous mother always welcomed an immigrant from Greece looking to gain a foothold in this foreign land. Mitchell's hometown of Galveston also benefited from his efforts and investment. Sign in to get the best natural gas news and data. Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. Mitchell Energy & Development, the company he built and later sold for $3.1 billion, was responsible for more than 200 oil and 350 natural gas discoveries. Consortium Mitchell, Texas oil man, real estate developer, and one of . Amidst the stretch run of the 2022-23 NBA season, the league office and the National Basketball Players Association are nearing a new collective bargaining agreement. "His story was quintessentially American," the family statement said. With the financial liquidity that accompanied the sale of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., George and Cynthia were able to pursue their philanthropic interests at an entirely new level. Sheridan Mitchell-Lorenz, daughter of legendary oil man George Mitchell, at Rosenberg Elementary on Wednesday, May 25, 2005. | Trisha oversees marketing and sales for the property management division. Nonprofit "But before Mitchell was done, he launched what has proved to be the most important innovation in energy so far this century.". C. Grant Mitchell serves as president of the Mitchell Family Corporation, a family-owned investment management company that oversees the financial assets and real estate holdings of George P. Mitchell and the Mitchell family. The son of Greek immigrants, Mitchell was born May 21, 1919, and built and later sold his oil and gas empire, Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., to Devon Energy Corp. for $3.1 billion in 2001 (see Daily GPI, Aug. 15, 2001). George Mitchell stands in front of his new statue during the dedication of the George Mitchell statue at Town Green Park overlooking The Woodlands Waterway. The master plan for the community called for preserving trees, protecting the environment, minimizing flooding and creating a "pleasant"[vague] urban environment. Their work together was "dedicated to making the world a more hospitable and sustainable place," their family said. Sheridan Mitchell Lorenz, right, reaches up to touch the face of the sculpture of her father, The Woodlands founder George P. Mitchell, after it was unveiled at Town Green Park Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, in The Woodlands, Texas. He graduated from Duke University, where he earned the Melcher Award for Excellence in Journalism and was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society. A few years later, Mitchell - along with his brother Johnny and Houston wildcatter Merlyn Christie - established Oil Drilling Inc., the predecessor to Mitchell Energy & Development. Her responsibilities include website management, ads, social media, distribution websites, communications to owners & guests as well as maintenance of software apps associated with owners and guests. Mitchell donated part of his wealth to the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, which supports programs for the efficient and wise use of Earth's resources. The discovery was not a new oil or gas field, but rather a technique that the company developed to economically extract natural gas from otherwise unproductive shale rock. The old wildcatter became a real estate developer, reinvesting the proceeds of the Devon sale in buying Bald Head Island in North Carolina and hotels in Galveston. George is now married. [30][2], harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSchmandt (, "The Father of the Barnett Natural Gas Field: George Mitchell", "The father of fracking: Few businesspeople have done as much to change the world as George Mitchell", "George Mitchell still pushes energy conservation: Oilman has worked for conservation since the Arab embargo more than 30 years ago", "George Mitchell, a Pioneer in Hydraulic Fracturing, Dies at 94", "Texas A&M Mourns Legendary Houston Philanthropist And Distinguished Former Student George P. Mitchell", Potential Supply of Natural Gas in the United States, "A "Shale Day" in honor of the sustainable research", "Devon Energy Hits 1 Tcf Milestone in Barnett Shale", "George P. Mitchell, billionaire philanthropist, dies at 94", "Letter stating Mitchell took the 'Giving Pledge', "Mitchell Gift to Endow Academies' Efforts in Sustainability Science", "Science and Technology for Sustainability Program (STS)", "Mitchell company settles wrongful death suit from capsizal of 'Cynthia Woods', "2011 Forbes Rich List Includes 8 Greeks", "Oil giant, developer George Mitchell dies at 94", "CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL Obituary (2009) Houston Chronicle", "George Phydias Mitchell Obituary (2013) Houston Chronicle", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Funding Universe: Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_P._Mitchell&oldid=1135101877, Founder of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp.; philanthropist, Medal for distinguished achievement from Texas A&M Geosciences and Earth Resources Advisory Council (1980), Horatio Alger Award, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers first Award for Distinguished Service in the Petroleum Industry, Honorary doctoral degree from the University of Houston (1984), The Galveston Daily News Citizen of the Year and the Ima Hogg Historical Achievement Award (1988), Global Tomorrow Coalitions Lorax Award for contributions to the environment (1989), Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young and Inc. Magazines Master Entrepreneur of the Year (1992), Boy Scouts of Americas Hornaday Award for Environmental Achievement (1993), Galvestons Leonora Kempner Thompson Community Enrichment Award (1993), American Institute of Architects Jefferson Award, Texas Business Hall of Fame Award, the National Preservation Honor Award, Governors Award for Historic Preservation presented to Mr. And Mrs. Mitchell by Governor George W. Bush (1995), Houston Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants honoree, and the Mirabeau B. Lamar Award (1996), Nature Conservancy of Texas Lifetime Achievement honoree (1997), Texas Society of Architects first Cornerstone Award presented to Mr. And Mrs. Mitchell, Galveston Historical Foundations Spirit of Elissa Award, Galveston Chamber of Commerces Christie Mitchell Award (1999), Prevent Blindness Texas People of Vision Award presented to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, World Future Societys Distinguished Service Award (2000), National Trust of Historic Preservations Crowninshield Award presented to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, Texas Society of Professional Engineers Engineering Dream Team member, Pioneer Oil Producers Societys Distinguished Service Award (2001), Institute for Energy Laws John Rogers Award (2002), This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 17:09. Big oil and gas companies were interested in shale gas but could not make the breakthrough in fracking to get the gas to flow. 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