George Mitchell, the founder of The Woodlands, talks to guests during the dedication of the George Mitchell statue at Town Green Park overlooking The Woodlands Waterway on Nov. 8. "His story was quintessentially American," his family said in a statement after he died at age 94 on July26, 2013. George P. Mitchell rides with a grandson as he, family and friends participate in a procession after a memorial for his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, in Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston. Amy work includes daily communication with owners and vendors. After graduating from Ball High School, he left for Texas A&M University where he studied petroleum engineering and geology. Beginning in the early 80s, George and his team of engineers and geologists began testing new technologies in the shale formations of the company's North Texas gas fields. "He will be fondly remembered for flying in the face of convention focusing on what could be, with boundless determination many times fighting through waves of skepticism and opposition to achieve his vision.". We thank him for his many contributions, positive impact and related efforts to strengthen and support this important industry.. 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. "Building the company was important to me, but The Woodlands is the most dramatic evidence of what I've accomplished," Mitchell was quoted as saying in a 2001 Houston Chronicle article. ( Nick de la Torre / Chronicle ) . When a paymaster got tired of writing his long name and threatened to fire him, Mr. Paraskevopoulos took the paymaster's name, Mike Mitchell. Nonetheless, she assumed an astounding number of volunteer positions. The Woodlands founder George P. Mitchell walks behind his recently unveiled sculpture at Town Green Park. In 2012, he committed an additional $20 million to the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy. Holditch said Mitchell's gifts to support the study of space grew out of his long-term interest; he had wanted to become an astrophysicist, but he didn't think he could make a living in the field after graduating first in Texas A&M's class of 1940. The focus at London's Energy Week on the energy transition ignores the reality of rising fossil fuel demand. Grant has spent most of his career in the entertainment industry, where he has written, directed, and/or produced both documentary and dramatic productions for television and film. After selling his oil and gas company in 2002 for $3.5 billion, Mitchell focused on philanthropic efforts. Nick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle Show More Show . Throughout the 50s and 60s in Houston, Cynthia had more than most could handle in their household. 02/1992 - Independent oil and gas mogul George Mitchell stands in front of the construction site of Strand Harborside, a Galveston Island development that will include a hotel and shops. | Because of the technological progress in industry fracking, George Mitchell is now known as the "pioneer of shale." [24], In 2004, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth as $1.6 billion, placing him among the 500 richest people worldwide. In 1940, George graduated number one in his class in Petroleum Engineering and began work at Amoco in the oil fields of East Texas and Louisiana. 2023 Bald Head Island Limited, LLC. Mitchell's funding and vision also boosted his hometown of Galveston. [8], Mitchell and his wife were also major supporters of Texas A&M's marine studies orientated branch campus Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG), donating the land for the main campus and the main campus is named in honor of Mitchell's father. (He held on. The method became key to countless more energy fortunes. Johnny Mitchell joined the company as well, pairing the brothers under the banner Oil Drilling, Inc. with its founding partner, oil broker H. Merlyn Christie. He was survived by his sister, Maria Mitchell Ballantyne; his ten children, daughters Pamela Maguire, Meredith Dreiss and Sheridan Lorenz, and sons Scott, Mark, Kent, Greg, Kirk, Todd and Grant; 23 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and 19 nieces and nephews. Mitchell also spent nearly $50 million of his personal fortune to redevelop more than a dozen landmarks in Galveston, including the Hotel Galvez, where he and Cynthia were married, and the historic Strand district, once the major business hub and now home to restaurants and boutiques. In the mid-1990s, Mitchell began selling off most of his real estate. Just a year or two before Mitchell died, Jones said, he bought buildings on Hendley Row at the end of the Strand. 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). [22][failed verification][19] Mitchell also founded the Houston Advanced Research Center that explores strategies for sustainable development at the regional level. All rights reserved. When he saw the picture of a beautiful woman in a local Greek newspaper, he headed for Florida, where she had settled, according to family lore. He wanted to be an astrophysicist before deciding it didn't pay enough. After nearly four decades of stewardship, the Mitchell Family and Bald Head Island Limited remain committed to their original vision: To create a viable premier island community where people may live in harmony with nature and each other. Heat, Energy, Affordability & Equity in Texas. The board members listed on the foundation website are Mitchell's daughter, Meredith Mitchell Dreiss, and his son, C. Grant Mitchell, who also is president of the Mitchell Family Corp.. |, Related topics: Mitchell's visionary support included the 135 acres on Pelican Island that Texas A&M-Galveston and the Texas A&M Maritime Academy call home. (He held on to a 5% stake of the company). Some people thought it was stupid," Dan Steward, a geologist who began working with the Texas natural gas firm Mitchell Energy in 1981 told The Associated Press in an interview last year. Baytex Energy Corp. announced on Tuesday that is has agreed to acquire Eagle Ford Shale pure play Ranger Oil Corp. for $2.5 billion, including net debt of $650 million. Forbes magazine this year listed Mitchell's wealth at $2 billion. 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.. Cynthia Woods named after his wife Cynthia. (He held on to a 5% stake of the company). George Mitchell, Chairman and CEO of The Mitchell Family Corporation, is seen in a Nov. 11, 2009 photo, in his downtown Houston office. Sheridan Mitchell Lorenz (left), daughter of legendary oil man George Mitchell, talks about how happy she is to see the results of a controlled burn with her niece Sarah Mitchell, executive director of Cook's Branch Conservancy , Thursday, May 24, 2012, on the Cook's Branch Conservancy in Montgomery County. ( Nick de la Torre / Chronicle ), George P. Mitchell (cq) rides with a grandson as he, family and friends participate in a procession after a memorial for his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, in Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston. The posting said he died of natural causes while surrounded by family. He was No. George P. Mitchell looks at his recently-unveiled statue in The Woodlands. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is now part of the NBA Players Association leadership team. Throughout the years, Mitchell also spent a huge amount of time and resources on his native Galveston. Mitchell sold his energy company in 2002 for $3.1 billion. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. But the revolution didn't arrive quickly. In the 70s and 80s, they partnered to lead the revitalization of Galveston's historic neighborhoods and commercial districts. In 1984, he was the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Houston. George started work as an independent consulting geologist and petroleum engineer, taking a modest fee and a small piece of the prospects he developed. We are and will forever be grateful for the gift of this remarkable life. The idea was a bit of a stretch, said Kyle Shelton, a program manager at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Susan Vreeland-Wendt escorts George Mitchell during the dedication of the statue. George Mitchell passed away at home in his beloved Galveston on July 26, 2013. "But before Mitchell was done, he launched what has proved to be the most important innovation in energy so far this century.". Grant has spent most of his career in the entertainment industry, where he . 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. He was 94. His remarkable career includes developing the Woodlands, restoring Galveston's Strand to greatness and, building AM Energy Company worth $3.5 billion. Steward estimated in the early years, "probably 90% of the people" in the firm didn't believe shale gas would be profitable, and that Mitchell's company didn't even cover the cost of fracking on shale tests until the 36th well was drilled. Tiziana and Grant Mitchell, with his father, George Mitchell. He brought on landscape architect Ian McHarg to consult on the project. He later would call it his most satisfying achievement. 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. [7][8], In the 1980s and 1990s, the company experimented with application of different techniques of hydraulic fracturing of the Barnett Shale of Texas, eventually finding the right technique to economically extract the natural gas in the formation. 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.He is board chair of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. Property Management Sales & Marketing Director. Oil giant, developer George Mitchell dies at 94, HoustonChronicle.com: Billionaire George Mitchell started out poor - and never forgot it. The township's main backer contributed land, capital and vision. "His story was quintessentially American," the family statement said. Lorenz stands with Carla Macaw, left, and Bill Kendrick. The statement from the Mitchell Family posted on the George and Cynthia Mitchell . George Mitchell and former President Jimmy Carter attend a United States-Mexico energy conference held in The Woodlands in 1985. Michael Graves, center, is a famed architect photographed at a meeting with George Mitchell, left, and Texas A&M University president Robert M. Gates about a new building Graves is designing for the A&M campus and Mitchell is donating money to build. Mitchell's career as an oil man was only a fraction of his accomplishments, which included revitalizing Galveston's historic Strand District and developing The Woodlands, which he sold in 1997. Cynthia Woods Mitchell and her husband George P. Mitchell played a significant role in the revitalization of Galveston, Texas, beginning with the 1871 League Building in 1973 and extending to the Strand National Historic Landmark District, Galvez Hotel, and many more. In 2011, George Mitchell joined the Giving Pledge sponsored by Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates. ", Friend and colleague Roger Galatas called Mitchell "a very strong leader of his company and of The Woodlands.". [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. Revitalization of Galveston Mitchell during the dedication of the company ) guard Donovan Mitchell is now of... To lead the revitalization of Galveston buildings on Hendley Row at the of! 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