SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 106
In Memory
of
George Phydias Mitchell
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of George Phydias Mitchell, who died July
26, 2013, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, George P. Mitchell was born May 21, 1919; he grew
up in an immigrant neighborhood in Galveston and began working at
a young age when he joined his brother in the oilfields of
Louisiana; his experiences there sparked a lifelong interest in
the oil and gas industry that would also lead to a brilliant
career; and
WHEREAS, He earned a degree in petroleum engineering from
Texas A&M University, and after graduation, he took a position as
an engineering and geology consultant; he went on to establish
Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation, one of the nation's
largest independent oil and gas corporations, which he built into
a Fortune 500 company; and
WHEREAS, A legendary giant in the oil and gas industry, he
is credited with pioneering the economic extraction of shale gas
through the use of horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic
fracturing, a process that has revolutionized the energy
industry and that has led to a dramatic increase in the nation's
supplies of natural gas; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mitchell played a leading role in the
development of The Woodlands, a master-planned community that
has received widespread praise for its environmentally conscious
design; he and his wife also played a major role in the
revitalization of his hometown of Galveston; and
WHEREAS, Noted for his philanthropic support of
sustainability, he was a founder of the Houston Advanced Research
Center, an association of universities and research groups
committed to the principles of sustainable development; he
helped sponsor the work of Dennis Meadows and other leaders
involved in the study of the pressing need for sustainable energy
technologies and food sources worldwide, and he donated $20
million to create the George and Cynthia Mitchell Endowment for
Sustainability Science at the National Academy of Sciences; and
WHEREAS, He was dedicated to Texas A&M University and
became one of the largest donors in the institution's history;
his generous support funded the construction of two
state-of-the-art physics buildings on the campus, and he played
an important role in the university's involvement in the Giant
Magellan Telescope Project; and
WHEREAS, George Mitchell was a great visionary, an
unconventional and astute businessman, and a lifelong
philanthropist; a man of courage, strength, and compassion, he
gave unselfishly to others, and his commitment to scientific
progress, his remarkable energy, and his enthusiasm for living
each day to the fullest will not be forgotten; and
WHEREAS, He was devoted to his late wife, Cynthia Woods
Mitchell, and he leaves behind memories that will not be
forgotten by those who were privileged to share in his life; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby extend sincere
condolences to the bereaved family of George Phydias Mitchell;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of George P. Mitchell.
Williams
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on July 26, 2013, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate