Cynthia Woods Mitchell, patron of the arts, impassioned environmentalist and avid historical preservationist, died Sunday morning surrounded by family at her home in The Woodlands. She was 87. Reared by a single mother in Depression-era New York
City, Mitchell embraced a wide range of causes and interests, ranging from the Boy and Girl Scouts to Trinity Episcopal Church and Texas Children's Hospital. Survivors include her husband, oilman-real estate developer George Mitchell, and 10
children. "She was a force of nature," the Mitchell family said in a prepared statement. "Our family will always remember the dynamic, colorful person that she was: intelligent, altruistic, totally original and hilariously funny. Her kindnesses are
remembered by people she barely knew." Mitchell came to Houston with her twin sister, Pamela Loomis, in 1939 to study literature, art and psychology at the University of Houston. She met her future husband two years later while traveling by train
from College Station to Houston. The couple were married on Halloween 1943. George Mitchell founded Mitchell Energy and Development in 1946. In 1952, defying common oil business wisdom, he bought 10,000 acres in a North Texas region near Bridgeport
known as "the wildcatter's graveyard." In little more than a year, the fledgling company had drilled 13 consecutive producing development wells and placed 300,000 acres under lease. GALVESTON PROJECTS It was among the first of many daring moves
that...
Cynthia Woods Mitchell, patron of the arts, impassioned environmentalist and avid historical preservationist, died Sunday morning surrounded by family at her home in The Woodlands. She was 87.
Reared by a single mother in Depression-era New York City, Mitchell embraced a wide range of causes and interests, ranging from the Boy and Girl Scouts to Trinity Episcopal Church and Texas Children's Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, oilman-real estate developer George Mitchell, and 10 children.
"She was a force of nature," the Mitchell family said in a prepared statement. "Our family will always remember the dynamic, colorful person that she was: intelligent, altruistic, totally original and hilariously funny. Her kindnesses are
remembered by people she barely knew."
Mitchell came to Houston with her twin sister, Pamela Loomis, in 1939 to study literature, art and psychology at the University of Houston. She met her future husband two years later while traveling by train from College Station to Houston. The
couple were married on Halloween 1943.
George Mitchell founded Mitchell Energy and Development in 1946. In 1952, defying common oil business wisdom, he bought 10,000 acres in a North Texas region near Bridgeport known as "the wildcatter's graveyard." In little more than a year, the
fledgling company had drilled 13 consecutive producing development wells and placed 300,000 acres under lease.
Galveston Projects
It was among the first of many daring moves that propelled the company into the nation's big-time natural gas business.
In the mid-1970s, Mitchell launched plans for The Woodlands, an innovative planned community 30 miles north of Houston. Cynthia Mitchell picked the new development's name.
Together, Mitchell and her husband moved to breathe new life into economically bypassed Galveston, George Mitchell's hometown.
Beginning with the 1871 League Building in 1976, the Mitchells restored 17 iron-front buildings in the island city's historic downtown. Among their projects were conversion of the Leon and H. Blum Building into the luxurious, European-styled
Tremont Hotel. On the beachfront, they bought and restored the Galvez Hotel. On the Gulf and Galveston Bay, they built two new hotels, the San Luis and the Harbor House.
"Mrs. Mitchell brought style and sophistication to all the family's work to preserve historic Galveston," said Dwayne Johnson, Galveston Historic Foundation executive director.
Mitchell's interest in history and historic preservation manifested itself on the national level in the 1990s when she became a board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group later presented her its highest honor, the
Crowninshield Award.
Community Support
Mitchell's interests and philanthropies extended to arts and sciences. Serving on the board of the World Wildlife Fund, she underwrote exhibits featuring endangered animals at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
At the University of Houston, Mitchell underwrote a distinguished authors' program. She was a benefactor of the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet.
She was instrumental in creating UH's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
UH President Renu Khator said the arts center has helped position the arts as one of the university's priorities.
"Just as she lived a productive and creative life with extraordinary commitment to our community, she has left a legacy that will fuel creativity for future generations in our community and beyond," Khator said.
Mitchell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002. It was a diagnosis she met with "optimism and dignity," said family spokeswoman Dancie Ware.
In the wake of medical bad news, the Mitchell family poured resources into research to find a cure for the degenerative disease. Created were the George and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas Medical
Branch-Galveston and the George P. and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. The family also supported research at Baylor College of
Medicine.
Isle Memorial Service
"Cynthia Woods Mitchell filled the most demanding roles, from parent to civic entrepreneur, beautifully and with sparkling intellect," said Dr. Larry Kaiser, UT Health Science Center president.
"She provided generously for the health of future generations by giving to medical research. She brought a sense of optimism as well as common sense and business acumen to the most daunting project and in all that she did, she defined womanly
grace."
The funeral will be private, but there will be a memorial service Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston, followed by a reception at the Tremont House.
The Houston Symphony is scheduled to play a special concert celebrating the life of Cynthia Woods Mitchell April 29 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands.
