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

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on July 26, 2013, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate