"A Brilliant Man. A Brilliant Mind"
The Woodlands founder George Mitchell Dies at 94
By Chris Cotelesse

Tough’s father Coulson worked with Mitchell during the early years of developing The Woodlands. The two families became close and spent time together on Pirate’s Beach, a Mitchell development.

“That’s what I saw when I closed my eyes. He was asking me about school and how I was doing,” said Tough, misty-eyed and reverent. “It’s hard to think that he’s gone.”

Mitchell remained an influence on the people of The Woodlands and the township’s governance even after his company sold the land in 1997.

“People from The Woodlands Development Company told me that he still walked around like he owned the place,” Tough laughed. “But he did own it. It was his dream.”

And though many people were skeptical of Mitchell’s dream, he never wavered.

“They used to call the dirt road that would become Woodlands Parkway Mitchell’s Folly,” township director Nelda Blair said. “They said it was too far north of Houston. They said it would never work.”

Mitchell built that dream out of 28,000 acres of uninhabited forest just north of Houston in the 1970s into one of the nation’s most successful master-planned communities, which boasts a population of 105,000 residents today.

He was instrumental in many of the staples the residents have come to rely on as well. He funded the construction of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, which bears the name of his late wife.

“There would be no Pavilion in The Woodlands if not for him. Mr. Mitchell had the vision and the courage to build this beautiful venue. He provided the land to build the venue in the heart of The Woodlands and paid for all construction costs. He also empowered the Houston Symphony to play here making The Pavilion the Summer Home of the Houston Symphony,” said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. “... You could tell Mr. Mitchell was very proud of The Pavilion and repeatedly told me that building the venue was one of the best decisions he ever made.”

One of the Mitchells’ 10 children, Grant, serves on the Pavilion board of directors.

George Mitchell also formed Interfaith of The Woodlands, which provides various services to the community, including child development, emergency assistance and medical care.

“There are truly not enough words to describe what a tremendous businessman, visionary and friend to so many that Mr. Mitchell was,” Interfaith President and CEO Ann Snyder stated in a release. “Because of his tireless efforts spanning the last 40 years, thousands of families and individuals have the opportunity to live and work in our incredible community. He will certainly be missed.”

Peggy Hausman, a township director who knew Mitchell since serving on the board of The Woodlands Community Association in 1989, said he was passionate about every aspect of the township and worked to knit them together like a quilt.

“Every piece of fabric on that quilt meant something to Mr. Mitchell,” she said. “This is one big family, whether it was 5,000 or 135,000.”

Hausman said Mitchell’s passion inspired others to carry on his legacy of community.

“People felt compelled to carry on that vision for him. He didn’t have to say a whole lot,” Hausman said.

Even Tough uses Mitchell’s influence as the standard for directing The Woodlands into the future.

“He inspired me to give back the way he had given back. … In my time with The Woodlands, I’ve always thought, ‘What would Mr. Mitchell do?’” Tough said. “He was a brilliant man, a brilliant mind.”

Mitchell was also known as a philanthropist, donating more than $175 million in his lifetime to various institutions, including Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He also founded the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, which provides science grants for projects in Texas and helps fund programs like Cook’s Branch Conservancy and the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M, among others.

Mitchell earned his fortune in the oil and gas industry, beginning as a roustabout for his brother at 17 years old. He received an education in engineering from Texas A&M, joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and went to work for an oil company named Roxoil, which later became Oil Drilling and ultimately the Mitchell Energy and Development Company.

Mitchell is most famous for pioneering hydraulic fracturing, a technology that extracts oil and natural gas from shale formations a mile or more beneath the Earth’s surface. His method of fracking has been adapted all over the United States and in other countries.

“George Mitchell was a remarkable Texan whose pioneer spirit has truly changed the world – particularly when you consider how many people will live better lives across the globe because of his innovation,” Texas Gov. Rick Perry stated in a release. “From revitalizing his hometown of Galveston, to creating the thriving community of The Woodlands, George has left a lasting footprint on our state, our citizens and our future.”

But even after earning a fortune, Mitchell still remained “down to earth,” Hausman said. She often would see him enjoying a small cone of TCBY in the Panther Creek Village Shopping Center, walking around like one of the crowd.

“You never felt inferior when you were with him,” she said. “You wouldn’t have known he was a multi-billionaire.”