John Joseph Mitchell

John Joseph Mitchell, Sr, 64, husband of Kendal East Mitchell and a resident of Tampa, Florida, passed away Tuesday, May 9, 2006, in Tampa. Born on August 26, 1941, in Hinton, West Virginia, and reared in Alderson, West Virginia, Dr. Mitchell was the son of Isaac L. Mitchell of Alderson, West Virginia, and the late Marybess Caraway Mitchell. He was a retired university senior vice president for advancement. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampden-Sydney College in 1964, a master's degree from Longwood College in 1976, and a doctorate degree in education from Virginia Tech in 1986. He was vice president for University Advancement, president of the UNI Foundation, from 1988 through 1999 at the University of Northern Iowa. He attended numerous development seminars and workshops. He was a member of the Council of Advancement and Support of Education, National Society for Fund Raising Executives; served as state program coordinator for the West Virginia Chapter; and served as president of the Eastern Iowa Chapter in 1991. Civic and community activities have included Rotary Clubs (past president and board member), other civic and professional organizations, Chambers of Commerce (past president and board member), and the Heart Association (past campaign chairman and board member). He served as a consultant with nonprofit organizations, including recent consulting with Adults Inc. and the Grout Museum in Waterloo. He was an Episcopalian. Other than his wife, he is survived by a son, John J. Mitchell, Jr. and wife Marie Cairns Mitchell of Tampa, Florida; and three grandchildren, Lauren Marie Mitchell, Zachary David Mitchell, and Matthew Isaac Mitchell A memorial service will be conducted from the Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, May 20, 2006, at 2 p.m. with the Reverend Canon B. Twinamaani officiating. Interment will be in West Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations should be made to University of Florida Foundation Fund #008460, P.O. Box 14425, Gainesville, Florida 32604. Donors should indicate that this is a gift to the Dr. John Joe Mitchell Memorial Fund. Arrangements by the Williams Funeral Homes Incorporated, Onancock and Parksley, Virginia. Copyright Waterloo Courier, May 17, 2006, page A8. Longtime UNI Foundation president dies in Florida By EMILY CHRISTENSEN, Courier Staff Writer CEDAR FALLS - A former University of Northern Iowa fundraiser died last week in Tampa, Florida, following a battle with a degenerative brain disorder. Joe Mitchell, 64, served as vice president for advancement from 1988 to 1999 and was named president of the UNI Foundation a year before his departure in 1999. He left the university to fill a similar role at Marshall University in West Virginia. "Joe was the personification of a Southern gentleman," said Ed Gallagher, who sat on the foundation board during Mitchell's tenure. "He was an excellent director of the foundation . . . I credit him with coming up with the thought that we should have the performing arts center and I was always after him to get a home for the symphony." Mitchell led the university through the Leading, Building, Sharing campaign which netted $33 million in private money and culminated with the building of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The success of that campaign prompted the split of Mitchell's two roles as vice president for advancement and foundation president. Bill Calhoun, UNI's vice president for marketing and advancement, worked with Mitchell on the campaign "Joe was a real consensus builder. He was able to bring together the Waterloo and Cedar Falls communities to support that project. That was a real key contribution he made to the effort," Calhoun said, "That's his legacy." Gallagher added that Mitchell had the knack for making people want to help the university not only with their money, but also with their time. Mitchell was also responsible for growing the foundation's assets and laying the groundwork for future capital campaigns. "He was a great man," Gallagher said. "He was a lot of fun to be with." A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Grace Episcopal Church, 15102 Amberly Drive, Tampa, Florida, 33647. Copyright Waterloo Courier, May 17, 2006, page A8.