Attorney James Edward Mitchell

Attorney James Edward Mitchell, 91 Youngstown- Attorney James E. Mitchell, 91 died Tuesday evening at Park Vista where he had lived since moving from his home on Warner Road in Liberty Township. He was a partner in the law firm of Mitchell, Mitchell and Reed in which he joined his father Osborne in 1936. Through merger the firm the firm has become Harrington, Hoppe and Mitchell Ltd. He retired January 1, 2002 after 66 years. Mr. Mitchell was born March 3, 1912 in Washington, Pennsylvania, a son of Osborne and Nellie Foster Mitchell. He came to the area in 1918 living in Poland before moving to Liberty. He was a graduate of East Washington High School in 1929, Washington & Jefferson College in 1933 where he received a Bachelor of Arts and graduated from Cornell Law School in 1936. He was admitted to the bar in 1936 and practiced law, except for his time in the military, until his retirement in 2002. He entered the U.S. Navy immediately after Pearl Harbor and served in amphibious units as L.S.M. Group Commander at Great Lakes Naval base and in the Pacific and at Okinawa. He had been a member of the board of directors of the Adolph Johnson Company, A.P. Oâa�a��Horo Company, Panelmatic, Inc. The Warren Tool Company and the former Ohio Water Service Company, now Consumers Ohio Water Company. He was a partner in the Artic Mining Company. Mr. Mitchell served as an officer or director on a number of charitable foundations and trusts: Secretary of the Alice Resch Powers Trustâa�a�� Trustee of the Marion G. Resch Foundation, Trustee of the B. F. Wirt Trust, Trustee of the Rose Melnick Medical Museum, Secretary and Director of the Bremer Foundation, and Trustee of the Edward W. Powers and Alice Resch Powers Educational Fund which funds the SCOPE Program at Youngstown State University. Mr. Mitchell developed a deep concern and interest in creating opportunities for higher education for disadvantaged high school students and assisted in the development of various funds, foundations and programs making college education funding available for many Youngstown area students at area colleges and universities. He attended Liberty Presbyterian Church and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Washington, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Mahoning County, Ohio and American Bar Association, a member of the Nathan Hale Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution where he was president from 1990 to 1998 and had served as president of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was known for his knowledge of history. He was a trustee of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. He served as a member of the board the YMCA where he was president from 1965-1969. He was a member of the Youngstown Country Club and the Youngstown Club. Mr. Mitchell was a fitness advocate. He regularly swam, hiked and played handball, racket ball and tennis throughout his life. He had played racket ball with the world champion. Beside his wife the former Frances Alter whom he married November 24, 1948 he leaves a son Attorney George O. Mitchell of North Miami, Florida and two grandchildren, James E. Mitchell and George O. Mitchell II. Three sisters, Suzanne Mitchell, Jane Carpenter and Helen Carpenter are deceased. A brother, Baird Mitchell died as a pilot in World War II. Private funeral services will be held Friday in the Howard Carpenter Memorial Chapel in Poland Riverside Cemetery. The family requests that material tributes be made to the downtown YMCA 17 north Champion Street, Youngstown, OH 44503 or to the charity of your choice in memory of James E. Mitchell. Arrangements are by Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home of Poland.

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