Uncrowned Community Builders

Earl Mitchell earned a B.S. in Chemistry, Xavier University of Louisiana in 1960, a M.S. in Organic Chemistry form Michigan State University in 1963 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1966. He came to Oklahoma State University in 1967 as a Post Doctoral Research Associate with Professor George Waller. In 1968 a research study with Dr. George Waller and Gary Price on the metabolism of nepetalactone (the active compound in catnip) resulted in a cover story in Science. He has been promoted to all academic ranks and was promoted to Professor in 1978. The National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the CSRS of the USDA funded his research support with the primary support coming from the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station. From 1978-1982 he served as the Assistant Dean of the Graduate College under the mentorship of Dr. Norman Durham.

In 1970 Dr. Mitchell wrote the scientific component of the proposal submitted by Dr. Steve B. Latimer to the Cooperative States Research Service of the USDA that led to the first funding of Langston University's 1890 Land Grant Research Program. The first two research papers from this initial Langston Research Program were published in 1974 and 1976 with Clifford Houston and Dr. Steve B. Latimer. Clifford Houston received a MS degree in my Laboratory and went on to receive the PhD in Microbiology with Dr. Joseph Feretti at the university of Oklahoma. He is presently a Professor at the University of Texas at Galveston and served as President of the American Society of Microbiology. The program has progressed to the present International Goat Research Center at Langston University.

Dr. Mitchell has served as a member of the Biochemistry Study Section of NIH (1983-87) and completed a 5-year term on the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS/NIGMS) Program Committee of NIH. He served as Chair of the MBRS Committee for 1991-92. He also served on the RCMI/DRG of the National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee (1996-2000) and as Chair for the 1999-2000 term. He has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation's Predoctoral Fellowship and the Alliance for Minority Programs (1992-93). Dr. Mitchell assisted in the preparation of an RFP served as the chair of the Panel for the Oceans Margins Program of DOE (1997 and 2000 and as a proposal reader in 2003). In addition he has a member of the Committee of Visitors for the Biology GRPA team for The National Science Foundation (July 2000).

In 1982, with the help of Speaker Dan Draper, Representative Penny Williams and Senator Bernice Shedrick, Dr. Mitchell was the initiator of the concept of The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) He is presently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics [(OSSM)(Appointed by the President of the Senate)].

He has served as the President of the AAUP Chapter of Oklahoma State University (1992-1994) and finished a term as President of the Oklahoma State University Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi (1992-93).

From 1994 to 2004, Dr. Mitchell served as the Associate Vice President for Multicultural Affairs where he continued to develop and support programs for students in addition to providing diversity training to staff and students at Oklahoma State and its branch campuses.
Dr. Mitchell has served on numerous faculty and staff search committees and advisory committees at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Mitchell has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students including 4 Ph.D. and 5 MS Students in Biochemistry. He has served as Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Black Studies Committee (Instituted 5 new courses) and in 1990 chaired a University Task force for President Campbell that issued a comprehensive report on Affirmative Action at Oklahoma State University

In 1996 Dr Mitchell was listed in the "Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century" ORYX Press 1996.

In 1993, Dr. Mitchell was elected to serve as the Chair of the Oklahoma Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (OKAMP-SEM). The Alliance, with Dr. Mitchell as the Principal Investigator, submitted a proposal to the Louis Stokes AMP program of the National Science Foundation requesting support for a statewide program to enhance the number of minorities in these targeted areas. The National Science Foundation has funded the program since 1994. It is presently funded as Phase III for $2.5 million form 2004-2007. Phase I and Phase II were funded for $9.4 million. The number of graduates began with 214 in 1994 to 720 in 2004. Oklahoma institutions in this program graduate 30% of all Native Americans in the nation.

In 2002 Dr Mitchell along with Dr Mary Lawler as the co Investigator received an educational Talent search Grant from the Department of Education for $1.016 million for 5 years and in 2003 Dr. Lawler received an Upward Bound Science and Mathematics grant from the Department of Education for $1.2 million for five years. Thus between 1994 and 2004 and under his initiation and leadership, Oklahoma State University as the lead institution for the Louis Stokes AMP Program will have received over $11 million to enhance the higher education of underrepresented groups and an additional $2.2 million for Oklahoma State University to enhance the higher educational opportunities for low income Oklahomans.

Other outside activities include 34 years service to the University and Community Federal Credit Union (Formerly the OSU Credit Union) in which Dr. Mitchell was one of the founders and charted member. Dr. Mitchell is Chair of the Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (member since 1970) and served on and chaired the Oklahoma Personnel Board/ Merit Protection Commission (1976-1991) (initially appointed by Governor Boren and continually appointed by the Speaker of the House). He has also served as the president of the Payne County Chapter of the NAACP and as Chair of the local chapter of Habit for humanity. He has a long-term commitment to teaching United Methodist History and Doctrine.

Since 1972 he has taught in the United Methodist School of Missions in Oklahoma. For his commitment to the rights of all people Dr. Mitchell received the Oklahoma Human Rights Award from the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission in December 2003.

In October 2005, Dr. Mitchell was inducted into the Oklahoma higher Education Hall of fame