George John Mitchell US Special Representative for the Middle East Date of Birth: 20.08.1933 Country: USA

George John Mitchell Biography

George John Mitchell is an American lawyer and politician who has extensive experience in peaceful negotiations in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. He was born on August 20, 1933, in Waterville, Maine. Mitchell's father, George Joseph Mitchell, was the son of Irish immigrants who was adopted by a Lebanese family and worked as a janitor at a college. His mother, Mary Saad, was a Lebanese immigrant who worked at a textile factory and did not speak English.

Mitchell grew up with three brothers and a sister and attended Maronite Catholic Church in Waterville. While he excelled academically in public schools, his athletic brothers often overshadowed him. After graduating from high school, Mitchell pursued a career in teaching and enrolled in Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he played basketball. He graduated in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in European history and was then drafted into the U.S. Army, serving as a lieutenant in the Counter Intelligence Corps in West Berlin for two years.

Following his military service, Mitchell attended Georgetown University Law Center. In 1960, he received his Juris Doctor degree and became a licensed attorney. He initially struggled to find employment in a law firm, working as an attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1960 to 1962. He then served as a staff assistant to Senator Edmund Muskie of the Democratic Party and participated in his reelection campaigns.

From 1964 to 1977, Mitchell practiced law at the Sheriff & Baird (later renamed Jensen, Baird, Gardner, Donovan & Henry) firm in Portland, Maine. In 1971, he served as an assistant county prosecutor in Cumberland County, Maine, and in 1974, he ran for governor of the state but was unsuccessful. Mitchell left the law firm in 1977 and became a federal judge in Maine in 1979, appointed by President Jimmy Carter.

In 1980, Mitchell was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat vacated by Senator Muskie, who became the Secretary of State. Initially, experts predicted that Mitchell would not be reelected, but he won the Senate elections in 1982 and 1988 with a significant advantage over Republican candidates. From 1989 to 1995, Mitchell served as the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, overseeing the passage of numerous environmental and healthcare bills. He advocated for the creation of the World Trade Organization and the participation of the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In 1995, Mitchell left the Senate and resumed his legal career. He joined the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company and served as its chairman from 2004 to 2006. Mitchell also worked as a special advisor to President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Warren Christopher on trade cooperation with Ireland. However, his most notable achievement during this time was his involvement in resolving the armed conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British government, resulting in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. For his efforts, Mitchell was honored with the Order of the British Empire and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

In 2000, Mitchell chaired the international commission to resolve the crisis in the Middle East. He played a crucial role in ending the radical phase of the second intifada, calling for Israel to remove existing settlements on the West Bank and urging Arabs to cease hostilities.

In 2006, Mitchell led a commission to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs by players in Major League Baseball. His report, published in 2007, revealed widespread doping among players, including prominent stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Mitchell's involvement led to improvements in MLB's anti-doping efforts.

In 2009, Mitchell was appointed as the U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East by President Barack Obama. He was praised for his experience in peacemaking processes. Mitchell retired from his diplomatic role in 2011.

Throughout his career, Mitchell held various corporate positions, including directorships at FedEx, Xerox, Staples, and Starwood Hotels. He was also a member of the National Health Commission and chaired the Ethics Committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Mitchell has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, UNESCO Peace Prize, and honorary degrees from over 40 universities worldwide.

Mitchell has been married twice. He divorced his first wife, Sally Heath, in 1987, after 28 years of marriage, and they have a daughter named Andrea. In 1994, he married tennis manager Heather MacLachlan, despite their significant age difference. They have a son named Andrew and a daughter named Clair.

Mitchell currently resides in New York and owns a summer home on the coast of Maine. He is a fan of baseball and served on the board of directors for the Boston Red Sox.