Parren Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Parren James Mitchell a Democrat
, was a U.S. Congressman
who represented the 7th congressional district of Maryland
from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1987. He was the first African-American elected to Congress from Maryland.
, Maryland. His father, Clarence M. Mitchell, Sr., was a waiter and his mother, Elsie Davis Mitchell was a homemaker. Mitchell graduated from Frederick Douglass Senior High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
in 1940. Mitchell served as an officer in the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II
, and was wounded in Italy; he received the Purple Heart
. He earned his bachelor's degree
from Morgan State University
, and his master's degree
from the University of Maryland, College Park
.
Parren Mitchell was the brother of the late Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.
, who was head of the NAACP's Washington
office and was one of Lyndon Johnson's chief advisors in the civil rights
movement.
In 1950, Mitchell sued the then segregated University of Maryland for admission to the graduate school, and won admission. When he graduated he was the first African-American to do so from that school.
elected to the U.S. Congress from Maryland and one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus
. Mitchell immediately became a vocal member of the caucus with one of his first actions with the caucus, numbering 12 at the time, was to boycott President Richard M. Nixon’s State of the Union address in 1971 after Nixon had refused to meet the group. (Nixon did meet the caucus weeks later.)
During his 16 year career, he fought for affirmative action
legislation. As Chairman of the Small Business Committee, Mitchell attached an amendment to a $4 billion public works bill that compelled state and local governments, seeking federal grants, to set aside 10% of the funds to retain minority firms as contractors and subcontractors.
Mitchell also mentored several dozen young up and coming leaders, several of whom still hold public office. Maryland House of Delegates majority whip Talmadge Branch
was an early aide, Delegate Nathaniel Oaks
volunteered in Mitchell's early campaigns, as did Delegates Sandy Rosenberg
and Curt Anderson
.
Mitchell initiated a congressional investigation into Wedtech
where bribes were alleged to have been offered in return for no bid military contracts. His nephews State Senators Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell ended up serving time in Federal prison for their parts in the scandal. In 1986 Mitchell retired from Congress but ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
as the running mate of Attorney General Stephen H. Sachs
. In later years, after a series of strokes, he was placed in a nursing home but still made periodic appearances at community events.
at Greater Baltimore Medical Center
in Towson, Maryland
, after being hospitalized for a week. He was 85. On 5 June 2007 more than 1,000 people paid their last respects to the Congressman at the St. James' Episcopal Church in west Baltimore. Maryland Senators Ben Cardin
and Barbara Mikulski
paid tributes to Mitchell on behalf of the United States Senate
; Speaker Nancy Pelosi
paid tribute on behalf of the House of Representatives; Judiciary Chairman Representative John Conyers
on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Governor Martin O'Malley
on behalf of the state of Maryland. Congressman Elijah Cummings
delivered the eulogy saying: "He earned the trust of people throughout the country and the world because he was constantly building bridges for others to cross, while tearing down the walls that had excluded them."
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was a U.S. Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
who represented the 7th congressional district of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1987. He was the first African-American elected to Congress from Maryland.
Early life
Mitchell was born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland. His father, Clarence M. Mitchell, Sr., was a waiter and his mother, Elsie Davis Mitchell was a homemaker. Mitchell graduated from Frederick Douglass Senior High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Frederick Douglass Senior High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Frederick Douglass High School known locally as Douglass is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Established in 1883 as the Colored High and Training School, Douglass is the second oldest historically integrated public high school in the United States...
in 1940. Mitchell served as an officer in the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was wounded in Italy; he received the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. He earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, and his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
Parren Mitchell was the brother of the late Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.
Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.
Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. was a civil rights activist and was the chief lobbyist for the NAACP for nearly 30 years. He also served as a regional director for the organization. Mitchell, nicknamed "the 101st U.S...
, who was head of the NAACP's Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
office and was one of Lyndon Johnson's chief advisors in the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
movement.
In 1950, Mitchell sued the then segregated University of Maryland for admission to the graduate school, and won admission. When he graduated he was the first African-American to do so from that school.
Congressional career
Mitchell was also the first African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
elected to the U.S. Congress from Maryland and one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
. Mitchell immediately became a vocal member of the caucus with one of his first actions with the caucus, numbering 12 at the time, was to boycott President Richard M. Nixon’s State of the Union address in 1971 after Nixon had refused to meet the group. (Nixon did meet the caucus weeks later.)
During his 16 year career, he fought for affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
legislation. As Chairman of the Small Business Committee, Mitchell attached an amendment to a $4 billion public works bill that compelled state and local governments, seeking federal grants, to set aside 10% of the funds to retain minority firms as contractors and subcontractors.
Mitchell also mentored several dozen young up and coming leaders, several of whom still hold public office. Maryland House of Delegates majority whip Talmadge Branch
Talmadge Branch
Talmadge Branch is an American politician who represents the 45th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Branch has been in office since 1995 and is currently the House majority whip...
was an early aide, Delegate Nathaniel Oaks
Nathaniel T. Oaks
Nathaniel T. Oaks is an American politician who represents district 41 in the Maryland House of Delegates. -Background:...
volunteered in Mitchell's early campaigns, as did Delegates Sandy Rosenberg
Samuel I. Rosenberg
Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg is an American politician who represents the 41st legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates...
and Curt Anderson
Curt Anderson
Curtis Stovall Anderson is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. After serving 12...
.
Mitchell initiated a congressional investigation into Wedtech
Wedtech scandal
The Wedtech Scandal was the name of an American political scandal that came to light in the late 1980s involving the Wedtech Corporation.The company had been founded in Bronx County, New York by a Puerto Rican immigrant named John Mariotta, and originally manufactured baby carriages...
where bribes were alleged to have been offered in return for no bid military contracts. His nephews State Senators Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell ended up serving time in Federal prison for their parts in the scandal. In 1986 Mitchell retired from Congress but ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is the second highest ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.The current Lieutenant Governor is...
as the running mate of Attorney General Stephen H. Sachs
Stephen H. Sachs
Stephen H. Sachs is a former Maryland politician and former Attorney General of Maryland.- Background :Sachs was born in Baltimore City, the son of Shirley and Leon Sachs. He is Jewish. Sachs was educated at Haverford College and Yale Law School...
. In later years, after a series of strokes, he was placed in a nursing home but still made periodic appearances at community events.
Death and legacy
Mitchell died on 28 May 2007 of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, known to many simply as GBMC, is a hospital located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland. GBMC serves more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. GBMC’s main campus also includes three medical office...
in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
, after being hospitalized for a week. He was 85. On 5 June 2007 more than 1,000 people paid their last respects to the Congressman at the St. James' Episcopal Church in west Baltimore. Maryland Senators Ben Cardin
Ben Cardin
Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...
and Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Ann Mikulski is the senior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Mikulski, a former U.S. Representative, is the longest-serving female senator in U.S...
paid tributes to Mitchell on behalf of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
; Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
paid tribute on behalf of the House of Representatives; Judiciary Chairman Representative John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Governor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
on behalf of the state of Maryland. Congressman Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Eugene Cummings is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of Baltimore City, as well as most of Howard County...
delivered the eulogy saying: "He earned the trust of people throughout the country and the world because he was constantly building bridges for others to cross, while tearing down the walls that had excluded them."
External links
- Parren Mitchell's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project