Cynthia Woods Mitchell, Houston philanthropist, patron of the arts, dedicated environmental activist and preservationist has passed away at home, she was 87.
Mitchell came to Houston in 1939 with her twin sister to study at the University of Houston. She married George Mitchell in 1943 who then went on to make his fortune in the oil business by 1952.
In the 70's The Mitchell's laid the plans for a master planned community north of Houston and it was Cynthia who named the project, The Woodlands.
The Mitchell's were also instrumental in helping to revitalize Galveston by preserving historical buildings and dabbling in the hotel industry by restoring and building the Tremont Hotel, the Galvez Hotel, the San Luis and Harbor House.
The Mitchell's were also huge patrons of the arts including the Houston Ballet, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera. She also had a hand in creating U of H's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
In 2002, Cynthia Mitchell was diagnosed with Alzheimers and the family funded research to combat the disease. They created the George and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston and the George P. and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Cynthia Mitchell is survived by her husband and ten children.
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