John Francis Mitchell Explained

John F. Mitchell
Birth Name:John Francis Mitchell
Birth Date:1 January 1928
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, United States
Known For:Wireless technology[1] [2]
Education:Illinois Institute of Technology
Employer:Motorola
Occupation:Executive, engineer
Chief Engineer
President & COO
Vice chairman

John Francis Mitchell (January 1, 1928 – June 9, 2009) was an American electronics engineer and president and chief operating officer of Motorola.[3]

Mitchell led the pioneering development and implementation of Motorola's mobile phone technology producing the first portable transistorized pager and cell phone. He was the driving force behind building quality into engineering,[4] and the establishment of the Motorola University and Six Sigma Institute;[5] and launched the global Iridium satellite constellation.

Family and early years

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Catholic Irish immigrants,[6] [7] William Mitchell of Sligo and Bridget Keane, of Listowel. He was married to Margaret and had three children.

Radio telephony and the cell phone

Mitchell became Motorola's chief engineer for its mobile communication products in 1960. Prior to the development of the cell phone, Mitchell and his team of engineers produced and marketed the first transistorized pager[6] [8] and obtained a patent for the concept of portable cell telephony, including small antennae used to help free mobile phone units from car trunks where they were typically installed.[9]

Mitchell, Motorola's chief of portable communication products and Martin Cooper's[10] boss in 1973, played a key role in advancing the development of handheld mobile telephone equipment. Mitchell successfully pushed Motorola to develop wireless communication products that would be small enough to use anywhere and participated in the design of the cellular phone.[11]

Other initiatives

In 1983, Mitchell was appointed to U.S. President Ronald Reagan's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. He was a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and was a chairman of the Electronic Industries Alliance. He was a recognized expert on world trade,[12] serving as director of the National Association of Manufacturers, and an expert on federal fiscal policy.[13] Mitchell was a director of Bell & Howell Company, a trustee of the Engineering Advisory Council, Marquette University, and an active participant in the Easter Seals (US) Campaign and a member of the Presidents Council of the American Lung Association. Mitchell was a trustee at Illinois Institute of Technology, the Dublin City University and the University of Limerick Foundation. He was one of the architects, which also included Chuck Feeney, of the huge expansion of the University of Limerick during the 1990s and 2000s through his work[14] on the University of Limerick foundation.[15] As a philanthropist and member of IIT's Philip Danforth Armour Society, Mitchell established endowed scholarship funds for the Camras Program, the Leadership Academy and electrical engineering students. To date, the John F. Mitchell scholarship funds have supported more than 70 students at the university.

Awards

Mitchell was awarded honorary degrees from the Illinois Institute of Technology in humane letters and science, 1995;[16] an honorary doctorate of business administration from Iowa Wesleyan College, on May 18, 1985,[17] and from Dublin City University (Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) on October 25, 1996.[18] He was a recipient of the 2003 Chicago Innovation Award.[19] He received from the IIT Alumni Association its award for Professional Achievement in 1985, Alumni Medal in 1994 and Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous) 2010.[20]

Patents

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/uoflfoundation_jfm_trustee.jpg University of Limerick Foundation Memorial for John Francis Mitchell - Trustee
  2. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/obit_jfm_original_tribune_summaryu_copy1.jpg "John Francis Mitchell Obituary"
  3. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/?p=john-francis-mitchell-biography John F. Mitchell biography
  4. News: The John Mitchell Quality Tester. June 14, 2009. Chicago Tribune.
    - Sandra Guy, "John F. Mitchell, Longtime Motorola Leader", Chicago Sun-Times, July 2, 2009
  5. Book: Tennant, Geoff. SIX SIGMA: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services - Quality Returns to America. Gower Publishing, Ltd.. 2001. 6. 0566083744.
  6. Stephen Miller, "John Francis Mitchell Retirement", The Wall Street Journal, June 20–21, 2009
  7. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/0xmitchellwilliambridie_copy_copy1.jpg William & Bridie Mitchell, parents of John F. Mitchell
  8. Howard Wolinksky, "Cell Phones, From Brick to Slick", Chicago Sun-Times, pages 57-61, April 3, 2003
  9. News: J.F.Mitchell Biography. 2010. Illinois Institute of Technology.
  10. http://www.historyofthecellphone.com/people/john-mitchell.php "The top 15 Giants in Telephony"
  11. "Motorola Executive Helped spur Cellphone Revolution, Oversaw Ill-fated Iridium Project", The Wall Street Journal, 20–21 June 2009, p. A10.
    - News: John F. Mitchell, 1928–2009: Was president of Motorola from 1980 to '95. Chicago Tribune. June 17, 2009 . 29 July 2009.
  12. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/jfm_archives_hon_degree_iwc_copy3.jpg Biography of John F. Mitchell
  13. News: Iowa Wesleyan College Commencement Address. May 18, 1985 . Mitchell known as an expert on fiscal policy. Purple & White. Iowa Wesleyan College.
  14. News: Jimmy Deenihan MP, Kerry. June 16, 2009. Chicago Tribune.
  15. http://www.ulfoundation.com/news/john-mitchell-1928-2009/ John Mitchell
  16. News: IIT Commencement Award notes. 1995. IIT . Mitchell granted an honorary doctorate of Humane letters & Science.
  17. News: IWC Commencement Award. May 18, 1985 . Purple & White. Iowa Wesleyan College.
    - John Francis Mitchell, Doctor of Business Administration, IWC, May 18, 1983
  18. News: John Francis Mitchell Honorary Graduate Dublin City University (Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath).
  19. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/jfm_chicago_suntimes_20031009.jpg John Francis Mitchell, Ton Kobrinetz, Marty Cooper
  20. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/jfm_archives_-_iit_resume_2010_copy1.jpg Commencement Awards & Notes
  21. http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/images/sundy-germain-qualityimprovement_copy1.jpg "Jack Germain & Art Sundry Key Movers in Creation of Motorola's Six Sigma Culture"