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Joseph S. Mitchell (LAW'52) |
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Former BU trustee Joseph S. Mitchell, Jr., who was the second African-American to serve as a Massachusetts Superior Court judge, died January 14 in his Sarasota, Fla., home. He was 78.
As member of the Board of Trustees between 1969 and 1995, Mitchell (LAW'52) guided the University in myriad ways. “Judge Mitchell served long and ably as chairman of the committee on academic affairs, and offered wise counsel and useful suggestions in matters pertaining to the recruitment and retention of both minority faculty and students,” says President Emeritus John Silber. “He was a good and faithful friend of the University and a close personal friend of Arthur Metcalf and me.”
Appointed to the Superior Court in 1966, Mitchell was an outspoken figure during his 26 years on the bench. Colleagues have praised him as one of the most productive judges on the court.
“He worked long hours to help reduce the backlog of cases,” retired Superior Court Judge Harry Elam told the Boston Globe. “He was one of the hardest working members of the court.”
A native of Boston, Mitchell graduated from English High School and served in the army during World War II. He graduated from Bates College and the Boston University School of Law and then joined his father, Joseph S. Mitchell (LAW'17), in the practice of law.
In his 1992 letter of resignation from the Superior Court, Mitchell wrote, “It has indeed been my privilege and great honor to have served on the court during the past 25 years and I can only hope that my contribution and aid to the careful administration of justice has been a contributing factor to the success of this great court.”
29
January 2004
Boston University
Office of University Relations