Theo Mitchell

Theo Walker Mitchell (born July 2, 1938) is a former attorney from South Carolina who served in the South Carolina General Assembly from 1975 to 1995. He was the first Black South Carolinian to be nominated by a major political party to the office of Governor.

Early life and education Theo Walker Mitchell was born to Clyde D. Mitchell and Dothenia E. Mitchell on July 2, 1938, in Greenville, South Carolina. He grew up in a broken household and his father moved to Newark, New Jersey, to escape the segregationist practices of the South. Upon completion of high school, Mitchell majored in biology at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and he aspired to be a doctor. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Mitchell worked on cancer research in Washington, D.C., but while there he enrolled in law school at Howard University.

Subsequent career Mitchell established the law firm Theo W. Mitchell and Associates in Greenville to specialize in civil rights, human rights and criminal law. As an attorney, he undertook numerous projects for the poor and needy, the consumers, and senior citizens of the county. Mitchell also serves on the board of directors of the LaRouche Movement's Schiller Institute.

Personal life Mitchell married Greta Knight of Pueblo, Colorado, and they had three daughters. Dignitaries present included Greenville Mayor Knox H. White, Urban League of the Upstate CEO and President Gail Wilson, Greenville County Councilmember Alan Mitchell, and Maybelle Butler Randolph, a sister of the late historian Ruth Ann Butler.