MITCHELL: MAN ON A MISSION DISCOVERY, College of Science

[COVER STORY] As a senior in high school, cusp of the cosmos where It all started with a telephone call George Mitchell couldn’t Mitchell’s support—not to mention between two old friends, Mitchell the resulting Texas A&M Physics and A&M physics professor Peter learn enough about phenomenon—is concerned. McIntyre. Mitchell had been physics. Voraciously he watching a PBS special featuring pored through textbooks, What began in 2002 as a simple Hawking, in which Hawking $800,000 verbal agreement revealed that one of his greatest novels and popular science between old friends intended to disappointments in physics was magazines, reading help bring one of Mitchell’s biggest the 1993 cancellation of the Texas everything he could get his heroes, Cambridge University Superconducting Super Collider theoretical physicist Stephen (SSC) project. hands on in an effort to Hawking, to the Texas A&M campus satisfy his curiosity about has mushroomed into nearly $45 Mitchell could identify—on several matter, energy and the million in support from the Houston levels. On top of common interest petroleum engineer/real estate in fundamental physics, he realized broader mysteries of the developer and his wife, Cynthia, he and Hawking also shared universe. He even tried his and spawned a supernova-like a universal disappointment—a hand at building his own legacy, both for the Department particularly painful one for Mitchell, and for the future of fundamental because he was directly involved. telescope. physics.

Although he eventually followed his brother Johnny’s footsteps “HAVING TALENTED PHYSICISTS COME TO TEXAS to Texas A&M University and the field of petroleum engineering, A&M CREATES EXCITEMENT, WHICH ATTRACTS making a career out of finding STUDENTS NOT ONLY IN PHYSICS, BUT ALSO IN oil and gas where no one else could, Mitchell never outgrew ENGINEERING AND OTHER SUBJECTS.” his fascination for physics. Six decades later, he has turned that fixation into a phenomenon as the “George and Cynthia have become Back in 1985, it was Mitchell’s own catalyst in a spectacular chain of extraordinary supporters of our research think-tank, the Houston events destined to catapult Texas department,” said Dr. Edward S. Advanced Research Center (HARC) A&M’s Department of Physics into Fry, professor and head of physics. consortium, that had beaten out international prominence. And “Out of the total of their gifts in the prestigious national competition— now, he’s armed with the world’s last three years, $6.91 million has including FermiLab and other biggest telescope. been for the creation of permanent prominent West Coast research endowments in the department. powerhouses—to build the highly Thanks to a $1.75 million gift from Furthermore, because these gifts coveted particle accelerating Mitchell, Class of 1940, Texas have provided seed funding for tube which boasted the potential A&M is one of eight partners in matching gifts, the total of new to redefine high-energy physics. the Giant Magellan Telescope, endowments in Physics in the Armed with a powerful magnet a $500 million state-of-the-art, last three years is more than $14 developed in part by McIntyre, next-generation wonder that will million.” Mitchell’s HARC team had visions produce images 10 times sharper of finding exotic sub-atomic than those of the Hubble and particles, such as the Higgs boson help launch Texas A&M into an FLASHBACK: PHYSICAL and the top quark, as they put academic area where it’s never CONNECTIONS to the ultimate test some of the been before—astronomy. most intriguing theories of physics, Throughout his successful business including many of Hawking’s. “Hubble is the most important career, Mitchell has cultivated instrument we’ve had in the past 25 interests in philanthropy, civics and After eight years and $3 billion years,” Mitchell says. “If the Giant global issues ranging from the spent, the project was abruptly Man on a Mission Magellan is capable of pushing the environment to the implications of shut down, and all Mitchell and AGGIE’S PASSION FOR SPACE, DISCOVERY HELPS FUEL PHYSICS’ METEORIC RISE mysteries of space back four times science and sustainable technology. his team had to show for their from what the Hubble did, that will However, it is his interest in ingenious hard work was a barren be phenomenal.” cultivating personal relationships to plot of broken land outside which Texas A&M Physics owes its Waxahachie, Texas, and the empty M But for all its unparalleled potential, current success. shell of an elusive dream. To the GMT represents merely the add insult to injury, rather than PHOTO: © 2005 JOHN LEWIS PHOTO:

8 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | WWW.SCIENCE.TAMU.EDU 9 MITCHELL: MAN ON A MISSION DISCOVERY, College of Science

the Texas-born SSC, Mitchell and Hawking’s respect, admiration MITCHELL ON MITCHELL the rest of the world now look to and friendship. Nanopoulos, a Europe’s Large Hadron Collider distinguished professor of physics, being built at CERN in Switzerland has pioneered some of the most to lead the universal hunt for new important links between the present MANAGEMENT 101 forms of matter beginning in 2007. understanding of high-energy physics and the ultimate unification “IF THE GIANT MAGELLAN IS CAPABLE OF PUSHING THE “I went to school 23 His regret reignited by Hawking’s with superstrings. In addition, hours a semester. I MYSTERIES OF SPACE BACK 10 TIMES FROM WHAT THE had to get out in four revelation, Mitchell dialed up Nanopoulos, like McIntyre and years, so I took a McIntyre. In his search for Fry, had previous associations with HUBBLE DID, THAT WILL BE PHENOMENAL.” five-year petroleum commiseration, he unknowingly HARC and some of its biggest engineering and inspired a new challenge, one research and technological geology program with equally groundbreaking contributions. in four. international implications. “I had a tough time After hearing their proposal, financially. At one point, I “At that time, our department was which called for an institute and a remember sending my father a wire under a growing threat,” McIntyre chair named for Hawking that, by saying, ‘I’m at the top of my class, but if I can’t come up with $50 for room recalls. “Our excellent group design, would attract some of the and board, they’re going to kick me of faculty in theoretical particle world’s most eminent physicists out.’ My father wrote to Sam Maceo, physics had been raided by other to Texas A&M each year, Mitchell a friend of the family, to ask for the universities, and fresh raids were agreed to commit $800,000 to money. Sam gave him $100—so he on the horizon. We thought the best the project if the Department could sent me $50 and kept the other $50.” way to counter such raiding was pull it off. All that remained was to make our department a focus convincing Hawking. FUZZY MATH of growth and exciting “To support myself financially while in development “AS TIME GOES ON, MORE IMPORTANT school, I started a stationery business. in that area I had agents in every dorm on campus ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE GOING TO START COMING of physics. It and was making $300 a month by my OUT OF TEXAS A&M.” senior year. occurred to us that we “After graduation, I took a job with might be able to enlist Mr. Mitchell Ironically, as a result of one Amoco making $166 a month.” to help us to make Texas A&M an dream dashed, Mitchell got to see exciting focus for string theory and another fulfilled. Pope contacted PARENTAL CHALLENGES cosmology, and perhaps also enlist Hawking, who agreed to meet with Professor Hawking to spend part of Mitchell and the A&M contingent “I learned how to play tennis up his time here.” in Pasadena, California, where against the wall growing up in Hawking was spending time at the Galveston. At Texas A&M, I was captain my senior year—that’s why we After talking with Mitchell, McIntyre California Institute of Technology. got beat half the time! Texas and Rice consulted with Fry, who suggested beat us every year. that McIntyre call Mitchell back “He’s a wonderful person with to arrange a meeting to discuss a great reputation all over the the Department’s vision of its world,” Mitchell says. “We spent own think-tank for physics but on about three-to-four hours with him a global basis—specifically, an to convince him to get involved annual institute featuring Hawking with the Texas A&M Department of as its centerpiece and namesake Physics.” to reflect Mitchell’s admiration for him. In fact, it was Hawking who suggested that Texas A&M name “When I was 40, I told my children Joining McIntyre and Fry in the institute in honor of Mitchell if any of them could beat me at ten- both the visioning and meeting and the chair for him. Thus, the nis before I turned 60, I would give [the winner] $500. I had four or five were Texas A&M high-energy George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell challengers, but none of them ever theorists Christopher Pope and Institute for Fundamental Physics collected. Dimitri Nanopoulos. Pope, a and the Stephen Hawking Chair in prominent architect of superstring Fundamental Physics were born. “When I turned 60, they asked me if modules of the universe, had The rest, as they say, is history—or, I’d raise it to 70.”
earned his doctorate working more appropriately, the future of with Hawking at Cambridge Texas A&M Physics. in the 1970s, not to mention PHOTO: © 2005 TODD MASON, CARNEGIE OBSERVATORIES MASON, © 2005 TODD PHOTO:

10 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | WWW.SCIENCE.TAMU.EDU 11 MITCHELL: MAN ON A MISSION DISCOVERY, College of Science

CURRENT MITCHELL CHAIR HOLDERS  ABOUT THE PHOTO George Mitchell ’40 (seated, middle) has committed BUILDING A DREAM $35 million toward two Texas A&M physics buildings, to be designed by Michael Graves (seated, left). Also present at the signing ceremony were A&M President Robert M. Gates (seated, right) and (standing, left to right) Science Director of Development Don Birkelbach; Texas A&M Foundation Senior Vice President Jim Palincsar; Physics Professors and Mitchell Chair Holders Dr. Peter McIntyre, Dr. Christopher Pope and Dr. Edward Fry; and Dean of Science H. Joseph Newton. PHOTO: © 2005 ROBB KENDRICK PHOTO:

PRESTIGIOUS ATTRACTIONS that people will want to come to see—beautiful additions to Physics Three years, four landmark and to Texas A&M,” he says. George and Cynthia Mitchell’s generous gifts to Texas A&M Physics EDWARD FRY PETER MCINTYRE DIMITRI NANOPOLOUS conferences and eight additional endowed positions later, the Beyond buildings and uncharted during the past three years no doubt spheres of knowledge and have played a leading role in the sky truly seems to be the limit Department’s skyrocketing national for a program—and a broader influence, Mitchell elects to focus visibility. However, the couple’s most relationship—whose star is on putting his resources where recent $35 million commitment definitely on the rise. he thinks they can do the most toward construction of two campus good. His current funding priorities buildings has ensured another include health research—in unprecedented benefit much closer “I’m very interested in trying to help to home—consolidated teaching and Texas A&M because Texas A&M particular, Alzheimer’s disease research activities—while also earning is very interested in fundamental as he helplessly watches Cynthia them a special place in A&M history. physics,” Mitchell explains. “Having slip further and further into talented physicists come to Texas its clutches—and sustainable The Mitchells’ latest gift, the largest thus far under Texas A&M’s current A&M creates excitement, which development, an area where he $1 billion capital campaign, is attracts students not only in physics, continues to work with the National the most generous ever made to but also in engineering and other Academy of Sciences to find the University by a living donor. In subjects. I’m interested in what’s solutions to pressing global social, combination with their earlier multi- happening in the far reaches of economic and environmental million-dollar contributions, this gift ranks the Mitchells among the most space, and I’m equally interested issues. financially supportive benefactors in in helping Texas A&M enhance its the University’s 129-year history. prestige.” As for his alma mater and its many worthy causes, Mitchell firmly The two buildings, which will be believes he can do the most for joined, will serve as the future homes While his previous efforts at A&M of the George P. and Cynthia W. enhancement have been limited Texas A&M’s prestige by working Mitchell Institute for Fundamental to the financial, Mitchell’s future with Physics. Physics and a second Departmental promotional plans include a foray facility that University officials propose PHOTO: © 2005 KIM COFFMAN, DANCIE WARE PUBLIC RELATIONS WARE DANCIE © 2005 KIM COFFMAN, PHOTO: into the physical. In cooperation “I think they have the vehicle to name the George P. Mitchell ’40 that can make it work,” he adds. Physics Building. The two structures with University administration, will provide about 155,000-square- he’s commissioned legendary “Much like with the Hubble, as feet of floor space for teaching and architect Michael Graves to time goes on, more important research in various aspects of physics. design two buildings—a five- announcements are going to start story, $12 million facility to house coming out of Texas A&M. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2006. Although plans are the Mitchell Institute as well as a still being finalized, Dr. Edward S. $45 million central home for the “We don’t know what dark energy Fry, professor and head of Physics, Department of Physics—that will or dark matter are right now, but says the Mitchell Institute building will serve as permanent showpieces, I think a lot of work can be done include office space for two-thirds of both for quality architecture and and that Texas A&M Physics will the Department’s faculty as well as a center for national/international the untapped potential of public- play a lead role in it. But we’ve got conferences and meetings, particularly private partnerships. The two to make it produce results. With the those related to astrophysics and buildings will be financed through GMT [complete in 2016] and some astronomy. The larger Departmental a combination of a $35 million gift of the world’s top people, I give it facility will house research from Mitchell and $22 million in 10 years.” laboratories, offices for the remaining third of the faculty, three new lecture CHRISTOPHER POPE HANS SCHEUSSLER NICHOLAS SUNTZEFF one-time University funds.


halls, classrooms and new additional undergraduate laboratory space.
“Hopefully the buildings will be

focal points of Texas A&M’s campus PUBLIC RELATIONS WARE DANCIE © 2005 KIM COFFMAN, PHOTO:

12 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | WWW.SCIENCE.TAMU.EDU 13