Former U.S. congressman, once the youngest superior court judge in the state, WWII combat pilot, and lifelong resident of Dalton, Harlan Erwin Mitchell, 87, passed away Tuesday while doting on his great grandchildren.
"He was just the coolest man," said his daughter Marylin Davidson of Atlanta."He was literally a man that anyone could look up to and be proud of."
Erwin Mitchell, who went by his middle name, was married for 61 years to his high school sweetheart Helen Jones Mitchell, who died in 2004.
"You never saw two people who loved each other more," said his daughter Leslie Zeller of Dalton.
He joined the Army Air Corps as soon as he turned 18 became a 1st Lieutenant and a P-51 pilot, escorting B-29s on combat missions in the Pacific, earning numerous honors. After the war, he earned a law degree from the University of Georgia and joined his father in the Mitchell & Mitchell law practice in Dalton. After a 17-month return to military service during the Korean War starting in 1950, Mr. Mitchell was elected the state's youngest superior court judge at age 32 in 1956. He left the bench for a stint in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat, and left that office to run for, and serve one term in the Georgia State Senate.
"He left the House for the state (Senate) back in 1960, because he was worried about the schools," Mrs. Davidson said. "He wanted to fight for desegregation."
After serving one term, he returned to his law practice in Dalton where he treated everyone the same, whether they were rich or poor, she said. He joined numerous foundations and remained active his community for decades in wide ranging interests from The Whitfield Healthcare Foundation to the Dalton High Quarterback Club.
In 1990, he helped found The Georgia Project, a nonprofit agency that helped Hispanic immigrants and teachers in Dalton bridge cultural and language barriers. Immigrants, spurred by Georgia's carpet industry increased the number of Spanish speakers in the Dalton area, and the schools needed help with the transition, said Mrs. Zeller. The Georgia Project developed a partnership with the University of Monterrey in Mexico, where Georgia teachers could attend seminars there to learn Spanish and learn about the Mexican culture.
In his later years he received numerous honors for his work on the project.
"He believed in equality and justice and respect for everyone," Mrs. Davidson said. "He always believed in doing the right thing."
In addition to his two daughters, he is survived by his son Erwin Mitchell of Marietta, along with six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, and other relatives.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at the Dalton First United Methodist Church. The family will receive visitors starting at 1 p.m. Arrangements are being handled by the Love Funeral Home, 1402 N. Thornton Ave., Dalton.
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