Family of Bristol Pediatrician Establishes Memorial Scholarship at UVa-Wise
March 15, 2000

Students at The University of Virginia's College at Wise who plan to pursue a career in a health-related field will benefit from the generosity of the family of a local doctor.

Dr. Joe Mitchell dedicated his life to the practice of medicine. The Bristol pediatrician passed away on Aug. 22, 1997, at the age of 74. Now Dr. Mitchell's wife and four children want to help others have the opportunity to work in the field he loved.

"My dad was a pediatrician who served a lot of people from this area," said Preston Mitchell, a history teacher in Wise County and former basketball coach at UVa-Wise. "There were many people who drove from all parts of Southwest Virginia to see him at his office in Bristol."

The Dr. Joe Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Fund will be awarded to a student enrolled in pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, or medical technology. Academic achievement will be the primary factor in final determination of awards, with preference given to students from Southwest Virginia. Scholarships will be awarded to a rising junior or senior and may be renewable based on academic performance. Delya Pilkenton of Wise and Calli Sutherland of Dante are the first UVa-Wise students to benefit from the Mitchell family's generosity.

Dr. Mitchell was a graduate of The Citadel and the University of Virginia Medical School, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Society and The Raven, a University honor society. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1966 in both active and reserve status. He practiced pediatrics in Bristol for more than 30 years and the taught both part-time and full-time at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine from 1975 until his retirement in 1989 as Emeritus Professor.

Dr. Mitchell and his wife, Marjorie, a nurse, encouraged their children to obtain an education. All have successful careers: daughter Meredith Skelton works as a research scientist at the Medical College of Wisconsin; daughter Marjorie Greene is a lawyer in Milwaukee; and son Doug Mitchell is a field director of the Boy Scouts in Bristol. Son Preston Mitchell chose to study history at his father's alma mater, The Citadel.

"My dad had a deep interest in history; that was his hobby," Mitchell said. "My father was a man of the highest integrity," Mitchell said.

"The liberal arts education is intended to perfect the characters of students, to expand their horizons, and to make them the best possible people they can be. My family and I hope this scholarship can help students reach these goals."

For more information about the Dr. Joe Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Fund, contact R. Winston Ely, Director of Planned Giving at (540) 328-0132 or by mail at UVa-Wise, 1 College Avenue, Wise, VA 24293.