Charles H Mitchell

Charles was born May 25, 1940, in McNary, Arizona to Mason Mitchell, Sr. and Frances Mitchell (Gary). He was raised in Seattle, WA where became a star athlete in football at Garfield high school and the University of Washington (UW) earning All America honors. During his years at UW, Charles played football for the Huskies and was a member of the winning 1961 Rose Bowl team. He was inducted into the Husky Football Hall of Fame in 1992. After graduation from UW, he played professional football for five years with the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills before turning his attention to education.

Charles received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, his Masters in Administration degree from Seattle University and Doctorate of Education degree from Brigham Young University. After earning his advanced degrees, Charles worked briefly for the Governor of Colorado and later for King County Executive John Spellman.

Charles worked for the Seattle Community Colleges for more than 25 years including periods as President of Seattle Central Community College and Chancellor of the Seattle Community College System. In 1987 Charles was named President of Seattle Central Community College. He held the post until 2003. Under Charles’ leadership as President of Seattle Central he oversaw the expansion of enrollment. He also encouraged programs and initiatives that brought in more students of color and students of immigrant backgrounds. His work was recognized by Time magazine which named Seattle Central “College of the Year” in 2001-2002.

In 2003 he was named Chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges and held the post until 2008. While there he administered four campus and six specialized training centers with a total enrollment of more than 55,000 students. After completing five years as leader of Washington State’s largest two-year college district, he was named to lead the Power & Promise multi-year fund-raising campaign for the community college system.

Charles received numerous awards recognizing his educational and community achievements. They include an honorary Ph.D. from Seattle University (2008), the Charles E. Odegaard Award from the University of Washington (2006), and induction into the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2002 he was awarded “Father of the Year” from the American Diabetes Association. In 2001 he won the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from the Phi Theta Kappa Honorary Society. Charles is also a University of Washington “Husky Legend” and has been honored with a UW Minority Affairs Program Alumnus Award. His work to promote the advancement of minority students in higher education was recognized with the Equity Award from the Trustees Association of Washington Community Colleges.

Charles is survived by his children, Julie (Darrin) and Rashad (Kris); grandchildren, Tracey, Michelle, Madden, Christian and Zoe; his sister Audrey (Dalton), brothers Paul and Mason, Jr. (Helen) and a host of nieces and nephews, other relatives and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Nancy, sister Edna and brother Hollis.