Remembering Earl Mitchell
Earl Mitchell Jr., Oklahoma State University’s first Black tenured professor, died June 2 at age 83. He had pancreatic cancer.

Born May 16, 1938, in New Orleans to Earl Mitchell Sr. and Mary Duncan-Mitchell, Mitchell took an early interest in science. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Xavier University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Michigan State University.
Mitchell joined the Oklahoma State staff as a research associate in the biochemistry and molecular biology department in 1967, became the university’s first Black tenure-track faculty member in 1969 and received tenure in 1982. He went on to lead the biochemistry department and served as assistant dean of the graduate college and associate vice president for multicultural affairs. He retired from OSU in February 2009.
Mitchell’s research focused on metabolic enzymes in plants, especially crops. He developed approaches for culturing cotton cells in vitro; investigated how mevalonic acid metabolism, a precursor to many plant-specific natural products, differs between chloroplast and cytoplasm; and isolated amylases, sugar breakdown enzymes, from bacteria and malted barley.
At OSU, Mitchell was a leader in the fight for diversity and inclusion, known for his advocacy for underrepresented students. Jason Kirksey, OSU’s vice president for institutional diversity, said in an article in The O’Colley, “Students were able to see themselves in him. He was the success story and was able to communicate the importance of so many things, just by having a conversation.”
Mitchell married his high school sweetheart, Bernice Compton, in 1959, and she died less than a month before he did. According to a family obituary, the couple “worked diligently to weave a network, a tapestry, sewn with the fabric of equality and celebration of culture.”
Mitchell is survived by his three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in People
People highlights or most popular articles

Meet Lan Huang
Molecular & Cellular Proteomics associate editor uses crosslinking mass spec to study protein–protein interactions to find novel therapeutics.

Meet Shannon Reilly
The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter
The Purdue group, led by Orla Hart, developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette, Indiana.

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members
Chi Omega Lambda, which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences, has 16 new inductees in 2025.