Throughout his exemplary career, Sen. George J. Mitchell has strived to make real his vision of public service: "to act for the larger and common good." Born of immigrant roots in the state of Maine, he rose to the positions of prosecutor, judge, U.S. Senator and Majority Leader, serving in the Senate for 14 years.

Sen. Mitchell enjoyed bipartisan respect during his tenure. It has been said "there is not a man, woman or child in the Capitol who does not trust George Mitchell." For six consecutive years he was voted "the most respected member" of the Senate by a bi-partisan group of senior Congressional aides.

Sen. Mitchell, a former litigator and federal judge, is honored for his role in brokering the Northern Ireland peace accord, serving as Chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland. Under his leadership an historic accord, the Good Friday Agreement, ending decades of conflict, was agreed to by the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland. In May 1998, the agreement was overwhelmingly endorsed by the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum. Sen. Mitchell also serves as Chairman of the International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of crises in international affairs. At the request of the British and Irish Governments, he served as Chairman of the International Commission on Disarmament in Northern Ireland.

Sen. George Mitchell was appointed to the Senate in 1980 to complete the unexpired term of Sen. Edmund Muskie, and was elected to a full term in 1982. He was reelected in and left the Senate in 1995 as the Senate majority leader, a position he held since 1989. While in the Senate, he served on the Finance, Veterans Affairs, and Environment and Public Works Committees. His work led to the enactment of nursing home standards in 1987 and evaluation of medical care outcomes in 1989. On the Finance Committee, he concentrated on Medicare, welfare reform and tax fairness legislation. Mitchell led the successful 1990 reauthorization of the Clean Air Act, including new controls on acid rain toxins. He was the author of the first national oil spill prevention and clean up law. He was also a leading force behind the passage in 1991 of a major transportation bill; led the Senate to passage of the nation's first childcare bill; and was principal author of the low income housing tax credit program. Additionally, he was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation extending civil rights protections to the disabled.

Sen. Mitchell's efforts also led to the passage of a higher education bill that expanded opportunities for millions of Americans. He was a leader in opening markets to trade and led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization.

Sen. Mitchell received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in 1954, and then served in Berlin as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps until 1956. He received an LLB decree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1960. From 1960 to 1962, he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, DC. From 1962 to 1965, he served as Executive Assistant to Senator Muskie. In 1965, he returned to Maine and remained in private law practice in Portland until 1977. He was then appointed U.S. Attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed U.S. District Judge for Maine. He resigned that position in 1980 to accept appointment to the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Mitchell is the author of four books. With his colleague, Sen. Bill Cohen of Maine, he wrote Men of Zeal on the Iran-Contra investigation; World on Fire on the greenhouse effect and ways to curb the threat; Not for American Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and the Fall of Communism; and in 1999, Making Peace, an account of his experience in Northern Ireland.

Upon leaving the Senate, Sen. Mitchell joined the Washington, DC law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand. He serves on the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company, Federal Express Corporation, Xerox Corporation, UNUM Insurance Corporation, KTI Inc., Unilever, Staples, Inc. and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He is President of the Economic Club of Washington, and served as Chair of the Special Commission investigating allegations of impropriety in the bidding process for the Olympic games and as Chairman of the National Health Care Commission.

For his service in Northern Ireland, Sen. Mitchell has received the presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that the U.S. Government can give, as well as the Philadelphia Liberty Medal; the Truman Institute Peace Prize; and the German Peace Prize.

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