Celebrating Service and Education with the Dr. Thomas C. Mitchell Education Scholarship

Semper Paratus. It’s a latin phrase meaning “Always Ready,” and serves as the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard. It’s also a fitting way to describe the late Thomas “Tom” C. Mitchell, Ed. D, professor and vice chancellor for student affairs at IU Southeast from 1975 to 1993.

Tom was a big believer in service to one’s country and community. He was a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Naval Reserves, where he retired with the rank of captain. His strong sense of duty and work ethic was passed along to his sons, Greg and Doug. Greg graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1990. Doug graduated with a B.A. in history from IU Southeast in 1996 and went on to serve 15 years as a flight paramedic in the U.S. Army.

Tom also revered education and helping students achieve their goals. This extended to his wife of 57 years as well. He encouraged her to get her master’s degree and instead, she decided to pursue a nursing degree with his full support.

“Tom always loved the university setting and environment,” said Barbara Mitchell. “Education has always been very important to our entire family.”

A Stickler for Doing Things the Right Way

Tom primarily taught statistics at IU Southeast during his tenure and was popular among students for making the dry topic into a fun and engaging course. He was also very keen on working directly with students and guiding them to do what was right for them and their situation. He dealt compassionately and honestly with all his students.

Barbara recalls one particular student that Tom counseled in the 1980’s who faced a tough dilemma.

“This young man from Jeffersonville was not doing well in class,” said Barbara. “He was making pizzas at his father’s tavern and didn’t have enough time to study. Tom was straight with him and told him he needed to decide—either it was pizza or school. The young man chose pizza, and that turned out pretty well for him since he was the founder of Papa John’s Pizza—John Schnatter. Tom was always intent on making sure that students were doing things right, even if that meant making difficult decisions.”

Tom was also an early supporter of building on-campus housing for students and was instrumental in setting up childcare centers for IU Southeast staff.

The Dr. Thomas C. Mitchell Scholarship Honors the Man Who Was “Always Ready”

Tom’s family is honoring him by creating the Dr. Thomas C. Mitchell Scholarship to be given to students majoring in education with a preference for Floyd County residents.

“This endowed scholarship is very important to all of us because Tom was very student-first focused,” said Barbara. “This will financially help students receive a quality education. I have thought about this scholarship and while the recipients may not know who Thomas C. Mitchell was, they will know that he cared enough to provide them support when they needed it.”