Year Honored: 1992

Birth: 1928 - 2012

Born in: Pennsylvania

Biography

Jane T. Mitchell was the first woman selected as the Master of the Delaware State Grange. The Grange is a “family fraternity supporting agriculture, education, and community betterment.” She was elected to three successive two-year terms, serving from 1986 – 1993.

During her tenure, Mitchell helped to enact the Farmland Preservation Act, brought FFA back to the Cape Henlopen School District, and worked with the State Legislature to create legislation on the Delaware Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, where she later served on the board. She also worked with the Delaware Research for Better Schools Rural Assistance Council, which improved the quality of education in rural schools and the quality of life in rural communities. The council is also the reason Delaware Schools have agricultural programs.

Mitchell worked to preserve the history of farming through support of the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover. She also served as chairperson of the Conservation Committee of the National Grange and was recognized by the State Future Farmers of America for leadership in agriculture.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Sources and Additional Readings

Delawarestate. (2022, January 9). Delaware State Grange. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from http://www.grange.org/delawarestate/

Jane Elizabeth Thomas Mitchell (1928-2012) - find... Find a Grave. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101886713/jane-elizabeth-mitchell