Sidney Zollicoffer Mitchell

Inducted: 1985

Sidney Zollicoffer Mitchell was born in Dadeville in Tallapoosa County. Mitchell and the electric industry grew up together. Before entering the electric industry, Mitchell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served on the U.S.S. Trenton, the first battleship in the world to have incandescent lights which Mitchell helped to install and operate. Intrigued about an opportunity to organize electric light companies, Mitchell went to see Thomas A. Edison. Impressed with Mitchell's enthusiasm, Edison sent him to learn about generators. In 1885, the agency for Edison products in the Northwest became available, and Mitchell applied for and obtained the rights as exclusive agent. He and Frederick H. Sparling set out to create a market for incandescent lamps in Seattle. In order to finance an electric plant, the two obtained contracts for the sale of the lamps and used the contracts to build a waterfront generating plant, the first center station electric light plant west of the Rocky Mountains. They took in an additional partner and incorporated themselves as the Northwest Supply & Construction Co. By 1888, they had organized lighting companies in 13 other cities in the territory. The Edison General Electric Co. initiated unification of all its agencies and purchased Northwest Supply & Construction Co. before merging with Thomson-Houston Co. to form General Electric Company. In 1893, Mitchell met and married Alice P. Bell. Mitchell assisted in organizing General Bond and Share Company, which under Mitchell's leadership as president and later chairman of the board, grew to one of the largest holding companies in the world. In 1927, he attended the dedication of Jordan Dam, named in honor of his mother, and three years later built a hunting lodge in his native Alabama.