By Jason Connors and Kelly Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Sitting in the den of her Greenspring home, Mary Mitchell chronicled the life of her late husband, George W. Mitchell, in a deeply personal biography that serves both as a tribute to the man she loved and as a lasting legacy for his children.

Working toward the future
Mitchell’s book, A Search for Understanding: A Biography of George W. Mitchell, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 1961-1976, centers both on her husband’s personal life and his important work with the Federal Reserve System.

"I wrote the book because I think there’s enough history here to make it interesting, but I primarily did it for George’s four children and my two children from a previous marriage," says Mitchell.

"All of our children knew George as a father, but professionally, they did not know all of his importance. He was a man of broad insights and integrity who never compromised his principles."

Serving others
During his years of service, George Mitchell served as governor (1961 to 1976) and vice chairman (1973 to 1976) of the Federal Reserve. While he had a significant impact on monetary policy, he is most known as an early proponent of a paperless banking system, wherein computers would transfer money between accounts.

In the book, Mitchell accounts how, decades ago, her husband went public with one of the earliest direct deposit programs in the world, saying that the Air Force was almost ready to implement the program. "Of course, the Air Force was not ready," Mitchell says. "But after George made that statement, it put the heat on."

Lasting tribute
Mitchell began writing the biography in 1998, one year after her husband’s death. She credits her move to Greenspring for providing her the time to finish the book.

"I started writing the book in bits and pieces," she says. "When I moved to Greenspring in 2002, I started to realize that I needed to put aside some creative time."