Mitchell, John (1870–1919)

US labour leader. A founding member of the United Mine Workers (1890), he helped in its first successful national strike (1897), and served as its president (1899–1908), a period in which the union expanded its membership tenfold.

Born in Braidwood, Illinois, Mitchell worked in coal mines from the age of 12 before joining the Knights of Labor in 1885. He was chairman of the New York State Industrial Commission (1915–19).

Mitchell, John (Newton) (1913–1988)

US lawyer and cabinet member. Richard Nixon's 1968 campaign manager and attorney general (1969–73), he used illegal surveillance methods against student radicals and black activists. Convicted of obstruction of justice in the Watergate investigation, he served two years in prison (1977–79).

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Mitchell started out as a wealthy New York investment lawyer (1936–68), specializing in municipal bonds.

Mitchell, John (Galvin) (1931– )

US writer, editor, and journalist. A writer specializing in natural resource interpretation and historical geography, he is noted for such books as The Hunt (1980), and The Man Who Would Dam the Amazon and Other Accounts From Afield (1990).

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he graduated from Yale (BA 1954) and became a journalist for a variety of newspapers, including the New York Journal-American (1958–65). A science editor and swing writer for Newsweek (1965–68), he was a member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (1966–68). His essays, articles, and historical sketches have appeared in numerous periodicals, notably in Audubon, where he was a freelance editor (1976–91).