There aren't many legends left in the brokerage business. Their number became one fewer in September with the sale of Professional Life Management Company, leading Detroit area independent life brokerage agency of over 30 years' tenure, by E.R. "Gene" Mitchell. Though he's out of the business, Gene insists he's not retired. Doesn't like the word. Nor do I.
Gene Mitchell entered the life business in 1959 as an agent for Connecticut Mutual. By 1961 he moved into management with Sun Life of Canada and in 1962 established a brokerage office for Continental American. In 1967 he began true multiple-company independent brokerage operation, representing such companies as First Colony, National Fidelity and Charter National Life.
Gene has been honored in the industry as winner of the Kemper Life Companies' President's Trophy (1982), Agency of the Year for Life of Virginia (1984-85), and leading franchise for Forth Financial Network (1991-94). He is a past member of the advisory boards of American Agency Life, Life of Virginia, Metropolitan Life Brokerage and Midland Life; and past president of the Charter National Life Advisory Board. He is a member and past vice president of Brokerage Resources of America and a member of NAILBA and AALU.
His civic involvement has been extensive and varied, to say the least. He is a founding member of the United States Space Foundation and the Mental Illness Research Association. He is a member of the Board of Visitors, Oakland University School of Business Ad-
ministration, a member of the Citizen's Council for Michigan Public Universities and a member of the board of the North Oakland Medical Center Foundation and a past member of the Medical Credentials Committee of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Detroit, and the Judicial Conference of the United States' Committee on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, 6th District.
Gene's special interest in golf has led him to membership on the advisory board of the Professional Golfers Association of Michigan, membership on the Tournament Committee of the Kaline-Gehringer Golf Tournament
and the General Chairmanship of the Alex Karras Celebrity Golf Classic from 1970 to 1976. In that connection he is a past chairman of Alex Karras Charities, raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis, Ronald McDonald House, Crittenton Hospital, Fairlawn Foundation, the Amateur Athletic Union, and others.
He has been especially active in the Detroit area March of Dimes. From 1984 to 1986 he served as General Chairman of the March of Dimes Sweetheart Ball In 1987 he received the Humanitarian Award of March of Dimes and from 1988 to 1993 was recognized as Honorary Chairman of the Sweetheart Ball. He is a past director of the Metro Detroit March of Dimes and a past member of its Executive and Steering Committees. He is also a life member of the Life Insurance Leaders of Michigan (won their Humanitarian Award in 1984), the Economics Club of Detroit, the University of Michigan President's and Victor's Clubs, the Oakland University President's Club, and a member of the Detroit 100 Club.
Gene and Susan, his wife of 40 years, have three children, son Robert, a neurologist; daughter Elizabeth, a home-maker; and daughter Stacey, an attorney now raising a family. There are six grandchildren.
Among his closest personal friends Gene numbers Apollo 13 Astronaut Jack Swigert and nationally acclaimed basketball coaches Johnny Orr, Steve Fisher, and Bobby Knight, as well as a host of colleagues, cohorts and contemporaries in the life brokerage business. We asked a few from the business who have been most closely associated with Gene Mitchell over the years for candid appraisals, with these results.