Nothing Runs Like a Deere
George W. Mixter, great grandson of John Deere, led a remarkable life as an engineer and author. In his will, he left a bequest for a charitable fund to be used for general purposes, with a preference for supporting the care of those with incurable diseases. Over many decades, the George W. Mixter Fund has helped ease people's suffering, providing more than $6.5 million in grants to local nonprofits since its inception.
George Mixter was considered an outstanding engineer, scholar in the science of navigation and a yachtsman. He was the great grandson of John Deere, and a grandson of Christopher Webber, both pioneers in the farm implement field. His father, William, was a professor of Chemistry at Yale.
George was born in Rock Island, Illinois in 1876. He grew up in New Haven and went to New Haven schools before attending Yale University, where his father was a professor of chemistry. After graduating from Yale and doing graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, he took a position within the family's business, Deere & Company. While at the Company, George became a Director and Vice-President, overseeing all fourteen of the Deere plants. He traveled to Europe, Russia and South America on behalf of Deere.
George later became a partner in George W. Goethals & Company Engineers, which was named for the U.S. Army engineer and builder of the Panama Canal. While a partner, Mixter also served as President and General Manager of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company for a short time. Pierce-Arrow supplied cars to the U.S. President and sold cars to the royal families of Japan, Persia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Belgium. George eventually settled as Vice President and a Director at Day & Zimmerman, consulting engineers of Philadelphia.
In 1917, when America entered World War I, George accepted a commission as a major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Rising to the ranks of Colonel, George organized the inspection section and later became chief of aircraft production.
George had a life long passion for boats and sailing which drew him to Bermuda and other ocean races. He is also credited with writing the Primer of Navigation. The book was used to teach navigation to thousands of men in the Navy, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines during World War II.
Mixter died in 1947, and left in his will a bequest to create a fund for general charitable purposes to the New Haven Foundation, with a preference for supporting services for people suffering from incurable diseases.
Since inception, the Mixter Fund has distributed $6.5 million to organizations such as A Place to Nourish Your Health, Project Access, Ability Beyond Disability Inc., Leeway Inc., Clifford Beers Guidance Clinic, and Connecticut Hospice.
Like George Mixter, you or someone you know can create a lasting legacy through a permanent endowment that benefits the community for generations. To learn more, please email Sharon Cappetta or call 203-777-7071.
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