Mobile philanthropist and businessman Abraham A. Mitchell, who earlier this year committed $50 million to the University of South Alabama on its 50th Anniversary, will address graduates at USA�s 2013 Fall Commencement.

Commencement will take place at 2 p.m., Dec. 14, 2013, at the Mitchell Center. In all, 1,644 students are scheduled to graduate, which would bring the total number of degrees awarded to 77,188 throughout USA�s history.

USA is scheduled to award 1,002 bachelor�s degrees, 565 master�s degrees, 79 doctorate degrees and two education specialists. Fall commencement is the graduation exercise for summer and fall terms.

USA and the Mobile County Public School System will partner again this year to provide live streaming of the University�s Fall Commencement. The live coverage begins Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. on the University's Web site at www.southalabama.edu. Recorded video of the event will be available online at the same address following the live Web cast.

Abraham A. Mitchell

A native Mobilian, Abraham Mitchell has had a long and successful business career and is one of the state�s leading philanthropists in support of higher education. In the 1950s, he and his brother, Mayer, co-founded what would become one of the Southeast�s largest real estate companies, specializing in single-family homes, apartments and shopping centers. The Mitchell Company grew into one of Mobile�s largest employers.

Earlier this year, Abraham Mitchell committed $50 million to the University. Half of the gift is for the Mitchell-Moulton Scholarship Initiative; the other half for USA�s Mitchell College of Business.

The bequest brings the family�s total giving to the University of South Alabama to more than $93 million. Abraham, Mayer and Arlene Mitchell�s gift of $22 million to support USA�s Cancer Research Institute resulted in the naming of the Mitchell Cancer Institute in their honor in early 2006.

Abraham Mitchell played a major role in the renovation of USA�s Mitchell College of Business and the addition of a business library and resource center. He has provided full academic scholarships to 28 superior business students annually, as well as funding a challenge grant program to support faculty chairs in business. He assisted with funds to build the Mitchell Center arena and has supported USA athletics in numerous ways. He has endowed faculty chairs in the USA College of Medicine in radiology, cardiology and cancer research.

Mitchell also has donated to other educational institutions and to numerous civic groups and causes.

Mitchell attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor�s degree in law from the University of Alabama and a master�s of law in taxation from the New York University School of Law.

In addition to his business career, Mitchell served as an interim district attorney for Mobile County. He is a member of Congregation Ahavas Chesed and has one son, Brent, who lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Mitchell was bestowed an honorary degree from the University of South Alabama in 2002. He was selected as Mobilian of the Year in 2006.

Parking and Shuttle Info

For graduating students, there will be reserved parking in the parking lot located behind the Mitchell College of Business on Student Services Drive. Admittance to the Physical Education Building lot is limited to graduating students only.

Handicapped parking will be limited but is available for students, family and friends. Entrance to this parking lot will be from Old Shell Road only (behind the Mitchell Center). Proper tags must be visible for access to this lot.

Guests entering at Stadium Drive should park in the Gamma Residence Hall Parking Lot.

Parking signs are posted throughout the campus and shuttle service will be available to park in the posted areas. Directional parking signs will be displayed.

The shuttle service will run from noon-6 p.m. It will deliver guests to the Mitchell Center.

Shuttle pickup and drop-off points are University Commons, Gamma Residence Hall parking lot, Humanities Building parking lot, Administration parking lot and Student Services Drive.