Donald Mitchell, 60, who developed one of the largest non-governmental databases in the country for International Harvester Co. in the 1970s, died Friday, March 3, of heart failure in Tampa, Fla. Mr. Mitchell received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Florida. While there, his professors recognized his aptitude for computer work and got him involved with International Harvester in Chicago. Mr. Mitchell, who lived in Oak Brook and Wheaton, was fascinated by the ability of computers to process a large amount of information in a logical manner, said his wife of 34 years, Brooks. The database he developed at International Harvester allowed the computers in each of the company’s dealers across the country to connect for the first time. “It was a very unusual thing to do. Only the Pentagon had a larger one,” his wife said. “He was just a genius with computers.” Born in Highland Park, Mich., Mr. Mitchell later moved to Florida, where he attended high school and college. After leaving his work with Harvester in 1981, he returned to Florida. He enjoyed camping, boating and singing. In addition to his wife, Mr. Mitchell is survived by a son, Scott; a daughter, Merritt; and two brothers, David and Robert. A memorial service will be held Tuesday in Tampa.
