| Elisha Mitchell | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Rev. Elisha Mitchell, 1858 |
|
| Born | August 19 1793 Washington, Connecticut, USA |
| Died | June 27 1857 Yancey County, North Carolina, USA |
| Residence |  USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Field | Chemist and Geologist |
| Institutions | University of North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Known for | Proving Mt. Mitchell was highest mountain east of the Rockies |
Elisha Mitchell (August 19, 1793 - June 27, 1857) was born in Washington, Connecticut. As a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in 1835, he measured the height of Mt. Mitchell. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. It is located in North Carolina and is 6,684 feet (2,037 m) high. Elisha Mitchell fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, having returned to verify his earlier measurements. In 1881-82 the U.S. Geological Survey upheld Mitchell's measurement of the highest peak in the eastern US and officially named it Mount Mitchell. The Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society, published by the North Carolina Academy of Science, was founded in his honor in 1883.
