Distinguished Alumni Award
H. Mitchell D'Olier 68BA, 71JD
A skilled lawyer and business executive with a passion for philanthropy, H. Mitchell "Mitch" D'Olier has been advocating for the people of the 50th state for the last 50 years. He also has helped his fellow Hawkeyes by serving as a member of the Iowa Law School Foundation Board of Directors.
After graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law, the Chicago native became a partner in the Honolulu law firm of Goodsill, Anderson, Quinn, and Stifel, where he practiced tax and corporate law for more than two decades.
D'Olier went on to work as chief operating officer of Hawaiian Airlines and as chief executive officer of Victoria Ward, Limited, and currently is chair of Kaneohe Ranch Company and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation—Hawaii's largest private foundation.
His expansive volunteerism has had far-reaching and positive effects on the state's citizens and ecosystems. The breadth of his service includes reforming real estate policies, restoring coral reefs, fundraising for Hawaii's largest community center, and promoting educational change.
"Throughout the 25 years I have known Mitch, I've witnessed and admired the quality, impact, and sheer quantity of his community service in Hawaii," says Terrence George, president and chief executive officer of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.
Thanks to a lifetime of exemplary community service, legal counsel, and corporate leadership, D'Olier has demonstrated a commitment to service that may be even stronger than his Midwestern work ethic. He has devoted himself to investing in the communities and causes most important to him.
About Distinguished Alumni Awards
Since 1963, the University of Iowa has annually recognized accomplished alumni and friends with Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: Achievement, Service, Hickerson Recognition, Faculty, Staff, Recent Graduate, and Friend of the University.