The Iverson Story:
From New York to California to Texas!
How it all began - and other tall tales of E.V. Iverson
E.V.
Iverson, born in Reynolds, North Dakota, was a first generation American-born
Norwegian and the second of six children. As a small boy, he moved with his
family to Badger, Minnesota where his father established a general store.
In
his community on the great flyway, hunting was a way of life. As a child,
he learned how to hunt ducks and geese. By the time he was in high school
he was acting as a guide for groups of visiting hunters who were likely
organized by his father. Most of these men called by mouth with varying
degrees of success.
In
1917 he graduated from the United States Naval Academy and began his
29-year career with the Navy. He also began experimenting with making
various hand held duck calls as a hobby. Hunting became a sport that he
enjoyed with friends whenever he had time.
In
1943, now married with two children, he lived in a rented brownstone house
in New York's Greenwich Village. As a Commander in the Navy, he was
attached to the Brooklyn Naval Yard as Damage Control Officer.
In
1945 while convalescing from minor surgery in the Brooklyn Naval Hospital,
he had access to the hospitals physical therapy wood working shop. The
result was his first "commercial" hand-made, hardwood Iverson duck call.
Work on the Iverson calls continued when he went home. He set up a
workspace in the brownstone's basement kitchen. It was there he shaped,
tuned and tested those early Iverson calls.
So
impressed was Mr. Iverson's wife, she showed the Iverson duck call to the
staff at Abercrombie and Fitch's hunting department in New York. A request
for calls to sell followed. Later these calls came to the attention of New
York City's Museum of Modern Art. Their design and beauty won them a place
in the museum's permanent collection.
Demand for these calls continued to grow. Following his retirement from
the Navy after World War II, he was able to devote his full time and
energy to making Iverson duck calls. Made by hand from treated,
non-absorbing hardwoods such as rosewood, ebony, cocobolo, briar and teak.
These Iverson calls eventually became known in hunting shops and sporting
good stores across the United States.
In
May of 1976, E.V. sold Iverson Duck Calls to Emery Mitchell of Novato,
California.
The Legend continues - Emery Mitchell buys the business.
In
1975, his son, Jason, gives Emery a Rosewood Iverson Duck Call for
Christmas. Emery’s introduction to Iverson duck calls leads him to
introduce himself to E.V. Iverson. On that first phone call, and much to
his surprise, he discovers that Mr. Iverson has just decided to sell his
duck call business. With his love for and background in woodworking,
waterfowling, duck calling and fine art he expressed immediate interest in
purchasing the business. He is very proud of the fact that Mr. Iverson
chose him above many others to succeed him in his cherished work in May of
1976. It was Mr. Iverson's desire to pass the Iverson Duck Call Company on
to someone who would love the work as he did, and that is precisely what
Emery did.
In 1938, Emery Mitchell is born in San Francisco, California. He spends
his formative years near the waters of San Francisco Bay. He carves his
first decoy, a drake Sprig, at the age of 10. In 1952 he climbs on a bus
headed for San Francisco. He makes his way to a sporting good store and
purchases an English Acme mallard call. He learns to use the call from a
one-page article in Popular Mechanics magazine. That fall he calls his
first duck & becomes incredibly devoted to waterfowling.
He marries Lucy Ellen McGuinness in 1961. That same year, he attends
Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles and studies painting, sculpture and
illustration. He graduates with honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree. In 1963 and for a little over a decade he works as a commercial
artist in several different capacities. He builds a 12-foot duck skiff in
the classic San Francisco Bay tradition. (Picture by Rich
Radigonda)
In
1983 he designs and develops Iverson's first Iverson "Timber" duck call.
In 1987 he designs, develops and introduces the Iverson World Champion
Field Call. That year his design wins the World Duck Calling Championship
in Stuttgart Arkansas.
In 1988 he introduces the very popular Iverson Super Standard and Super
Timber duck calls. In 1998 he is honored by California State Senate
Resolution 1532 commending Iverson Duck Calls for its community service.
"Mr. Iverson's duck calls were of the highest
quality during the height of the Tom Terpin and Andy Bowles era. In
essence, he had continued to carry on that quality and tradition right up
to the time he passed the baton to me," said Emery. "When Mr. Iverson
turned his duck call making business over to me, I received from him the
admonition and the responsibility to continue excellence and to continue
to improve the duck calls as did the makers that preceded me. My job was
to carry on the quality and the tradition of the work that he loved so
much
In 2002, Emery turns Iverson Duck Calls over to his son, Jason Mitchell of
Dallas, Texas.
The Tradition Continues - Jason Mitchell takes the helm from his father, Emery Mitchell.
"I
am honored to assume the responsibility of a company whose soul
encompasses over 75 years of history & which for the last 25 years I have
helped to shape, I am excited by the challenge of taking this art & craft
that my father has so carefully developed. Working closely with him, we
have ensured that the Iverson calls that hunters have grown to love &
collect will continue to be proudly held & used in the field for
generations to come."
(2002)
In the early 70's Jason begins regularly braving the sometime violent
waters of San Pablo Bay with his father. They will set up in the tulles
with his father’s hand made 12-foot skiff. After the dive bombing
Bluebill and Teal have emptied his boxes of shells, he will take a shot of
Wild Turkey offered from Dad’s friend Dave. Jason is hooked . . . on
ducks, not the Wild Turkey!
In 1975, at the age of 12, Jason walks into Abercrombie & Fitch retail
store. He isn't looking for a pair of hip, low riding jeans, but a duck
call for his father, Emery. He finds an Iverson Duck Call, hand made in
Rosewood. He purchases and gives this duck call to his father for
Christmas, and has no idea that one day he will become the owner of
Iverson Duck Calls.
Despite the early comedy of errors on the drills, saws and lathes, Jason
begins a fascination with duck calls and calling. Jason pours over any
sound of a mallard or recording that he can get his hands on. He becomes
quite good at mimicking the sounds of live ducks. Later he helps
co-write, co-produce and co-record Duck Calling Instructional Cassette
that is still available from the Iverson Duck Call Company.
The late 80's sees Jason settle into full time management of operations
and production at Iverson. His fascination with the duck call turns
competitive as he begins throwing his hat into duck calling contests. In
1987 he is the West Coast Regional Duck Calling Champion and a World Duck
Calling Contestant. In 1988 he takes first place Open Class in the Suisun
Marsh Duck Calling Contest. He wins the West Coast Regional Championship
again in 1990 year but waives on his opportunity to go to Stuttgart
again. In 1991 he becomes the North American Duck Calling Champion and
again competes at the World Duck Calling Contest.
The 90’s are a busy time of transition. Jason
begins Seminary in Southern California. He sets up a duck call shop and
puts himself through graduate school. He meets his wife Cheryl. They
move to Vancouver, WA in 1993. Together they start and Pastor a
church with a group of friends in the area. Jason sets up another Iverson Duck
Call Shop in WA, he trains a friend to do much of the work for the next
several years while he is busy with the church.
In
1995 Jason and Cheryl adopt a back yard dog named Jack. He is half Golden
Retriever and half Labrador and he has retrieved nearly every duck for
Jason since. Five years later Jack will go on to star in a film "Summer
Job". Jack receives only accolades and no awards for his stellar
performance.
