James Loften Mitchell (1919–2001) was an American playwright and theatre historian who was part of the black American theatre movement of the 1960s. He was a Professor in the Department of Theater and the Department of African-American Studies, at the State University of New York at Binghamton, from 1971-1985. The Loften Mitchell papers includes playscripts, reviews, production notes, lecture notes, personal and business correspondence, and memorabilia.

These items were primarily assembled between 1962 and 1995 by members of the Binghamton University Theatre Department. The main focus of this collection is theater but there are also materials relating to motion pictures, music and dance. Included are scrapbooks, programs, photographs, and ephemera such as tickets and broadsides.