Gabriel Heyward Mahon, Jr'

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Gabriel Heyward Mahon, Jr.
Wall of Fame
Class of 1904
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Background

• Born in Williamston, SC on Nov. 11, 1889
• Moved to Greenville, SC in 1898
• Worked in a retail store from 1900-1907
• Worked as a traveling salesman from 1907-1911
• Present at dedication of Sirrine Stadium on
  November 7, 1936
• Died in Greenville on June 11, 1962

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School

• Graduated from Greenville Senior High in 1904
• Attended The Citadel for two years but dropped
  out due to lack of tuition funds
• Eventually graduated in 1909
• Never attended another college but was a trustee
  of the Greenville Womens College from 1921-1936

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War

• Served in WWI as a captain then a major
• Major of the First Battalion of the One Hundred
  and Eighteenth Infantry, Thirtieth Division,
  American Expeditionary Forces
• Received the Purple Heart and Silver Star medals

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Politics

• Elected to Congress on November 3, 1936 due to a
  vacancy caused by the death of John J. McSwain
• Served until January 3, 1939
• Ran for reelection in 1938 but was unsuccessful
• Moved back to Greenville to continue working in
  business

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Interview with G. Heyward Mahon, Jr.s
nephewHeyward Mahon Sullivan

• What was his greatest accomplishment?
• He was somewhat of a World War I hero. He was
  a major serving in Europe during WWI, and he was
  actually shot through the head and a bullet
  entered one side and came out the other and it
  left one side of his face paralyzed. But, it
  didnt affect his speech. He was quite a bit of
  an orator. He was a congressman in the late
  thirties for South Carolina and he was president
  of Heyward Mahon Company, which was probably the
  leading mens clothier in Greenville for many,
  many years. His father Gabriel Heyward Mahon, was
  the mayor of Greenville back in the late 1800s,
  and he was very active in the community of
  Greenville leadership roles and I think with the
  Chamber of Commerce, in fact, there is a picture
  of him, one of the rooms in the Chamber of
  Commerce building is dedicated to him and there
  is a portrait of him there.

Click to proceed to interview pt. 2
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Interview (contd)
Who had the greatest influence on his life? Oh
my gosh, my guess would be his father because his
father was the mayor and also head of a company
called Mahon and Arnold Dept. Store, which I
think was Greenvilles largest department store
and a he was a very successful business man. And
when he left that company became Meyers Arnold,
which was a big department store in Greenville
some years ago. Its no longer there. I mean, I
would have no way of knowing specifically but I
would think his father would have been his
greatest influence. What was your fondest
memory of him? My fondest memory of him, he
hired me when I was in 8th grade to work in the
student department and I was the youngest
employed he ever had cause he was my uncle so I
guess he felt a little partial to me, but it was
a great experience for me, I worked there for
about four or five years when I was in high
school.
Click to proceed next slide
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Works Cited

• www.citadelalumni.org
• www.wpclipart.com/armed_services/Silver_Star.png
• www.willtheyreturn.com/images/purple_heart.jpg
• politicalgraveyard.com/geo/SC/GR.html
• http//portal.progressiverocks.com/nahp/artic-en/G
  abriel20H.20Mahon2C20Jr
• Greenville Chamber of Commerce

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Assignments

• Morgan Research, PowerPoint
• Heather Interview, PowerPoint
• Charlotte Interview, Research