Gabriel Heyward Mahon, Jr.
Wall of Fame
Class of 1904
Background
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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
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 Women’s
College from 1921-1936
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
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
Interview
with G. Heyward Mahon, Jr.’s nephew
Heyward 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 didn’t 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
men’s 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
Interview (cont’d)
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 Greenville’s 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. It’s 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
Works Cited
• www.citadelalumni.org
• www.wpclipart.com/armed
_services/Silver_Star.png
• www.willtheyreturn.com/i
mages/purple_heart.jpg
• politicalgraveyard.com/ge
o/SC/GR.html
• http://portal.progressivero
cks.com/nahp/articen/Gabriel%20H.%20Mah
on%2C%20Jr
• Greenville Chamber of
Commerce
Assignments
• Morgan: Research, PowerPoint
• Heather: Interview, PowerPoint
• Charlotte: Interview, Research