George H. Mahon

George H. Mahon
Mahon, c. 1965
41st Dean of the United States House of Representatives
In office March 7, 1976 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Wright Patman
Succeeded by	Jamie Whitten
Chair of the House Appropriations Committee
In office April 12, 1964 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Clarence Cannon
Succeeded by	Jamie Whitten
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 19th district
In office January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Joseph Weldon Bailey Jr.
Succeeded by	Kent Hance
Personal details
Born	(1900-09-22)September 22, 1900 Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	November 19, 1985(1985-11-19) (aged 85) San Angelo, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Helen Stevenson ​ (m. 1923)​
Children	1
Parents	John Kirkpatrick Mahon (father) Lola Willis (mother)
Alma mater	Hardin–Simmons University University of Texas School of Law
Occupation	Lawyer politician

George Herman Mahon (September 22, 1900 – November 19, 1985) was an American politician and attorney. A Democrat, he served 22 consecutive terms as a member the United States House of Representatives from Texas.

Biography

Born near Haynesville, Louisiana, Mahon's family moved to Texas when he was a child. He graduated from Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, in 1924, and from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin in 1925. Mahon was elected county attorney for Mitchell County, Texas, in 1926, and he served as district attorney of the 32nd judicial district of Texas from 1927 to 1933.

Mahon was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1934. He was a delegate to each Democratic National Convention from 1936 to 1964.

Mahon voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,^[1] 1960,^[2] 1964,^[3] and 1968,^[4] which were directed at enforcing constitutional rights for African Americans and other minorities. He also opposed ratification of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution^[5] and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,^[6] which gave the federal government oversight and enforcement over state practices that discriminated against minority voters.

He was the chairman of the Appropriations committee from 1964 until his retirement from the House in 1979, as well as the Dean of the House for his last three years. Mahon was also appointed on the panel for the Manhattan Project.^{[citation needed]}

After his years in the House, Mahon stayed in Washington to work with the Smithsonian Institution, for which he had served as a regent from 1964 to 1978.^{[citation needed]}

Mahon died on November 19, 1985, in San Angelo, Texas, due to complications from surgery. He is interred in the Loraine City Cemetery in Loraine, Texas.

References

• United States Congress. "George H. Mahon (id: M000065)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

Wikisource has original works by or about:
George H. Mahon

• Mahon papers, 1887-1986 and undated, in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University

This page was last edited on 16 January 2024, at 04:58