George H. Mahon
Encyclopedia
George Herman Mahon was a Texas
politician
who served twenty-two consecutive terms (1935–1979) as a member of the United States House of Representatives
from the Lubbock
-based 19th congressional district
.
His legacies include the development of federal farm programs, the establishment of the former Reese Air Force Base
in Lubbock and Webb Air Force Base
in Big Spring
, leadership in the development of Interstate 27
, a short connection between Amarillo
and Lubbock, and disaster relief during drought
s and tornado
es common to West Texas
.
Mahon was born to John Kirkpatrick Mahon and the former Lola Willis in the Mahon community near Haynesville
in Claiborne Parish
in far northern Louisiana
. In 1908, Mahon's family moved to Loraine
in Mitchell County, Texas, where young George graduated from Loraine High School. In 1924, he received his bachelor's degree
from Baptist
-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University
in Abilene
. While in college he married the former Helen Stephenson, and they had one daughter. In 1925, Mahon graduated from the University of Texas Law School in Austin
.
Mahon joined a friend, Charlie Thompson, in the opening of a law firm in Colorado City
. He was elected county attorney for Mitchell County, Texas in 1926. Thereafter, Governor Dan Moody
named Mahon district attorney
of the thirty-second judicial district of Texas, a position which he held from 1927 to 1933, having been elected once after the initial gubernatorial appointment.
Mahon was elected to the House of Representatives
in 1934 as a Democrat. He defeated Clark Millican of Lubbock in the runoff primary for the seat. Lubbock residents, including Charles A. Guy, the editor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
urged that the seat go to a Lubbock resident – Millican – because Lubbock is the largest city in the district. Rural areas, however, coalesced behind Mahon. Once in office, Mahon cemented his hold on Lubbock as well as the whole district and rarely had opposition in his reelection campaigns. In its 2008 centennial, the Avalanche-Journal declared Mahon the most influential figure in Lubbock's 20th century history
.
Mahon was a delegate to each Democratic National Convention
from 1936 to 1964. He was the chairman of the Appropriations Committee from 1964 until his retirement from the House in 1979. Known for his personal frugality, Mahon often clashed with presidents of both parties who he determined wanted to spend more money than the treasury could afford. Early in his Congressional tenure, Mahon served on the committee that developed the Manhattan Project
.
In 1962, 1964, and 1976 Mahon faced Republican
opponents Dennis Taylor, Joe B. Phillips, and Jim Reese, a former mayor of Odessa
, respectively. Mahon defeated Taylor, 46,925 (67.1 percent) to 23,022 (32.9 percent). He prevailed in 1964, 87,555 (77.6 percent) to Phillips's 25,243 (22.4 percent). In his last race, Mahon defeated Reese, 87,908 (54.6 percent) to 72,991 (45.4 percent), with victory secured by a large margin in Lubbock County. Mahon decided not to run again in 1978, when Reese lost the Republican runoff primary to George W. Bush
, who then was defeated in the general election by Democrat Kent Hance
, Mahon's successor in the House who later switched parties.
After his years in the House, Mahon stayed in Washington to work with the Smithsonian Institution
. He was a Smithsonian regent from 1964-1978.
Mahon died in San Angelo
of complications from knee surgery
. He is interred at the Loraine City Cemetery in Loraine
in Mitchell County alongside Mrs. Mahon, who died in 1987.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served twenty-two consecutive terms (1935–1979) as a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
-based 19th congressional district
Texas's 19th congressional district
Texas' Nineteenth Congressional District of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves the upper midwestern portion of the state of Texas The district includes portions of the State from Lubbock to Abilene...
.
His legacies include the development of federal farm programs, the establishment of the former Reese Air Force Base
Reese Air Force Base
Reese Air Force Base was a base of the United States Air Force located 6 mi west of Lubbock, Texas, about 225 mi WNW of Fort Worth...
in Lubbock and Webb Air Force Base
Webb Air Force Base
Webb Air Force Base , previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in west Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring. It was a major training facility, and by 1969 almost 9,000 pilots had...
in Big Spring
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
, leadership in the development of Interstate 27
Interstate 27
Interstate 27 is an intrastate Interstate Highway, located entirely in the U.S. state of Texas, running north from Lubbock to Interstate 40 in Amarillo. These two cities are the only control cities on I-27; other cities and towns served by I-27 include New Deal, Abernathy, Hale Center, Plainview,...
, a short connection between Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
and Lubbock, and disaster relief during drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s and tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es common to West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
.
Mahon was born to John Kirkpatrick Mahon and the former Lola Willis in the Mahon community near Haynesville
Haynesville, Louisiana
Haynesville is a town in northern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States, located just south of the Arkansas border. The population was 2,679 at the 2000 census....
in Claiborne Parish
Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Claiborne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Homer and as of 2000, the population is 16,851.-History:The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne....
in far northern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. In 1908, Mahon's family moved to Loraine
Loraine, Texas
Loraine is a town in Mitchell County, Texas, United States. The population was 656 at the 2000 census.George H. Mahon , a former county attorney, district attorney, and U.S. representative from the Lubbock-based congressional district is interred at Loraine City Cemetery...
in Mitchell County, Texas, where young George graduated from Loraine High School. In 1924, he received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
in Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. While in college he married the former Helen Stephenson, and they had one daughter. In 1925, Mahon graduated from the University of Texas Law School in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Mahon joined a friend, Charlie Thompson, in the opening of a law firm in Colorado City
Colorado City, Texas
Colorado City is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,281 at the 2000 census....
. He was elected county attorney for Mitchell County, Texas in 1926. Thereafter, Governor Dan Moody
Dan Moody
Daniel James Moody, Jr. , was a Democratic political figure, originally from Taylor, Texas, USA. He served as the 30th Governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan...
named Mahon district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of the thirty-second judicial district of Texas, a position which he held from 1927 to 1933, having been elected once after the initial gubernatorial appointment.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1934 as a Democrat. He defeated Clark Millican of Lubbock in the runoff primary for the seat. Lubbock residents, including Charles A. Guy, the editor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. It is owned by the Morris Communications Company.-History:The Lubbock Avalanche was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" was chosen due to his desire that the...
urged that the seat go to a Lubbock resident – Millican – because Lubbock is the largest city in the district. Rural areas, however, coalesced behind Mahon. Once in office, Mahon cemented his hold on Lubbock as well as the whole district and rarely had opposition in his reelection campaigns. In its 2008 centennial, the Avalanche-Journal declared Mahon the most influential figure in Lubbock's 20th century history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Mahon was a delegate to each Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
from 1936 to 1964. He was the chairman of the Appropriations Committee from 1964 until his retirement from the House in 1979. Known for his personal frugality, Mahon often clashed with presidents of both parties who he determined wanted to spend more money than the treasury could afford. Early in his Congressional tenure, Mahon served on the committee that developed the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
.
In 1962, 1964, and 1976 Mahon faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponents Dennis Taylor, Joe B. Phillips, and Jim Reese, a former mayor of Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, respectively. Mahon defeated Taylor, 46,925 (67.1 percent) to 23,022 (32.9 percent). He prevailed in 1964, 87,555 (77.6 percent) to Phillips's 25,243 (22.4 percent). In his last race, Mahon defeated Reese, 87,908 (54.6 percent) to 72,991 (45.4 percent), with victory secured by a large margin in Lubbock County. Mahon decided not to run again in 1978, when Reese lost the Republican runoff primary to George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who then was defeated in the general election by Democrat Kent Hance
Kent Hance
Kent "The Hancellor" Ronald Hance is a lobbyist and lawyer who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from West Texas, having served from 1979 to 1985...
, Mahon's successor in the House who later switched parties.
After his years in the House, Mahon stayed in Washington to work with the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. He was a Smithsonian regent from 1964-1978.
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
of complications from knee surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. He is interred at the Loraine City Cemetery in Loraine
Loraine, Texas
Loraine is a town in Mitchell County, Texas, United States. The population was 656 at the 2000 census.George H. Mahon , a former county attorney, district attorney, and U.S. representative from the Lubbock-based congressional district is interred at Loraine City Cemetery...
in Mitchell County alongside Mrs. Mahon, who died in 1987.