John K. Mahon (1912-2003) was an American historian. He received his BA from Swarthmore College in 1934, graduating as a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

. After serving in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and working for his family he later returned to his studies and earned his PhD in history from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

in 1950. During WWII he was drafted by the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, or as he liked to say it, was "selected by his neighbors," and served in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) as an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

officer, leaving the army after the war as a captain.Organization of American Historians (OAH): In Memoriam (website) From 1951 to 1954, he served as Civilian Military Historian in the Office of the Chief of Military History in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In 1954, Mahon accepted a teaching position in the history department at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. His interest in military history and the

Seminoles The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and ...

led to three books, as well as numerous articles for encyclopedias and historical journals. His work ''History of the Second Seminole War, 18351842'' is considered by some as the authoritative modern reference on the little-known but regional and nationally important last great war of Indian removal east of the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. Mahon documents the American, Seminole and Black cultures, leaders, and tactics of the war. Mahon served as the chairman of the history department at the

from 1965 to 1973. After retiring in 1982, Mahon continued to pursue his interest in history. In addition, he was a founder of the Alachua

Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

and Florida Defenders of the Environment. He also held leadership positions in the local Sierra Club, the

Florida Historical Society The Florida Historical Society is an organization that promotes the study of the history of Florida. Incorporated in 1856, the Society collects, preserves and publishes materials relating to the history of Florida and its denizens. After being re ...

, and the

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostilities ...

Historic Foundation.

Selected works

*''The History of the Second Seminole War, 18351842'' (Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 1967) *''The

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

'' (Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 1972) *''The History of the Militia and National Guard'' (New York: Macmillan, 1983)

References

External links

John K. Mahon—In Memoriam
20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers University of Florida faculty Historians of the United States 1912 births 2003 deaths Swarthmore College alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni 20th-century American male writers American military personnel of World War II {{US-activist-stub