Dan Mahoney (journalist) facts for kids

Dan Mahoney (1916–1999) was an Irish-American journalist. In the 1950s, he was questioned by government officials like Joseph McCarthy and James Eastland. They were investigating people for possible connections to communism during a time of great concern in the United States.

Early Life and Work

Dan Mahoney was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1916. When he was nine years old, his family moved to the United States.

As a teenager, Dan started working as a copy boy for the New York Daily Mirror. This was a newspaper owned by the Hearst company. He also helped organize a group called the Newspaper Guild. This group helps newspaper workers. His brother, William B. Mahoney, who was also a journalist, joined too. Dan worked at the Mirror for almost 22 years. He took some time off to serve in the Army during World War II.

The Investigation

In June 1955, another journalist named Winston Burdett spoke to a government committee. This committee was called the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. Burdett named several other journalists, including Dan Mahoney, as people he thought might be involved with communism.

Dan Mahoney received an official order to appear before the committee in November 1955. He testified, or gave his statement, in January 1956. Other journalists, like John T. McManus and James Aronson, also testified at the same hearings.

During his testimony, Dan Mahoney stated that he was not a communist at that time. He also said he had never done anything to harm the country. When asked about his past membership in the communist party, he chose not to answer. He used his right under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which allows people to refuse to answer questions that might make them look guilty. The very next day, the New York Daily Mirror fired him from his job.

Life After the Mirror

After being fired, Dan Mahoney continued to work as a writer and editor. He worked for publications of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union. This union helps people who work in hotels and restaurants.

Later, he became a small business owner. He had businesses in a suburb of New York City and in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also spent some time as an actor in Cork, Ireland. Finally, he settled in Oakland, California, where he passed away in 1999.