William B. Mahoney facts for kids

William B. Mahoney (1912–2004) was a talented American journalist and writer. Later in his life, he found a new career helping people. He became a counselor, guiding others through difficult times.

Early Life and First Career

William B. Mahoney, often called Bill, was born in 1912 in Ballynacarriga, a farming area in County Cork, Ireland. When he was 14, Bill and his family moved to the United States. They settled in New York City.

Soon after arriving, Bill started working as a copyboy at the New York Daily Mirror. This was a morning newspaper that belonged to the large publishing company of William Randolph Hearst. Bill worked hard and moved up in the newspaper world. He eventually became part of the sports writing team at the Mirror.

Bill also helped organize for the Newspaper Guild. This group worked to support newspaper employees. His brother, Dan Mahoney, also joined the Mirror staff and helped with the Guild.

Writing Success

During World War II, Bill could not join the military because of an earlier illness. He left the Mirror to become a freelance writer. This meant he wrote for different magazines without working for just one company.

After the war, his stories appeared in popular magazines like the Saturday Evening Post and Cosmopolitan. Two of his stories from the Post were even chosen for special collections. "The Stolen Belt" was in the magazine's Best Stories of 1948. Another story, "Wrong Guy," was included in a collection for high school students.

Back to Journalism

By 1950, Bill Mahoney had a growing family, and freelance writing alone wasn't enough. He decided to return to full-time journalism. He became a sports writer for the Daily Compass newspaper.

Later, he worked in public relations. He then became the editor of Hotel, a magazine for hotel workers. Under his leadership, the magazine won many awards for its journalism.

A New Path

In the mid-1960s, Bill Mahoney made a big change in his life. He moved to upstate New York. There, he began a new career as a counselor. He helped people who were struggling with personal challenges. He passed away in Miami in 2004 at the age of 92.

A Family of Writers

Writing seems to run in the Mahoney family! All four of Bill Mahoney's children became published writers. Even his second wife, Jeanne Adleman, was a writer.

• His oldest daughter, Judith Mahoney Pasternak, is a journalist and has written several books about travel and popular culture.
• His two younger daughters, Joan Mahoney and Martha R. Mahoney, are well-known legal scholars.
  • Joan Mahoney was a dean at law schools and has written a lot about important legal topics like human rights and law history.
  • Martha R. Mahoney is a professor at the University of Miami. She writes about social justice and is a co-author of a legal textbook.
• Bill Mahoney's only son, Don Mahoney, was a successful writer in direct-mail advertising. He also co-authored a book about gold.
• Judith Mahoney Pasternak's older son, Adam T. Lass, wrote about economics and investing. He also co-wrote a travel guide to Washington, DC, with his mother.