John K. Mahon received his BA from Swarthmore College in 1934 graduating Phi Beta Kappa. After serving in World War II and working for his family he later returned to his studies and earned his PhD in history from UCLA in 1950. From 1951 to 1954, he served as Civilian Military Historian in the Office of the Chief of Military History in Washington D.C. In 1954 Mahon accepted a teaching position in the history department at the University of Florida. His interest in Military history and the Seminoles led to his three books, as well as numerous articles for encyclopedias and historical journals.