Mack Henry Hannah, Jr. (1904-1994)
Mack Henry Hannah, Jr., black business, civic, and political leader, was born on February 8, 1904, in Brenham, Texas and moved to Port Arthur, Texas with his parents when he was eleven. Mack Jr. was born into a family of “hustlas.” His grandmother Lottie Brown had become the first Juneteenth Queen on June 19, 1869, and his parents were considered pioneers in settling Port Arthur.

His father, nicknamed "Daddy Mack," was a colorful character and considered a jack of all trades because of his various business ventures in the early days of the city. Such ventures consisted of saloons, a barbershop, pool halls, a restaurant, a drug store, and in 1920 the Hannah Funeral Home, which reportedly is still operating in Port Arthur today.

Mack Jr., graduated from Lincoln High School in 1922 and Bishop College in 1927. While attending Bishop he became the schools’s first All American football player. He worked as a physical education instructor at Lincoln High School and married Reba Othelene Hicks in 1927 and the couple had three children.

After serving as a football coach for Lincoln High School in 1929-30, he joined the Orange Casket Company, becoming their first black salesman. He would also start or partner in numerous business ventures that eventually made him a millionaire and probably the wealthiest black person in Texas at the time.

In 1937, he purchased the Joseph A. Porter Casket Company in New Orleans, Louisiana. During World War II, Mack Jr. was employed by the nation's first synthetic rubber plant, built in Port Neches. He was a supervisor over the housing and food concessions, taking care of over 6,000 workers. He later moved to Houston,Texas and became the president of the Mack H. Hannah Life Insurance Company and director of the Homestead Bank, and founded the Gulf Western Mortgage Company and the Standard Savings and Loan Association.

Various educational institutions also prospered under Mack’s direction. He served as a trustee of Bishop College for over thirty-one years. He was on the Board of Regents of Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston, giving him the honor of being the only person in Texas to have served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of two Texas institutions of higher education.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him as Consul to the Republic of Liberia, a position he held for over 42 years. As a Democrat, he reportedly influenced black voters in Jefferson County (southeast Texas) elections and helped win votes for state leaders Allan Shivers and LBJ. 

In 1966, he attended the Subregional Meeting on Economic Cooperation in Niamey, Nigeria, as the personal representative of President LBJ. Mack Jr. received numerous other honors and citations. Texas Southern University conferred the honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree on him in 1974. In 1968, he was awarded the honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Bishop College.

Mack Jr. was also appointed to serve as a member of the White House Conference on Youth and Children. He left a legendary mark on Port Arthur by developing three subdivisions: Hannah Estates, Hannah Gardens, and Sunset Gardens. He will always be remembered in Houston and Port Arthur for his service to his community and his nation. Mack was also the cousin of another black Texas millionaire, Hobart T. Taylor. Mack Hannah Jr. died on April 2, 1994 at the age of 90.

The Black Economy strives to inspire Black Americans to become financially educated and we tell these stories to inform you that other Black Americans were successful before Bob Johnson and Oprah Winfrey became billionaires. We must not forget the strong brothers and sisters who dealt with slavery, and Jim Crow, and yet still became millionaires. Now it’s your turn to at least make a financial attempt at wealth.

Create Wealth, Enjoy Life!
James "Bird" Guess
President & Founder

View other articles within this section>



All content is protected by copyright
and can only be reprinted with our permission