Distinguished Acheivement Hall of Fame

John Mahlum (BHS 1912) was a star at Brainerd High School, then at Georgetown University School of Law, and finally as a high-ranking enlisted man in Gen. John Pershing’s headquarters during the American breakthrough signaling WWI’s end.

Sergeant Major Mahlum died, very likely of “Spanish flu,” within days of falling ill shortly after the November 1918 German surrender. His brother, also a volunteer in America’s defense of Europe, dug Mahlum’s grave in France. Always a presence, one word consistently followed Mahlum, known as “Moxie” in his early years on Brainerd’s northside: “Leader.” Mahlum was tall, blond and muscular (his family owned timberland, which he worked). Newspaper reports of the time frequently describe Captain Mahlum’s stalwart exploits at quarterback and linebacker, frequently combining explanations of his skills and power with descriptions of his field leadership.

as a starter for the Georgetown football team, where he was voted by his teammates to be captain in his senior year, and he graduated as a lawyer.

At Georgetown, Mahlum was everywhere, in law societies and classrooms, and acquired a new nickname: “Blondie,” from Brainerd, Minnesota. Photographs show Mahlum in full formal dress with other men of Georgetown Law and make clear that his physical presence was extraordinary. In a major win, he was selected by peers to organize and lead the social event of the Georgetown year, a formal ball held at the Willard Hotel, across the street from the White House.

Brainerd was an early hotbed of baseball, which Mahlum played at least in high school with “Bullet Joe” Bush of professional baseball fame, including as a teammate of the Babe Ruth Yankees. Wherever Mahlum went, others followed. In a three-sport only era, Mahlum was a guard on dominant BHS basketball teams. Little known, but predictable because of his vocal talent, is Mahlum’s documented presence in every imaginable BHS choir.

Despite the significant leap from Minnesota to the challenge of a top East Coast law school with students drawn from great Eastern private and prep schools, Mahlum prospered at Georgetown. Georgetown records clearly portray his importance

With a focus on his heightened speaking skills, Mahlum was consistently said to be both popular and expected to become a member of Congress. But it was not to be.

He was called home to help run the lumber business, resigned from the football team, including his captaincy, and within a year volunteered for the Army and was sent to France. Not as a private in the trenches, but given his intelligence, Georgetown law degree and leadership skills, as a sergeant major for Gen. Pershing.

Years after his burial, Mahlum was returned home. A military funeral service at his parents’ home was reported extensively in Brainerd’s newspaper, as were orations about his commitment to democracy, his lifelong contributions to others, and his leadership.

Mahlum’s stellar accomplishments in life are recognized on the outside of Brainerd’s VFW post, partially named after him, forever.