Above and Beyond: The Mason Family and the Transformation of Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, has been one of the fastest growing counties in the nation since the 1980s. Nobody walking the unpaved county roads could have imagined that, two centuries after its founding, it would become the second-most populous county in Georgia and one of the most dynamic and diverse in the nation. ABOVE AND BEYOND tells the story of that growth through one of its most significant families--the Masons. They first settled in Gwinnett in 1838 and have long played a major role in the development of one of the South’s largest metropolitan areas. In the twentieth century, Wayne and Jimmy Mason were instrumental in transforming Gwinnett through private investment, business development, public works, and public service. The Masons’ story reveals a great deal about the economic, business, political, and social climate in the South’s most important business center after World War II.

Catherine M. Lewis is professor of History and associate vice provost of Museums, Archives & Rare Books and the University Libraries at Kennesaw State University. She is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of sixteen books and has curated more than forty exhibits for organizations around the nation including the Atlanta History Center, the Breman Museum, Delta Air Lines, Augusta National Golf Club, and the United Way.