Mack Family Papers 1920-2014

Hanna Makhoul Fakhoury was born in Roum, Lebanon. On the encouragement of a friend who had settled in Marion, South Carolina, he immigrated to the United States in 1903, leaving behind his wife, Naceem, and their children Charles, Nora, Side (Sahid), Lucille, Sophia, and Bahia. At Ellis Island, the clerk anglicized “Hanna” to “John” and shortened “Makhoul” to “Mack,” while removing “Fakhoury” entirely. While some descendants regret the loss of their family name, their ancestor accepted his new moniker and pursued his life in America as John Mack. Unable to speak any English, John arrived by mistake in Marion, North Carolina. A station master helped him find F. A. Jacobs of Charlotte, North Carolina, a Lebanese American who assisted Mack. John Mack purchased merchandise and began selling items door-to-door in North Carolina.

In 1905, John Mack decided to return to Lebanon to visit his family and help them emigrate. Uncertain about moving to a new country, Naceem remained in Lebanon while John returned with his two oldest children, Nora and Charles, in 1908. A year later seventeen-year-old Side, the second son, decided to join his father. Naceem passed away suddenly in 1912, after which John retrieved the rest of his children.

After an early attempt to open a store in Charlotte failed due to a fire, the family opened John Mack & Sons in Mooresville, North Carolina on December 24, 1912. With Side, Nora, and Bahia all helping to run John Mack & Son, Charles, the eldest, pursued his own business enterprises. After opening a shoe store, Charles found success in a confectionary store, providing candies, peanut brittle, and sweet ingredients at wholesale to other companies. At first Charles ran this shop with John Ikall, who married one of the Mack daughters, Lucille.

Side Mack married Joe’s sister, Tabitha (Tabetta) Ikall. The couple had four children together: Edward, Madeline, Margaret, and Side Mitchell. In addition to leading and supporting local Boy Scouts, Side Mack served as a volunteer fireman and a member of the Masons for over fifty years. John Mack & Son sponsored the Mooresville Recreation Department’s athletic teams, further developing Mooresville’s community spirit. Side Mack passed away at age 79 in 1971.

Side and Tabitha's children carried on John Mack & Sons, with Madeline helping her father to manage the business throughout the Great Depression and World War II and Mitchell eventually running the store's scouting department and menswear. The store remained open and thriving until 1993, when the siblings decided to close the business in order to retire. Madeline passed away on March 31, 2006.

The Mack Family Papers include photographs, articles, and interviews related to the history of John Mack & Sons as well as the Mack family, with a particular focus on Side Mack and his children.

Materials in this collection are arranged in the order they were received.

The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.

[Identification of item], Mack Family Papers, KC 0010, Hoda Z. Nassour and Herbert R. Nassour Jr., MD, Archive of Lebanese Diaspora

Gift of Mitchell and Janice Mack, 2014 (Accessions 2014.014, 2017.024).

Processed by Khayrallah Center staff. Finding aid content contributed by Claire A. Kempa, 2017 and Allison Hall, 2023 December. Finding aid created by Laura Lethers, 2024 May.