n 1943, a young salesman for J.S. McHugh was offered the opportunity by the McHugh family to purchase J. S. McHugh. James Slattery McHugh had just passed away and his survivors determined that this energetic, young salesman had what it took to carry on the tradition of their family business, which only had two owners in the previous 65 years. For the next 50 years, William Francis Mulhall honored the McHugh family tradition by successfully leading their business in an energetic, honest and diligent fashion.
At that time, J. S. McHugh was headquartered at 515 Madison Avenue, New York, New York and was specializing in residential and commercial furnishings. Soon after Mr. Mulhall bought the company, he entered the air force as a navigator in the European Theater. During his service, his wife, Elise Davis Mulhall, simultaneously cared for their two young children and effectively ran the business.
After the war, William returned to Long Island and saw the burgeoning opportunities in educational furnishings that followed the post-war housing boom on Long Island. Not surprisingly, one of his first sales was a projector and screen to the Levittown UFSD. By the 1950’s, J. S. McHugh had established itself as the preeminent educational furniture contractor for Metropolitan New York by bringing such quality manufacturers as E.H. Sheldon (Sheldon Laboratory Systems), Irwin Seating Company, and Republic Steel (Republic Storage Systems). J. S. McHugh quickly established itself as the leading choice for premium educational furnishings and service.
William Mulhall was known throughout the industry for his hard work, humility, honesty and determination. His impact on the educational distribution market was felt well beyond New York. To this day when J. S. McHugh attends national conventions, we always meet someone who recalls William Mulhall with warmth and graciousness.
A history of William Mulhall would be incomplete if we did not include a brief description of his incredible sense of humor. We were fortunate to be led by him and to this day he continues to make us laugh as we recall with great pride his wonderful sense of delivery, timing and originality.
William Mulhall passed away in 1998 and was survived by his wife Elise, his three children and his ten grandchildren. However, his spirit lives on today in J. S. McHugh as we endeavor to follow his examples of hard work and honesty. And as we navigate through the business challenges of today we often ask ourselves, “What would Bill do?”
