Above and Beyond

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. On March 16, 2015, Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson paid tribute in the Congressional Record to Wayne Mason: ""I want to share with the Senate the greatest example I know of how much difference one man can make. I would not be where I am today and Gwinnett County--one of America's most dynamic counties--would not be what it is today were it not for the support and leadership of Wayne Mason."" The Masons were not the only family to shape Gwinnett, but their story illustrates their unique and significant contribution to the county, the state, and the region.