Founder Profile
Mahlon Kline
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Mahlon Kline?
Mahlon Kline is a founder of GSK plc, which was founded in 1715 with Silvanus Bevan, Joseph Nathan, John K. Smith and Henry Wellcome.
- Company founded
- GSK plc
- Founded
- 1715
- Co-founders
- Silvanus Bevan, Joseph Nathan, John K. Smith and Henry Wellcome
Background
Bookkeeper and salesman who became a partner and leader of the Smith, Kline business in Philadelphia.
Founding Story
Mahlon Kline joined John K. Smith's Philadelphia drug business as a bookkeeper in 1865 and became a partner as it grew into a wholesale and manufacturing company, renamed Smith, Kline & Co. in 1875. The firm later became Smith, Kline & French, one of the main US predecessors of GSK. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Mahlon Kline. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- GSK 2025 Annual Report (GSK plc)
- GSK 2025 Annual Report PDF (GSK plc)