John F. Malony, Sr. was born in Shieldsville, Minnesota in 1857. After studying law at St. John's College, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he was admitted to practice in the courts of Minnesota. He settled in Glendive, Montana in July 1881, and the following year the governor appointed him as probate judge. In November 1882, Mr. Malony was elected to the Territorial Montana Legislature. This was followed by his election to serve as a member of the Constitutional Convention in January 1884.

Arriving in Sitka, Alaska in the late 1880's, John Malony later met and married Cora Cleveland who arrived in Juneau in 1895 where she opened a dress making parlor with Mrs. Monroe. The Malonys had two sons, Joseph who died in his early twenties and John F. Malony, Jr. of Seattle, who donated his father's papers as well as some of his own relating to Alaskan interests.

In addition to his work as a lawyer, John F. Malony, Sr. invested in mining, development of the Dalton Trail, the Porcupine Trading Company, canneries, the Alaska Electric Light and Power Company, and real estate. J. H. Cobb and J.. F. Malony, Sr. were co developers of the Gold Belt addition to Juneau. Mr. Malony's varied interests and efforts did much to help Juneau develop. Also he served on the first Juneau City Council in 1900 and was Mayor of Juneau in 1907.

Mr. Malony died in Palo Alto, California on June 1, 1919 and he is buried at Cypress Lawn in San Francisco. Cora Malony lived until the age of 85 in Seattle, and was buried in the family plot in San Francisco in 1948.