 He went to school at the "Koninklijk Atheneum" at the Ottogracht and studied law at the University of Ghent, where he graduated in 1876.Mechelynck worked as a lawyer and became a member of the Provincial Council (1884–1904) of Oost-Vlaanderen.He was also as a liberal member of parliament for the district Gent-Eeklo (1904–1924), and President of the Liberal Party from 1920 until 1921.