The Teddy Bear

Brother Clifford K. Berryman (1869-1949) was Past Master of Temple Noyes Lodge 32 of Washington, DC, a Shriner and Knight Templar.  A self-taught illustrator, he is thought to be the only political cartoonist ever to sketch every single member of any given congress.  He is best known, however for a single 1902 Washington Post cartoon captioned "Drawing the line in Mississippi."  It alludes to a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana.  In it, Brother Berryman depicts President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt showing compassion for a young bear cub.  The concept of the "Teddy Bear" and the industry it spawned sprang from this single cartoon.