Honorary Citizen of the United States

Sir Winston Churchill, Rosemary Lodge 2581, London, British Prime Minister and one of the great leaders of the 20th century, on April 9, 1963 became the first person ever to receive the designation "Honorary Citizen of the United States." 

Only 7 people hold this rare distinction.  Among them are Marquis de Lafayette, A Freemason who is also an Honorary member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri and Casimir Pulaski, reported to be a member of Gould Lodge of Georgia.  Congress granted 5 of the honorary citizenships posthumously, with Brother Churchill and Mother Theresa being the only designees to receive the honor while living.

Nobel Prize Winners

There are almost certainly more, but a minimum of 22 Freemasons have won a Nobel Prize. The list of these distinguished Brothers includes:

Ivo Andric (1892–1975), Serbian novelist and short story writer. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1961.

Sir Edward Victor Appleton (1892–1965), English physicist who studied the ionosphere and contributed to the development of radar. Nobel Prize for Physics, 1947.

Leon Bourgeois (1851–1925), French statesman, Prime Minister, President of the Council of the League of Nations. Nobel Peace Prize, 1920.

Giosue Carducci (1835-1907), considered the national poet of modern Italy. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1906.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), British Prime Minister and author. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1953.

Elie Ducommun (1833-1906), Swiss founder of the International Bureau of Peace. Nobel Peace Prize, 1902.

Jean Henri Dunant (1828-1910), Swiss philanthropist and founder of the Red Cross. Nobel Peace Prize, 1901.

Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), British discoverer of penicillin. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1945.

Alfred H. Fried (1864-1921), Austrian pacifist. Nobel Peace Prize, 1941.

Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins (1861–1947), English biochemist who discovered essential amino acids and researched vitamins. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1929.

Frank B. Kellogg (1856-1937), US Secretary of State, Senator, Ambassador to England. Nobel Peace Prize, 1929.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), English writer. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1907.

Henri Lafontaine (1854-1943), Belgian Senator. Nobel Peace Prize, 1913.

George Marshall (1880-1959), General of the Army, Secretary of State, author of the post WWII "Marshall Plan." Nobel Peace Prize, 1953.

Albert A. Michelson (1852-1931), American scientist who first measured the speed of light. Nobel Prize for Physics, 1907.

Carl von Ossietzky (1889-1938), German writer, pacifist and Nazi opponent. Nobel Peace Prize, 1935.

Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932), Latvian chemist who studied catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities. Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 1909.

Salvatore Quasimodo (1901–1968), Italian author and poet. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1959.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934), Spanish physician recognized for his work on the structure of the nervous system. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1906.

Charles Robert Richet (1850-1935) French physiologist who discovered the phenomenon of anaphylaxis. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1913.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) Twenty-Sixth President of the United States. Nobel Peace Prize, 1906.

Gustav Stresemann (1878-1929) Chancellor of Germany. Nobel Peace Prize, 1926.

In addition, John Steinbeck (1902-1968), who was a DeMolay, but not a Freemason, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

Butterfield's Lullaby

Medal of Honor recipient Daniel Adams Butterfield was a Union General in the Civil war and a member of Metropolitan Lodge 373 in New York.  Stationed at Harrison's Landing in July, 1862, Brother Butterfield composed a few new bugle calls for his troops.  One in particular was a haunting tune which became known as "Butterfield's Lullaby." General Butterfield, used it to replace the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the end of burials during battle. He also had the tune played to signal the end of the day's activities.  The tune caught on and within months both Union and Confederate troops were using it as the bugle call at day's end.  The military continues that tradition to this day, now simply calling "Butterfield's Lullaby" by its more common name, "Taps."

The bugle call's contemporary title, "Taps," derives from the Dutch word "Taptoe," which was also a bugle call for lights out.  It is from the phrase "Doe den tap toe," which literally means, "turn the tap off," signaling the time to turn off beer taps at the end of the day.  The French used the same derivation for the word "Tattoo."  It has no derivative relationship to the same word which refers to marking the skin with indelible ink.

Catalina Lodge 524

California's Catalina Lodge 524 (now Temecula-Catalina Freemason Lodge 524) at one time had an official "Clock Winder."

Independence Hall

Independence Hall in Philadelphia stands on ground purchased by William Allen, Grand Master of Pennsylvania.  The building position was staked out by Brother Edmund Woolley.  Brother Benjamin Franklin laid the cornerstone in 1734, when he was Grand Master and was assisted by St. John's Lodge.  Brother Andrew McNair rang the bell to summon citizens on July 8, 1776 to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the Liberty Bell cracked while tolling the Death of Chief Justice John Marshall, Past Grand Master of Virginia.

The Dissenting Vote

George Washington, Alexandria Lodge 22, and James Monroe, Williamsburgh Lodge 6, both in Virginia, were the only two United States Presidents elected essentially without opposition. In 1820, all members of the Electoral College were obligated to cast a vote for Monroe but New Hampshire representative William Plumer instead voted for John Quincy Adams. A popular story is that Plumer cast the renegade vote against Monroe because he felt no president except Washington should garner a unanimous vote in the Electoral College. While this is a nice sentiment, it's probably not true. Plumer was not a supporter of Monroe. More than that, however, Plumer was also charged to vote for Brother Monroe's Vice Presidential candidate. Monroe's pick for Vice President was Daniel Tompkins, a member of Hiram Lodge 72, Mt. Pleasant, NY who later served as that state's Grand Master. Plumer detested Tompkins, describing him as as "grossly intemperate" and having "not that weight of character which his office requires." It is more likely it was Monroe's association with Brother Tompkins, rather than Plumer's admiration of Washington, that cost Monroe a unanimous election.

Many Happy Returns

Return Jonathan Meigs, Sr. (1740-1823), American Revolution Colonel, was a founding settler of Ohio and Indian Agent in Tennessee.  His son, Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. (1764-1824) served as Governor of Ohio and US Postmaster General.  Both were members of American Union Lodge 1 in Ohio.  The elder served as Master in 1801.  He was the son of Return Meigs and grandson of Jana Meigs, both with an unknown Masonic status.  Their unusual names came from Grandpa Jana's frustrations in pursuing the woman who ultimately became his wife, Hannah Willard.  Hanna was a Puritan who refused to marry Jana on many occasions.  Jana gave it one final try and upon being refused again, gave up and mounted his horse to ride off.  At that, Hannah, realizing she was losing him forever, called out, "Return, Jana, return!" Jana did return and the couple was married May 16, 1698.  Jana said when she cried out to him, "Return" was the sweetest word he had ever heard, and named his son Return in honor of it, the name being passed down afterward.

Note: There are a few variations of this story, all of which claim Jana's name was Johnathan with Hanna (sometimes referred to as a Quaker), calling "Return, Johnathan, return!"  The former story, however, comes directly from the Meigs family, which has records verifying its accuracy.

Blue Boy

Brother Will Rogers, Claremore Lodge 53, Claremore, Oklahoma, once refused to eat a co-star.  In the 1933 movie "State Fair," Rogers worked with "Blue Boy," a champion hog. Blue Boy was so temperamental during the filming that Director Henry King gave him to Rogers to slaughter and eat. Brother Rogers instead donated Blue Boy to an agricultural college.

Thanksgiving

The first official national “Thanksgiving Day,” established on November 26, 1789, was originally created by George Washington for “giving thanks for the Constitution."

Oops

Freiherr vom Stein Schule in Fulda, Germany is a high school named in honor of Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom Stein (1737-1851), a Prussian statesmen whose progressive reforms resulted in the unification of Germany.  The school originally was to have been named in honor of Karl Ferdinand Braun, a pioneer in radio and television technology; however, some local citizens discovered Braun was a Freemason and demanded a different name for the school.  Wanting to avoid a dispute, city fathers obliged and named the school for vom Stein.  Later it was discovered that Braun was, indeed, not a Freemason.  In an ironic twist, it was also discovered that the school's namesake was in fact Brother vom Stein, a member of the lodge "Joseph of the Three Helmets" at Wetzlar, Germany.

Kentucky Fried Chicken's Humble Beginning

Brother Harland Sanders, Hugh Harris Lodge 938, Corbin, Kentucky, Started his huge Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise empire with nothing more than a single Social Security Check.

Joseph Warren's Silver Dental Crown

Joseph Warren, physician and American Revolution Major General was a member of Lodge of St. Andrew, Boston. A Grand Master in Massachusetts, he died fighting at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  His body was buried near the area where he died and remained there for 10 months until friends and family made an effort to find it.  Searchers would never have identified his remains were it not for a silver dental crown that Brother Warren had.  The crown was crafted and given to him by his good friend, American patriot and master silversmith, Brother Paul Revere.

Solomon's New Project

The Gift He Never Received

Luke A. Lockwood (1833-1905), first Master of Acacia Lodge 85 at Greenwich, Connecticut, was a Masonic author and Grand Master of Connecticut in 1872.  In 1905, his Lodge arranged a gala celebration of his 50-years of Masonry by purchasing a $1,000 silver service (worth $25,000 in today's dollars) to give him on that occasion.  MWB Lockwood never received the gift, dying unexpectedly just prior to the ceremony.

The World's Strongest Man

Acclaimed as the world's strongest man, Michael Dorizas of Philadelphia Lodge 51 literally walked around the world, surviving a revolt in Turkey and overcoming bandits in both Russia and China.  A three-time Olympian, the gentle giant earned a Ph.D and taught geography at the University of Pennsylvania.  From 1914-1916, Brother Michael was undefeated intercollegiate heavyweight wrestling champion.  Amazingly, he pinned every single opponent he faced in less than a minute.

Dan Beard

Daniel Carter "Dan" Beard (1850-1941), was best known as the organizer of the Boy Scout movement in the US. A member of  Mariners' Lodge 67, New York City and later Cornucopia Lodge 563, Flushing, NY, Brother Beard was also a prolific author and illustrator.  Long before the founding of the Boy Scouts, he became a lifelong friend of Brother Samuel Clemens (a.k.a Mark Twain) and illustrated Twain's book, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Brothers Across The Span Of Time

I'm part of that "lost generation" — the one that pretty much skipped joining the Fraternity.  Until later in life I was no exception to that generalization and it's hard to figure why.  I almost couldn't have been more active as a DeMolay, loved it and by all logic I should have jumped right into Masonry when I was old enough, but didn't.  College, marriage, a job... life... just got in the way, I guess.  It's a shame and I'm sure I missed a lot but, you know, no crying over spilled milk.

Still, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have been a member back in Masonry's "heyday," whatever that means.  It amazes me, for example that my dad's Scottish Rite class had nearly 300 members.  Over the course of a month, they saw all the Scottish Rite degrees, published a 120-page hardbound class book, had class projects and elected class officers... with no less than 12 vice-presidents!  Yep.  Things were sure different back then.

Or were they?

Looking through my dad's things a while back I found that old hardbound class book.  Along with it, I ran across his copy of an Indiana Freemason magazine from November, 1966.  I read the magazine cover to cover.  It was interesting, fun and very, very familiar.  Among other things, I found these tidbits:

In his column Grand Master Joseph L. Birdwell, admonished Brothers to remember the true meaning of the upcoming Thanksgiving.  "It should be," he said, "a day of sincere thankfulness, not feasting and revelry."  Members had recently dedicated a stone monument at the site of an old inn where Brothers held the first Masonic meetings in the area.  There were strong parallels to our dedication in Missouri marking the site of the first Masonic meeting here.  Fifty-year members were honored with their service awards.  The issue is full of reports on activities of individual Brothers and Lodges.  It talks about their donations, a Masonic Home pilgrimage, service projects, construction projects and, of course, many gatherings, meals and the same kind of Brotherhood and fellowship we know today.

In other words, the work of the craft nearly a half-century ago is the same as the work of the craft today.  Most of the articles in that old magazine wouldn't look out of place in a contemporary magazine.  They may have had more members back then, but there is a great bond of familiarity between the Brothers then and today. 

What's more, the Brothers back then felt that bond, too.  As Brother Richard LaGrange, my dad's Scottish Rite Class Orator (yes, they had one) put it, "The mantle has been cast upon our shoulders, so to speak, to carry on and perpetuate the good work that has gone on before us."  Our tenets: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth are unchanging and we are indeed Brothers across the span of time.

From The Missouri Freemason Magazine, Winter, 2011.

Brother George McManus' Longshot Career

George McManus (1884-1954), was the creator of the comic strip "Bringing Up Father," as well as other world famous comic series. A member of Dirigo Lodge 30, New York City, Brother McManus funded the start to his astonishing career by wagering $100 on a 30-1 longshot horse and winning.

Bartholomew Ruspini

Bartholomew Ruspini, a member of Burning Bush Lodge in Bristol, England and founding member of the Lodge of the Nine Muses, was a progressive 18th century dental surgeon who developed one of the earliest forms of toothpaste.  He founded the Royal Masonic School for Girls, which still exists today.  He used most of his resources for charity and when he died, left a modest annuity which could support only his wife — two of his granddaughters therefore becoming wards of the Royal Masonic School he had founded.

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Great Italian Liberator, was Grand Master of Italy who also held the title of "First Italian Freemason." During World War II, Italy's tyrannical dictator Benito Mussolini removed all Masonic references from the great monument to Brother Garibaldi in Rome, replacing them with Fascist symbols.  After the war, authorities replaced the propaganda on the monument with the original Masonic pieces.

111111

Nothing particularly Masonic today, but we're celebrating the fact it's 11/11/11. It only happens once every hundred years.  Some interesting information about 2011 - This year, there were four very unusual dates.  You’ll have to live another hundred years to see these again: January 1 (1/1/11), January 11 (1/11/11), November 1 (11/1/11) and November 11 (11/11/11). For the purists, you'll have to live a lot longer to see 11/11/11111.

If you take the last two digits of the year you were born and add it to your age on your 2011 birthday, the sum will be 111.

Finally, today being traditional Veterans Day, the binary number 111111 translates to 63, the exact length of World War I in weeks, where there was full Allied involvement.

Merrill C. Meigs

Merrill C. Meigs, a member of Welcome Lodge 916, Chicago and the aviation pioneer for whom Chicago's Meigs Field is named gave Brother Harry Truman a series of Flying lessons.

Shadrach Bond

Shadrach Bond (1773-1832) was not only the first Grand Master of Illinois, but also was the state's first Governor.

Mason Locke Weems

Mason Locke Weems (1760-1825), Lodge 50, Dumfries, Virginia, was an itinerant preacher and author.  He wrote the first biography of George Washington.  After several editions, Weems added a nearly insignificant anecdote about Washington's youth.  Whether that story is truth, legend or a fabrication, it almost unexpectedly helped the book retain its status as a bestseller and needs only to be identified as, "The Cherry Tree Story."  Today, it remains an icon of American folklore.

Initiated On His Deathbed

Presbyterian clergyman Moses D. Hoge was said to have been the most eloquent speaker in the southern Presbyterian church.  Lodge 51, Richmond, Virginia initiated him into all three degrees November 22, 1898 and appointed him Lodge Chaplain.  The entire ceremony took place in his bedroom with Brother Hoge on his deathbed.  Lodge minutes reported the Grand Master of Virginia, R.T.W. Duke, Jr., conferred the degrees, "dispensing with such portions of the ceremony as in his opinion the physical condition of the candidate required."

Masonic Stamp Cancellations

Prior to 1895, local postmasters had the authority to make their own hand stamps for cancelling postage.  Not surprisingly, many incorporated the square and compasses into their personal design.

Colonel Sanders

Harland David Sanders (1890-1980), Hugh Harris Lodge 938, Corbin, Kentucky, was founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises.  He became so much a part of the fabric of his home state of Kentucky that when he died his body lay in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol and he was honored with a bust in the same building.  Both are distinctions rarely bestowed on private citizens.

To Confuse Future Archaeologists

A massive 67-foot statue of Brother Sam Houston stands north of Houston in Huntsville, Texas.  At its completion, the concrete mixer used for assembly was placed inside the statue at the position of Brother Houston's heart.  According to the museum curator at the site, "They did that just to confuse future archaeologists."