Sam N. Regenstrief

Self-made millionaire Sam N. Regenstrief, Warren Lodge 15, Connorsville, Indiana, made his fortune in manufacturing and was known as the "Dishwasher King."  He used his wealth to found Indianapolis' Regenstrief Institute, which developed the Regenstrief Medical Records system.  Despite his wealth, philanthropy and notoriety, Brother Sam never knew his own birthdate.  He was born in Bucharest, Romania and his birth records were lost.  He celebrated two approximate dates as birthdays, one in June, one in November, having heard conflicting stories from relatives about the time of year he was born.  He was, however, certain about one birthdate - October 28, 1948, his Masonic birthday.

(I am using the date of his raising as his Masonic birthday. Some jurisdictions and individuals use the date of a Brother's initiation as his Masonic Birthday, but traditionally, most use the date of the Third Degree.  For the record, brother Sam was initiated September 9, and received his Fellowcraft Degree, October 21, 1948).

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was a member of Kilwinning Lodge 365, Cincinnati, Ohio.  He was the 27th President of the United States (1909-1913) and served as Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (1921-1930) making him the only person ever to serve in the highest positions of both the executive and judicial branches of our government.

A Mother's Pleas That Changed History

As a teenager, Brother George Washington joined the British Navy.  His mother had recently lost her husband and had another son serving as a British seaman, a dangerous profession at best.  She begged young George to change his mind until he finally relented and resigned.  Had Brother Washington ignored his mother's pleas, the man who became General of the Armies in the American Revolution, the first President and the Father of His Country would have fought for the other side!

The Versatile Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), best known as the Author of the Sherlock Holmes Series, was raised in Phoenix Lodge #257, Hampsire. In addition to writing the books about the famous sleuth, Doyle was a physician, author of many books and short stories on other subjects, a spiritualist and a sportsman. He was an early proponent of a tunnel connecting England and France, metal helmets for combat soldiers, and inflatable life-preservers for sailors. In 1894, on a US visit, he introduced Rudyard Kipling to golf, with confused locals wondering what the pair was up to as they played. And amazingly, he also introduced cross country skiing to the Swiss!

James K. Polk

Brother James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States, Columbia Lodge 31, Columbia, Tennessee, left office on March 4, 1849 and died June 15, 1849, just 103 days later.  He had the shortest retirement of any US President and was also the youngest President to die in retirement.

Wild Bill Hickok's Chair?

This chair comes from Amazonia Lodge in northwest Missouri, near the Kansas Border.  Amazonia 320 received its charter in 1890 and consolidated with Savannah 71 in 1907. Although the fact that James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was a Mason is in doubt, local lore says he often attended meetings at Amazonia.  The chair is on display at the Masonic Museum in Columbia, Missouri.

Lindberg's Gavel

After his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Charles Lindbergh gave this gavel to his Masonic Lodge, Keystone Lodge #243, St. Louis.  The gavel is made from the wood propeller of Lindbergh's famous plane, "The Spirit of St. Louis," and is now on display in the Masonic Museum in Columbia, Missouri.