Harvard

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THE HARVARD LODGE

Location: Cambridge

Chartered By: Dudley M. Ferrell

Charter Date: 03/14/1923 1923-53

Precedence Date: 05/18/1922

Current Status: Active


PAST MASTERS

  • Guy H. Holliday, 1922; Mem
  • Milo G. Roberts, 1923
  • Jess H. Jackson, 1924
  • Donald V. Baker, 1925
  • Frank A. Hamilton, 1926
  • E. Stanton Russell, 1927
  • Albert A. Schaefer, 1928
  • Kenneth S. Boardman, 1929
  • Paul H. Weiss, 1930
  • Howard R .Brentlinger, 1931
  • Whitfield Whittemore Johnson, Esq., 1932, 1977
  • George H. Chase, 1933
  • Paul K. McElroy, 1934
  • Harry L. Cowles, 1935
  • Eliot S. Boardman, 1936, 1944; N
  • Carl F. Rice, 1937
  • A. Sidney Kingsmill, 1938
  • Loring B. Andrews, 1939
  • Carroll F. Gatchell, 1940
  • Arthur W. Hanson, 1941
  • Richard N. Bail, 1942
  • Arthur W. Hanson, 1943
  • Stephen C. Lang, 1945
  • J. Lyle McCorison, 1946
  • Willoughby I. Stuart, 1947
  • Roger S. Hewett, 1948
  • James F. Farr, 1949, 1950
  • Lewis H. Norcott, Jr., 1951
  • Gaylord P. Coon, 1952
  • William E. Putnam, 1953
  • Charles G. Gould, 1954
  • Harborne W. Stuart, 1955; N
  • Oscar J. Raeder, 1956
  • H. Rushton Harwood, Jr., 1957, 1981
  • Paul H. Chamberlain, 1958
  • Robert Kennedy, 1959
  • Robert P. Beach, 1960
  • Hewitt Morgan, Jr., 1961
  • Franklin N. Cunningham, 1962, 1976; N
  • Frederick W. Bundy, Jr., 1963
  • Joseph H. Davis, Jr., 1964
  • David D. Honick, 1965, 1975, 1998; N
  • Richard A. Higgins, 1966
  • Reginald H. Smith, Jr., 1967, 1968
  • William R. Morrison, Jr., 1969, 1970
  • Leonard Kupelman, 1971
  • Richard Long, 1972, 1973
  • Andrew S. Kohr, 1974
  • Robert C. Abrahamson, 1978, 1997
  • Charles M. Kelso, Jr., 1979
  • Lewis H. Norcott, Jr., 1980
  • Robert P. Clark, 1982, 1991
  • Thomas Law Bruce, 1983
  • David Ekern Ratcliff, 1984
  • John Baker Langer, 1985, 1986
  • Sherwin J. Feinhandler, 1987
  • J. Tyler Carpenter, 1988
  • George F. Shelton, 1989, 1990; N
  • Charles N. Shiller, 1991, 1992
  • Donovan J. Pihlaja, 1993, 1994; PDDGM
  • Robert F. Dwyer, 1995, 1996
  • Kenneth R. Prase, 1999-2001
  • Clark B. Loth, 2002; PDDGM
  • E. Philip Freedman, 2003
  • Thomas H. Bruntley, 2004
  • Thomas Lane Bruce, 2005; RW
  • Ryan J. Johnson, 2006, 2007
  • Robert E. Bolcome, 2008
  • Diego S. Depetris, 2009-2011

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1922
  • Petition for Charter: 1923

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1972 (50th Anniversary)
  • 2007 (85th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1925 1926 1935 1947 1949 1957 1965 1971 1981 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

HISTORY

  • 1972 (50th Anniversary History, 1972-96)

50TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MAY 1972

From Proceedings, Page 1972-96:

By Worshipful Robert H. Kennedy.

Fifty years is a period of time — short to some and olden times to others — it depends on whether you have lived it or learned about it at your father's knee — or some other low joint.

This history is being written for everyone, hopefully, to enjoy. Some always like to look for errors in spelling or composition. You may find that I have left a dangling participle, or split infinitive or used a preposition to end a sentence with. So, as I say, this is for everyone's enjoyment.

Many things have disappeared from the Cambridge-Boston scene in these intervening years — Shuman's Corner — Stickpins — The Old Howard — Crystal Sets — Ear Phones — Literary Digest — "When in doubt buy of Osgood" — Vacant Store Gypsies — Principal travel by Railroad, Steamship (including The Fall River Line) and "Ed" Dana's Boston Elevated — The Acacia Fraternity.

The Harvard Lodge may well have had its beginning in the fellowship of the Acacia Fraternity or Harvard Masonic Club in 1921, meeting at their house on Prescott Street. An idea in the minds of interested Masons in the College and the University (notably the Law School Dean, Rt. Wor. Roscoe Pound) who were willing and able to roll up their sleeves to put a foundation under their "air castle" and putting their idea into being for the benefit of their contemporaries and for the generations to come.

In March of 1922, at a dinner of the Harvard Masonic Club, a committee of eight were selected to organize The Harvard Lodge. A representative of each school of the University, under the chairmanship of Rt. Wor. George Colesworthy, was given this task. This Annual meeting brought together 111 charter members for this group — namely 12 Faculty, 30 Alumni, 61 Students and 8 Employees.

Early in May, 1922, these Masons, having the prosperity of the Craft at heart and anxious to exert their best endeavors to promote and diffuse the genuine principles of Freemasonry and the convenience of their respective dwellings and other good reasons, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to form The Harvard Lodge.

On the 18th of May, 1922, at the Cambridge Temple in Porter Square, Rt. Wor. George B. Colesworthy, District Deputy Grand Master, instituted The Harvard Lodge, and delivered the dispensation, signed by Most Worshipful Arthur D. Prince, Grand Master, and, authorizing the Lodge to work, Rt. Wor. Guy H. Holliday was selected as Worshipful Master.

On June 15, 1922, the first meeting, "Under Dispensation" was held to confer the Entered Apprentice degree with three candidates and 65 members present. It was at this meeting that Amicable Lodge presented the magnificent gift of the Three Great Lights and which was accepted with grateful appreciation by long continued applause.

On November 16, 1922, five men were honored to be the first men to receive the Master Mason degree in "The Harvard". Shawmut Lodge, Joseph Webb Lodge, and Winthrop Lodge shared in this honor by each raising one candidate, and Euclid Lodge provided the music.

These founding fathers wore their enthusiasm as a badge of their sincerity and many candidates were procured the first years, even to the extent of almost being a "degree mill" but not sacrificing quality of work. It is interesting to note that on many occasions, three degrees were conferred at the same meeting on three different classes of candidates as they were eligible. The communications would start at 2:30 P.M. for the Entered Apprentice class and proceed then to the Fellow Craft class, break for dinner and then reconvene for the Master Mason degree.

The concept of a University Lodge was not new, inasmuch as there were two already in existence — Richard C. Maclaurin at M. I. T. and Henry Morse Stephens at Berkeley — University of California. However, the University Lodge fills a need as set forth in a letter from William Stone in 1922 to form a "glad-hand" committee to seek out those new comers and acquaint them with the city, the school, and all things associated with them. This kind of service is especially appreciated by the newcomer and brings the brother into closer contact, creating a spirit of fellowship, which is an ideal of the fraternity.

On April 1 1, 1923 a dinner was served in the Cambridge Masonic Temple to 80 members and 120 guests. The Worshipful Master presented the Grand Master, who received a thunderous ovation. Rt. Wor. Bro. Colesworthy gave a brief address of the formation of The Harvard Lodge and its work while "Under Dispensation." The Grand Lodge repaired to the Prelate's Room to open a Special Communication of the Grand Lodge and then entered the Lodge Room in solemn procession and the Constitution Ceremonies were performed with the dignity befitting this great and important undertaking. (1923 Mass. 105-109)

Most Worshipful Dudley H. Ferrell installed Rt. Wor. Guy H. Holliday, and the other elected officers .were installed by the Grand Officer holding the similar office; with other officers installed by Rt. Wor. Claude L. Allen, Past Deputy Grand Master.

The unusual feature of the ceremony was the fact that, probably for the first time in the history of American Masonry, nearly the entire membership of a Masonic Lodge was robed in academic gowns with two score of scholastic hoods of varying shape and color, thus emphasizing the collegiate character of "The Harvard" and bringing into strong relief its unique trait, an academic Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, ninety-five percent of whom had secured a recognized standing in the pursuit of scholarship and learning. As the Grand Secretary called each name from the roll of Charter Members, that man took his position West of the Altar and when the 87th man called, took his position with the others, it was a beautiful sight for all to behold. The new regalia of the Lodge, the magnificent regalia of Grand Lodge, the diversified gowns of the brethren with the varied hues of the scholastic hoods, all united to form a grave splendor of Masonic ritual, inspiring, impressive and one not to be forgotten.

Thirty-three members of Grand Lodge, eighty-seven members of The Harvard Lodge and two hundred-sixty visitors from forty-two Grand Jurisdictions, including Canada, England, Scotland, India, Siam and Cuba, attended this meeting.

At various times during our life, a letter has been issued — somewhat on an irregular basis, to inform the brethren — particularly those living at great distances — of the happenings at the local level and keeping them posted as to the fortunes and misfortunes of their brethren who also live at distant points.

The first of these appeared under the title of "The Occasional News Letter" on December 10, 1926 and was inaugurated by Wor. Frank Hamilton. And in 1928, Wor. E. Stanton Russell had a "Change of Name but not of Purpose" and called it the "Harcraft News". This continued more or less regularly through 1940. Ten years later Wor. James F. Farr picked it up for a year and a half. Received again with various editors in 1959 and through 1965. The price of the publication had never varied — "The price of the news is pay your dues and send a note about yourself." Countless letters of appreciation of the "News" were sent from members scattered throughout the world where they resided. Wor. E. Stanton Russell on many occasions made an annual donation to ensure its continuance—such was his appreciation.

On many occasions the wives (or shall we say "Sub-Rosa" members) would accompany the members to dinner and then split—the men to the meeting and the ladies to an adjoining apartment for their own entertainment and be rejoined by the men when the meeting adjourned, sometimes for a speaker with or without a film. This so-called "family plan" was very successful and promoted the close harmony of all.

The great depression of the early 30's manifested itself on all segments of society, including The Harvard Lodge. Candidates were fewer but the enthusiasm and fellowship were not dimmed by the parlous times. Dinners ranged from "pot-luck" suppers to 60 cents and "not over $1.00" catered affairs.

It was in December of 1930 that the first from The Harvard Lodge received an appointment in the Grand Lodge — namely Rt. Wor. Albert Schaefer as Senior Grand Deacon. It is interesting to note that in the offices of Grand Lodge, all but four have been filled at some time by a member of The Harvard Lodge. The exceptions are Junior Grand Warden, Grand Standard Bearer, Grand Organist and Grand Tyler. Three Past Masters have been Judge Advocate for a total of twenty-five years. Four members have been elected to Grand Master. Most Worshipfuls Albert A. Schaefer and Whitfield W. Johnson from the line of The Harvard Lodge and those by affiliation were Most Worshipfuls Arthur W. Coolidge and A. Neill Osgood. In 1940, Most Worshipful Joseph Earl Perry was voted Honorary Member.

The Design of the Cover

The first notices of the Lodge had a Harvard Seal or Square & Compasses on the cover. In 1926, Bro. William J. Stone (School of Architecture) designed a cover with his own pen and imagination which embodies many of the emblems, furniture and tools of the Craft. The officers stations and the Jay brothers are depicted in their proper places and at the proper time. The Memorial Hall Tower, before the disastrous fire of 1957, is shown in picturesque setting beyond the 1887-1888 Gate. All of our printing these fifty years has been by the same man (and his boys) Bro. Edwin Powell, still hale and hearty at 92 years of age.

I call you to examine the Cover very carefully and discover all of the hidden detail.

In the earlier years, the Cover was printed in the bluetone of John Harvard's College in Cambridge University, England. Rt. Wor. Roscoe Pound arranged this from a ribbon from Cambridge University.

Archives

This history has been prepared from records given to the Lodge by devoted charter members. In 1959, Wor. Eugene Wyman presented three bound volumes which contained a copy of every notice from the first one of "Under Dispensation" days to the present. Earlier this year, Wor. William J. Stone of Valley Center, California gave us almost a complete set of notices and "Occasional News Letters" and "Harcraft News". The reports of the several Secretaries are quite full of detail and kept in excellent condition.

Priceless letters and notes between the charter members while busily engaged in the formation of the Lodge were carefully preserved and donated by Wor. "Bill" Stone — an outstanding Mason.

Just as an aside, to show qualities of our first Marshal — "Bill" Stone, on his return to Pasadena, founded Acacia Fraternities there, promoted and helped "found" the Altadena Lodge, became its Master, designed its Temple and helped superintend its construction and all the while, still cherished our Lodge, as manifested by these magnificent gifts today.

As thoughtful, sincere Masons who cherished memorabilia, both Wor. Kenneth Boardman and Rt. Wor. Elliot Boardman seized the opportunity of small things to delight others later on. Brother "Ken" Boardman mailed a First Day Cover from the George Washington Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, to the Lodge on February 22, 1932 — the 200th Anniversary of Washington's birth. Together they presented the Lodge in December 1936 with two kernels of corn used in the constitution of The Harvard Lodge on April 11, 1923.

Lodge Meeting-Places

The Lodge has met in several locations during these fifty years. As we are chartered to meet at the University, this has lot always been possible due to inability to secure space there. While we have held Stated Communications at the Porter Square Temple, Phillips Brooks House, Faculty Club, Pi Eta Club, Iroquois Club and 186 Tremont Street (formerly 51 Boylston Street, Boston) — from 1947 through 1959, the Faculty Club Library served as a delightful homey site and much credit is due to Rt. Wor. James Farr for planning and executing the arrangements. Also in 1950, Rt. Wor. Bro. Farr sent Greetings to The Harvard Lodge No. 6957 London, England, as it was consecrated by the United Grand Lodge of England and commented that Isaac Newton Lodge of Cambridge, England, had made our Harvard Lodge their "sister" Lodge in honour of their famous graduate.

University Presidents

From within our membership of the early days, three of our men became College Presidents:

  • Bro. Bancroft Beatley, Simmons College
  • Bro. S. Justus McKinley, Emerson College
  • Wor .Rev. J. Lyle McCorison, Yankton College, South Dakota

Many more distinguished themselves in fields of medicine, surgery, finance, psychiatry, merchandizing, law, public security, diplomacy, various of the military, architecture and City planning, science, education and theology.

University Lodges

There have been several Convocations of the University Lodges in the Boston area, with each of the three alternating as Host. One of the more memorable occasions was our 200th meeting in January 1941, as the officers of all three Lodges occupied "triplicate" stations in the Lodge Room for the purpose of a reception to the newly installed Most Worshipful Albert A. Schaefer, Grand Master, who was accompanied by twenty-five members of Grand Lodge — including Wor. Elliot Boardman as Junior Grand Deacon and Wor. Whitfield W. Johnson as Grand Sword Bearer.

At another meeting of the three Lodges, Wor. Robert H. Kennedy, as President of the Harvard Square & Compass Club.

presented Wor. Gaylord Coon a gavel composed of three venerable pieces of wood, bonded together and symbolic of the Unity of the Lodges. The head of the gavel was made from an oak handrail from the first Boston University Business Administration School on Boylston Street, and donated by Brother Daniel L. Marsh, President of Boston University through Wor. Norman M. Gay. One half of the handle was from an oak frame at the Rogers Building, then the Museum of Natural History (now Bonwit Teller) at 234 Berkeley Street the first building of M.I.T., and procured through Wor. Wolcott Hokanson. The other half of the handle was from a walnut desk top of the original Harvard Hall and discovered in the remodeling by Bro. James Babcock, who "turned out" the gavel on his lathe. It was intended that the Host Master use this at future Convocations.

There are only four University Lodges in America to the best of my knowledge; the fourth being Henry Morse Stephens at Berkeley, California. However, The Harvard Lodge is the oldest strictly University Lodge inasmuch as we are chartered as such, whereas, the others were chartered on a geographical or city basis. Later on, the others sought such limitations and had their charters revised to have a jurisdiction of the University only. Our own had to be revised because as originally granted, we could not initiate an alumnus unless he had a current, active connection with the University, as student, faculty or employee.

The Tercentenary

The presiding Wor. Whitfield W. Johnson contacted James B. Conant, the newly elected President of Harvard, in 1933, to visit with us. Since President Conant confined his visits to official Harvard-related groups during his first year, he delayed his visit until the term of Wor. George H. Chase the following year. This meeting was graced by the presence of many leading luminaries of the Academic, Masonic and business worlds.

In 1936, as the University was celebrating its Tercentenary, the Lodge planned a special meeting to coincide with this gala event. Since many of the Alumni were returning from many distant points of the world, it gave them more of a common ground upon which to reminisce for an evening.

Random Thoughts

Of course, as in all Lodges, there were many Past Masters' Nights, but the one in 1961 was a little different. Wor. "Bob" Beach (now Rt. Wor.) was able to gather twenty Past Masters and put them all to work that evening in May. Considering the distances of their homes from Harvard Square, that was quite a chore. At the conclusion of the degree work, the crowded lodge-room was privileged to have Rt. Wor. Roscoe Pound address them on "Town and Gown" as it applied to the Fraternity. And there, we had some ideas behind the founding of The Harvard Lodge. This was the last visit to the Lodge by Brother Pound, who was then in his nineties.

As well as Past Masters' Nights, there were several Past District Deputy Nights involving all the available District Deputy Grand Masters of the Boston Second and the Cambridge Second Districts. The most recent of these was in 1959.

There have been several District Deputies from The Harvard Lodge. Brother Albert Schaefer was the first followed by Brothers Elliot Boardman, James F. Farr and Harborne W. Stuart, with appropriate receptions being held for each.

Speaking of receptions, in 1939 when Rt. Wor. A. Neill Osgood appeared here for the first time as District Deputy Grand Master, the entertainment following the meeting, on this "Family Night", was a talk entitled, "Television! When?" by Wor. Loring Andrews, an authority on the subject. I wonder if he realized what a Cycloptic monster T. V. would become in a few years. He also wrote the long range weather forecasts for the Old Farmer's Almanac and provided the astronomical data that was published in the World Almanac annually.

What I suppose may be unique in the form of receptions was one held on January 28, 1966 at the Grand Lodge Temple in Boston, when homage was paid to four men of The Harvard Lodge who had been selected to be on the "team" of Most Worshipful Thomas A. Booth that year. Namely: Rt. Wor. James F. Farr as Deputy Grand Master; Rt. Wor. Robert P. Beach as Senior Grand Warden; Wor. and Rev. Ralph Ernest Bayes as Grand Chaplain and Wor. Robert H. Kennedy as Grand Pursuivant. In the midst of dinner, a tremor was noted when the Hotel Paramount, a few doors away, suffered a bad explosion and throwing a large area of downtown Boston into darkness. Thanks to the foresight of the managers of the Temple, an auxiliary generator took over immediately and the festivities continued without interruption.

It is noted that frequently Ministers are Masters of their Lodges; but in 1945-1946 and 1947 we were in "good hands" when Rev. Stephen C. Lang and Rev. J. Lyle McCorison served as "back to back" Masters.

To see that our By-Laws were correct and very proper in all detail, they were drawn up and edited by Brothers Bancroft Beatly and Thurman L. Hood, Professor of English.

The membership responded very favorably on appeals for funds on several occasions — be it for the George Washington Memorial, Juniper Hall, Building Fund, Arkansas Flood, War Relief, Furnishing Fund or whatever.

The widows of Most Worshipful Albert A. Schaefer and Rt. Wor. Guy H. Holliday donated the Past Master's Apron and Jewel to us. It was the usual custom for several years for the presiding Master to wear them in his office, and about a decade ago they were "retired" to be preserved.

Our present Chaplain, Wor. and Rev. Ralph Ernest Bayes, D. D., must be praised for his devotion (no pun intended) to his office by his regular and almost perfect attendance these 27 years.

During the war years of '41 through '45 members were urged to attend by using the trolleys and to save their gasoline ration coupons. And the remarks of Wor. Stephen Lang in 1945 still ring in my ears. "The cannon have ceased and the dawn of peace appears—though many things are still out of joint, let us devote ourselves to relief and true brotherhood".

On many occasions Bro. Edmund F. Barker would air-express bouquets of live acacia to us on the appropriate nights from his home in California. All of this was because of the similar gift of his "Dad" the night he was raised.

Another good friend was Wor. Joseph H. Davis, who presented us with a complete set of Officers' aprons shortly after his term as Master. The original aprons had more than done their service in the forty odd years.

I thank you for the opportunity of looking into history and into so many personal files, including those of Dean Pound—the outstanding authority of Masonic jurisprudence. I am sorry that we, today, cannot be on the sidelines and have all of those who have gone before us recount those days for us in person. How nice it would be to be all wrapped up in each others presence!


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS


DISTRICTS

1922: District 2 (Cambridge)

1927: District 2 (Boston)

2003: District 2


LINKS

Lodge web site

Massachusetts Lodges