Presidents Day 2014

Mike Corthell, Editor

Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States.

It is also a state holiday in most states where it is known by a variety of names including Presidents Day and Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday and officially celebrates, depending upon the state, Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents. Some states celebrate Washington and the third president Thomas Jefferson but not Lincoln.

Colloquially, the holiday is widely known as "Presidents Day" and is often an occasion to celebrate, or at least remember, all presidents and not just George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Both Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays are in February. In historical rankings of Presidents of the United States both Lincoln and Washington are frequently, but not always, the top two presidents.

Master Masons Who Were President:

George Washington (1st President): Initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason on Nov. 4, 1752, passed to the degree of Fellow-Craft on Mar. 3, 1753, and Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on Aug. 4, 1753, in Fredericksburg Lodge (later No. 4), Virginia. He was named Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge #22, in  Alexandria, VA, April 28, 1788, and reelected Dec. 20, 1788, but there is no evidence he was ever installed or presided over any Masonic meeting.

James Monroe: Initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason on Nov. 9, 1775, in Williamsburg Lodge #6 at Williamsburg, VA., but there is no record of his taking any further degrees. The records of Cumberland Lodge #8 in Tennessee, June 8, 1819, show a reception for Monroe as "a Brother of the Craft." It is possible that he was Raised as a Master Mason in 1776.

Andrew Jackson (7th President): He was possibly Raised in 1800. His lodge is not known but he is said to have attended at Clover Bottom Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. He was present in lodge at Greeneville in 1801 and acted as Senior Warden pro-tem. The records of St. Tammany Lodge #29 at Nashville, which became Harmony Lodge #1 under the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, show that Jackson was a member. He was very active in Freemasonry and served as Grand Master of Tennessee from 1822 to 1823.

James Polk: He was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Columbia Lodge #31, Columbia, Tenn., 1820; and exalted a Royal Arch Mason in La Fayette Chapter #4 at Columbia in 1825.

James A. Buchanan (15th President): Initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason on Dec. 11, 1816, in Lancaster Lodge #43, at Lancaster, PA. He was Passed and Raised in 1817, Junior Warden of his Lodge between 1821-1822, Master of the Lodge in 1825, exalted in Royal Arch Chapter # 43, in 1826, and Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

(1.) Abraham Lincoln (16th President) was not a Freemason but he did apply for membership in Tyrian Lodge #333, Springfield, Ill., shortly after his nomination for the presidency in 1860. He withdrew his application because he felt that his applying for membership at that time might be construed as a political ruse to obtain votes. He advised the lodge that he would resubmit his application again when he returned from the presidency.

Andrew Johnson (17th President): He was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Greeneville Lodge No. 119 now #3 at Greeneville, Tenn. in 1851. He was probably a member of Greeneville Chapter #82, Royal Arch Masons, since he joined Nashville Commandery of Knights Templar #1 in 1859. He received the Scottish Rite degrees in the White House in 1867.

James Garfield (20th President): Initiated and Passed in Magnolia Lodge #20, Columbus, Ohio, and Raised to a Master Mason in Columbus Lodge #3O in 1864. He affiliated with Garrettsville Lodge #246 in 1866 as well as with Pentalpha Lodge #23 in Washington, D. C. as charter member in 1869. He was exalted in Columbus Royal Arch Chapter 1866, and Knight Templar 1866. He also received up through the 14° Degree Scottish Rite 1872.

William McKinley (25th President): He is said to have been Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Hiram Lodge #10 in Winchester, West Virginia, in 1865, but William Moseley Brown is authority for the statement that this event took place in Hiram Lodge #21 at Winchester, Virginia in that year. McKinley affiliated with Canton Lodge #60 at Canton, Ohio in 1867 and later became a charter member of Eagle Lodge #43. He received the Capitular degrees in Canton in 1883 and was made a Knight Templar in 1884.

Theodore Roosevelt (26th President): He was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Matinecock Lodge #806, Oyster Bay, NY in 1901.

William H. Taft (27th President): He was Initiated an Entered Apprentice on Feb. 18, 1909. He was made a Master Mason by the act of "Mason at Sight" in Kilwinning Lodge #356, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1901. Evidently, that made him a member at large, for the Grand Lodge issued him a demit and he became a member of that lodge.

Warren G. Harding (29th President): He was Initiated in Lodge #70, Marion, Ohio, Jun 28, 1901. He received no other degree until after becoming U.S. President where he was Passed and Raised in Marion Lodge #70 in 1920; the Master Mason degree occurring on Aug. 27, 1920. He was received the Royal Arch degrees in Marion Chapter #62 in 1921; Knight Templar in Marion Commandery #36, in 1921, Scottish Rite (33°)and Shrine in 1921.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President): He was Initiated, Passed, and Raised in Holland Lodge #8, New York City, in 1911. He received the degrees of the Scottish Rite in Albany Consistory 1929, the Shrine in 1930.

Harry S. Truman (33rd President): He was Initiated on Feb. 9, 1909, in Belton Lodge #450, Grandview, Missouri, and, later in that year, he was Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. In 1911, Truman was the 1st WM of the new Grandview Lodge #618. He served as Grand Master of Missouri between 1940-1941. He served as Worshipful Master of Missouri Lodge of Research while U.S. President, as well as Masonic Ritualist, District Lecturer, and Deputy Grand Master for several years, buried with Masonic rites in Independence, MO, in televised ceremony. He also received the degrees of the Scottish Rite, eventually getting consecrated as a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.

(2.)Lyndon Johnson (36th President) received his first degree on October 30, 1937. After receiving the degree he found that his congressional duties (elected in 1937) took so much time he was unable to pursue the masonic degrees.

Gerald Ford (38th President): Initiated an Entered Apprentice on Sep. 30, 1949, in Malta Lodge #465, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Passed and Raised as a courtesy in Columbia Lodge #3, Washington, D.C., Apr. 20 &  May 18, 1951 respectively. He also received the degrees of the Scottish Rite.

(3.) Ronald Reagan (40th President) has often been referred to as a Freemason. President Reagan is not a Freemason although he is an honorary member of the Imperial Council of the Shrine. President Reagan has on numerous occasions been involved in Shrine and masonic functions throughout his career.
The confusion as to his membership arises from a ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House on February 11th, 1988, when a group of Freemasons presented President Reagan with a certificate of honor from the Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C., then he was made an Honourary Scottish Rite mason. The title of Freemason can only be conferred by a Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In Reagan's case this was not done, probably because the ceremonies would have taken a full day to confer and the president's time was limited; therefore,President Reagan should only be referred to as a Shriner or Scottish Rite mason. The Shrine and Scottish Rite are concordant bodies and cannot confer the title Freemason on any person.


1. Applied for membership
2. Entered Apprentice
3. ''Honorary''