Doers & Dreamers


Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. (1930- )		Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959)
Before becoming an astronaut, Aldrin flew 66 combat missions in the Korean Conflict. He later went on to become not only present for man's first flight to the moon but he also, after Neil Armstrong, was the second human to set foot on the moon. He joined Montclair Lodge #144, in New Jersey, and later affiliated with Clear Lake Lodge #1417 in Seabrook, Tx. A member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Houston, he received the 33rd from the Southern Jurisdiction in 1969.		DeMille was an American motion-picture producer/director whose use of spectacle attracted vast audiences and made him a dominant figure in Hollywood for almost five decades. He was the first director to use a megaphone on the set and the first to install a loudspeaker for issuing orders. His 1956 remake of the epic film, "The Ten Commandments," is a classic. DeMille was a member of Prince of Orange Lodge #16 in New York City.

Henry Ford (1863-1947)		Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
In 1908, Henry Ford unveiled the Model T - - "A car for anybody and everybody." By 1927, there were more model Ts on the road than all other cars combined. Ironically, this was the same year that saw the end to the Model T. Ford was raised in Palestine Lodge #357, Detroit, in 1894. When he received his 33rd in 1940, he said, "Masonry is the best balance wheel the United States has."		No other individual was more heavily involved in the birth of our nation than Benjamin Franklin. He helped draft both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Franklin was not only one of the United States' Founding Fathers, he was also an inventor. Among other things, he gave us bifocals, the lightning rod, the Franklin Stove, and the odometer. This early Mason was Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and also served as Master of the Lodge of Nine Sisters at Paris.

Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947)		George C. Marshall (1880-1959)
LaGuardia was an American political reformer, a Congressman (1916-1933), and mayor of New York City (1934-1945). New York's LaGuardia Airport is named in his honor. During World War II, the colorful mayor read comics over the radio to entertain children during the 1945 newspaper strike. He was a member of Garibaldi Lodge #542, in New York City.		Marsall was a general of the army and US Army chief of staff during World War II and later Secretary of State and of Defense. The European Recovery Program he proposed in 1947 became known as the Marshall Plan. He received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. General Marshall was made a Mason "at sight" in 1941 by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

James Naismith (1861-1939)		Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)
Naismith was a physical education instructor at Springfield College in Massachusetts when he decided to develop a new game that would provide an interlude between football and baseball. He nailed a peach basket to a YMCA gymnasium in 1891. Within a year official rules were drawn up and leagues began to form. Americans of all ages have enjoyed the game of basketball ever since. He joined Roswell Lee Lodge, Springfield, Ma, in 1894 and later affiliated with Lawrence Lodge #6 in Kansas. Here he served as Master in 1927. His Scottish Rite membership was also in Kansas.		Peale was a well-known clergyman whose upbeat religious philosophy and skill as a speaker made him one of America's most popular Protestant ministers. He was also the publisher of Guideposts magazine and a writer of many books including the best seller Power of Positive Thinking. A member of Midwood Lodge #1062, Brooklyn, he was Grand Chaplain for the Grand Lodge of New York. He received the 33rd in 1959 and the Gourgas Medal in 1973.

George M. Pullman (1831-1897)		Richard B. "Red" Skelton (1913-1997)
Pullman was a cabinet maker who saw a need for a more comfortable way to travel by train. With his cabinet making skills he came up with the idea for a sleeper car. In 1867, Pullman established the Pullman Palace Car Company which was contracted to make sleeper cars. He also developed an industrial town of Pullman, now part of Chicago, to build his cars. He was a member Renovation Lodge #97, Albion, NY.		For decades, audiences were thrilled by and applauded Skelton's comedic genius not only on the vaudeville circuit but also on his highly rated TV show. He performed before the Queen of England, entertained eight Presidents and rendered private performances for three Popes. A member of Vincennes Lodge #1 in Indiana, and the Scottish Rite Valley of Evansville, he received the 33rd in 1969 and was honored with the prestigious Gourgas Medal in 1995.

Paul Whiteman (1890-1967)		Denton True "Cy" Young (1867-1955)
Whiteman, an American Band Leader, was known as the "King of Jazz" for popularizing a musical style that helped to introduce jazz to mainstream audiences during the 1920s and 1930s. American composer Ferde Grofe, who was an arranger for Whiteman, composed "Grand Canyon Suite" for him. Whiteman was a member of St. Cecile Lodge #569 in New York. His "It's Only A Paper Moon" is the background music for this page.		Cy Young was a major league baseball pitcher for 22 years and won 511 games. In 1937, he was the first pitcher to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Today, the Cy Young Award, named in his honor, is annually given to the best pitcher in the American and National Leagues. The "Grand Old Man of Baseball" was a member of Mystic Tie Lodge #194, Uhrichsville, Ohio, and the Scottish Rite Valley of Columbus.