Doers & Dreamers


John Jacob Astor (1763-1848)		Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941)
When John Jacob Astor left Germany in his late teens years, he worked his way to London and eventually to America. During his voyage across the Atlantic, he met a man who was a fur trader. That acquaintance convinced him to explore the fur trade., and with determination he amassed a fortune from his fur empire. At one time, he was considered the wealthiest man in America. Astor was Master of Holland Lodge #8, New York City in 1788 and later served as Grand Treasurer for the Grand Lodge of New York.		To the scout that knew him, he was "Uncle Dan". But beard first created a name for himself as an author and illustrator and was chosen to illustrate Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court. To keep alive the spirit of the pioneers, he formed "The Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone." This group grew to become the largest boy's club in America. It developed into "The Boy Pioneers" in 1905. By 1910, he had merged his group into the growing Boy Scout movement and became national scout commissioner. He received the only gold Eagle badge ever awarded. Bear was raised a Master Mason in Mariners' Lodge #67 New York City and later became a member of Cornucopia Lodge #563 Flushing, NY.

Francis Bellamy (1855-1931)		Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
Francis Bellamy, a Baptist Minister, wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. Bellamy, then a chairman within the National Education Association, structured the public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his "Pledge of Allegiance." The Pledge has since come under several revisions. Bellamy was a member of Little Falls Lodge # 181, Little Falls, NY.		Irving Berlin started as a penniless immigrant when he came to America. His musical talent earned him fame and fortune. By 1911, Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" swept the country. Thus ragtime became a national craze. This piece was probably Berlin's biggest success, along with "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." Berlin was a member of Munn Lodge #190, New York City, the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City, and Mecca Shrine Temple.

Gutzon Borglum (1871-1941)		General Omar Bradley (1893-1981)
John Gutzon Borglum, noted Mount Rushmore sculptor, showed an early aptitude for sketching at the age of seven. Borglum's sculptures brought him nationwide recognition. His first attempt at mountain carving in 1916 at Stone Mountain, Georgia, ended when a misunderstanding caused the work to be terminated by the project's sponsors. Te Mount Rushmore carvings of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt, were carved between 1927 and 1941, and were completed by his son, Lincoln. Borglum was a member of Howard Lodge #35, New York City, where he served a Master in 1910-11. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City.		Bradley was a US Army officer who commanded the highly effective 12th Army Group, which helped ensure Allied victory over Germany during World War II. He later served as the first chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Graduating from West Point in 1915, Bradley served under Army greats, such as General George S. Patton. Under his leadership, the US 12th Army Group, the largest force ever placed under an American group commander, successfully carried out operations in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Bradley became a member of the West Point Lodge #877, Highland Falls, NY in 1923.

Everett Dirksen (1896-1969)		Harry Houdini (1874-1926)
Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen was a predominant member of Congress, remaining there for over 36 years. In 1957, he became the party's "whip" and two years later, was elected Minority Leader. He served under six presidents and became known as one of the greatest orators of his day. Dirksen had a 19th-century eloquence that could pack the Senate floor when he rose to speak. He was a member of Pekin Lodge #29, Pekin, IL., and was Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Illinois in 1954. He received the 33rd^o in 1954.		Harry Houdini began performing magic at the age of sixteen under the name of Eric the Great. He later changed his name from Eric Weiss to Houdini, hoping to become like his mentor, internationally known magician Robert Houdini. In 1916, Houdini began a film career but was best known for his great escapes. He executed the largest stage illusion of his day making an elephant disappear. Houdini was a member of St. Cecile Lodge #568 in New York City.

Arnold Palmer (1929 - )		Joel Poinsett (1779-1851)
Arnold Palmer is many things to many people, some of which are world famous golfer, business executive, advertising spokesman, and one of the most accessible public figures in the history of the game. This was recognized when a national Associated Press poll named him "Athlete of the Decade" for the 1960s. He amassed 92 championships, in national and international professional competitions, by the end of 1994. Sixty-one of these victories came on the US PGA Tour, starting with the 1955 Canadian Open. A member of Loyalhanna Lodge #275, Latrobe, PA, and Scottish Rite Valley of Pittsburgh, Palmer received the 33^o in 1998.		South Carolinian Joel Poinsett was the first US Minister to Mexico under President John Quincy Adams. On his return from Mexico in 1825, he brought back a beautiful flowering shrub that was able to further develop and improve on his plantation. It had been called a "painted leaf" and the "Mexican fire plant," but later became known as the poinsettia. Today, it is the most popular flowering plant grown and sold in the United States. Poinsett was a Past Master for both Recovery Lodge # 31, Greenville, SC, and Solomons Lodge #1, Charleston, SC. He was elected Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina but was unable to serve as Grand Master because of his appointment as Secretary of War under President Van Buren. He did serve as Grand Hugh Priest of the Grand Chapter of south Carolina.

Branch Rickey (1881-1965)		Roy Rogers (1912-1998)
Branch Rickey is most remembered as the president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who hired Jackie Robinson to break the color line in baseball. He started his career as a mediocre baseball player, batting .239 in just 119 games. But as a general manager, he excelled. Rickey created baseball's farm system to develop young players, and added a number of innovative instructional techniques, all of which helped the St. Louis Cardinals win six pennants and our world championships. He then won two more pennants with the Dodgers before moving on to Pittsburgh. Rickey was initiated in Tuscan Lodge #360, St. Louis, MO, and later transferred to Montauck Lodge #286 in Brooklyn, NY. Rickey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967		Roy Rogers left home for California in a pick-up truck with his father in hopes of seeking fortune and fame. His film debut was "Under Western Stars" and Rogers soon became a movie, television, and radio star, riding onto sets and into the hearts of grownups and children with his golden charger, Trigger. Rogers was a member of Hollywood (CA) Lodge #355, the Scottish Rite Valley of Los Angeles, and Al Malaikah Shrine Temple.