My boss and I were discussing the Masonic Lodge today and he made the statement that all but two U.S. presidents were Masons, as was the the man who designed Washington, D.C. (Lafayette?)
This seems like an awfully large percentage to me, but I can’t seem to find anything on the net to back me up.
Any lodge members or history buffs out there who can lend a hand?
According to this list of famous Masons, only 14 were. That’s still a pretty high percentage (33%).
Considering the caliber of the presidents listed, I’d say that bodes well of the Masons. (I’d blackball Clinton, if I were a Mason.)
The man who laid out Washington, D.C. was Pierre Charles L’Enfant, not Lafayette. One of my grade-school teachers told me it was Lafayette. My grade-school teachers were mostly idiots.
Thank you, AWB…I’m bookmarking that page!
Whew…Ernest Borgnine is a Mason…the guy who invented the saxophone was a Mason…sure hope folks here don’t start noticing the connections…
VaHermit, I assume your user name means you live in Virginia. If that’s true, check out the George Washington Masonic Temple in Alexandria. There are portraits of every U.S. President who was a Mason–plus there’s a pretty cool view of Old Town and the Potomac since it’s up on a hill. Admission is free and it’s an interesting, little-visited diversion. I didn’t know much about the Masons before I went, and it was informative.
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but why are the Masons so popular among African Americans? It seems like such a WASPish thing at first glance, and I’m not sure why it caught on among African Americans. And yes, I’m thinking of that scene from the movie Rosewood where the white guy convinces the African American guy to let him go during the riots because they’re both Masons.
“Most” Presidents have not been Masons, but most of our early Presidents (particularly the Southerners) were. George Washington was a very active Mason, and surrounded himself with Masonic symbols (it’s not a coincidence that the Washington Monument is an obelisk, a Masonic symbol).
Today, of course, the Masons aren’t very powerful. But they were powerful enough to generate a large opposition. In the early 19th century, the Anti-Masons were a very powerful political party. In fact, they were the first political party to hold a Presidential nomination convention.
The Anti-Mason Party was the first American political party to hold a nomination convention. But it wasn’t a very well-organized affair. The favorite candidate, Supreme Court Justice John McLean, refused to accept the candidacy when it was offered to him. A faction within the party than managed to swing the nomination to former Attorney General William Wirt, who therefore ran as the Anti-Mason candidate despite the fact that he was himself a Mason.
Thanks to almost all of you for your very informative replies.
Bibliophage…Thanks, still wondering if L’Enfant was a Mason?
MHM…Yes, I am in Va. and about two hours from D.C., I have family in Alexandria and visit regularly. I will surely add the temple as a “must see” on my next trip. Thank you.
astorian and Little Nemo…I had no Idea that an “Anti-Mason” group ever existed, Thanks, I’ll do a search and read up on it.
If anyone is wondering why I said thanks to “almost” all, check out the thread “Does no one know how to use a search engine” over in the BBQ Pit. It might make you think twice about ever asking a question here again.
L’Enfant was a freemason, according to this site that also says he hid Masonic symbols in the street patterns.