Famous non- Masons
There are many who are sometimes thought to be Masons - simply because of their outstanding reputations. (That simple fact alone should say something to Masonry's antagonists! If a man achieves greatness, he's sometimes presumed to be a Mason; he is never presumed to be against Masonry!)
In addition, there have been a few who were thought to be Masons simply because of their affiliation with other Masons. Below, we'll mention a few....
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, one of the greatest jazz musicians to have ever lived, is listed on dozens of 'Famous Masons' lists online. On some, it is asserted that he was a member of Montgomery Lodge #18 in New York but there is no such lodge (including Prince Hall Grand Lodges) in New York. In his autobiography "Stachmo", Mr. Armstrong makes reference to his membership in the Knights of Pythias - another fraternal organization which engages in charitable and fraternal causes. Based on lack of evidence, it must be concluded that Mr. Armstrong was NOT a Mason.
Neil Armstrong - American astronaut who as commander of Apollo 11 became the first human being to walk on the moon (July 20, 1969) has been cited by some as having been a Mason. It appears that the confusion may have resulted from the Masonic membership of his father. No one has been able to provide the name of the Lodge to which Armstrong might have belonged.
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World and Founder of the World Scout Movement is sometimes wrongly identified as a Freemason. No proof of this has ever been found and immediately after his death in 1941, his non-membership was confirmed by his widow, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, by his daughter Betty, by his brother Major David Baden-Powell (who was a Mason) and also by V. W. Bro. Lord Somers, who succeeded Baden-Powell at the head of the scout movement. The same confirmation of non-membership was made at the consecration of Baden-Powell Lodge #448, United Grand Lodge of Victoria, Australia.
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher and statesman, often referred to as the most influential and versatile writer of the 17th Century. He has been presumed by some to be the 'real' Shakespeare - and many have pointed to the connections between writings by Bacon and those of Shakespeare with that of Freemasonry.
Lance Burton the world-famous Magician continues the "Royal Dynasty Of Magic" but is not a Mason. Mason Harry Kellar, America's premier magician from 1887 to 1908, selected Mason Howard Thurston as his successor. Before his death in 1935, Bro. Thurston selected Dante as his successor. In turn, Mason 'Dante' (Harry Jansen) selected Lee Grabel (Mason Merill Lee Grabeel) who, similarly, selected Lance Burton in 1954 to continue this extraordinary tradition.
U. S. President George Herbert Walker Bush has also on numerous occasions been referred to as a Freemason. The confusion probably arises from the swearing in ceremonies at his inauguration when he took his oath of office on the George Washington Bible which belongs to St. Johns Lodge in New York City. Because the Bible belonged to a Masonic Lodge many writers assumed he was a Freemason. The Bible was used at the request of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. This particular Bible was first used on April 30, 1789, by the Grand Master of the Masons in New York, to administer the oath of office to President George Washington in New York City. Other presidents who took their oath of office with this Bible were Warren G. Harding, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter.
U. S. President George Walker Bush, son of President George H. W. Bush is not presently rumored to be a Mason. He had wished to take his Oath of Office on the same Bible as used by his father when he became President but the inclement weather was such that the custodians of the Bible from St. Johns Lodge #1 in New York concurred with President-elect Bush just moments before the ceremony that it would have placed the priceless treasure at too great a risk. Accordingly, a family Bible was used instead.
Famous Hollywood movie director James Cameron has been 'linked' by some anti-Masonic conspiracy-minded folks as having received the 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite in some sort of secret ceremony during an Oscar Award presentation. Their claims, of course, totally ignore the fact that 'secret presentations' of that honor simply do not occur. All recipients of the award are announced publicly at the annual Scottish Rite meeting the year before the award is actually presented. The presentation is done at the next annual meeting.
United States Vice President Dick Cheney has sometimes been mentioned as a Mason in various internet newsgroups and in August, 2002, we found him listed on two Masonic websites. Both sites (one essentially a copy of the other) 'trumpeted' him as the highest ranking government official who was a Mason. Both sites though were totally and completely wrong since Mr. Cheney is NOT a Mason. The Masonic Service Association of North America keeps an updated list of elected officials who are members of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Cheney's name has never appeared there. When this fact was brought to the attention of the site where the information was originally placed, their Webmaster contacted the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Wyoming who confirmed that, as stated, Mr. Cheney is NOT a Mason.
Chiang Kai-Shek is highly prominent and highly revered in all aspects of Taiwanese daily life but, although often rumored to be a Mason, was not. (1887-1975)
Charlie Chaplain was not a Mason despite the fact that stories circulate from time to time that he was. The stories are untrue.
Former U. S. President Bill Clinton is not a Mason. He was a member of the Order of DeMolay, a youth group sponsored by Masons and during his membership was the presiding officer (Master Councilor) of his Chapter.
Sean Connery - Who knows how/why some folks decide that a particular individual just 'must' be a Mason. Regardless, about 4-5 times during each year, we get inquiries asking why we've omitted Sir Sean Connery, the famed actor and Scottish activist, from the list of Famous Freemasons. There's a simple reason: as far as anyone can prove, he's simply not a member of the Craft. Who knows: maybe his starring role in the 1975 film of (Mason) Rudyard Kipling's novel, "The Man Who Would Be King" following so closely on the heels of his recognition as 'Bond. James Bond.' caused some to fantasize. Regardless, there's no evidence whatsoever to indicate that he ever became a Mason and until someone can provide dates/places of his membership, he'll continue as a Famous Non-Mason - and one of our favorite actors!
Walt Disney - World famous cartoonist, Walt was a DeMolay (a member of a fraternal organization for young men sponsored by Freemasonry). He did not, however, join the Masonic organization. Rumors circulate continuously indicating that he was a Mason and some of them have proven quite tantalizing. No one, however, has been able to produce the name of a lodge to which Walt might have belonged and despite a desire to list him as a member of the Craft, there is simply no provable evidence that he was.
Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the Confederacy's most daring and effective cavalry commanders during the US Civil War began his military service as a private and rose to command cavalry troops throughout the South during that horrific time.
Reverend Billy Graham - Sometimes referred to as 'America's Minister', Rev. Graham is frequently identified as a Mason by religious intolerants whose ideology is different from his. They feel, apparently, that connecting him with Freemasonry will smear his outstanding abilities and his life-long commitment to his faith. In the earliest days of the world wide web (we seem to recall it was about 1994), a listing of famous Freemasons appeared on the web site of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, USA. Dr. Graham's name appeared on the list in error based on an assumption by the person who prepared it.
General Ulysess S. Grant's father and two brothers were members of the Masonic Lodge at Galena, Ill. The father often told friends that Ulysses intended to petition for the degrees but in the press of duties in the army and the presidency, it was delayed. In 1871, Grant told a group of Knights Templar that when he returned home he would petition Miner's Lodge No. 273. The Grand Master arranged to make him a Mason "at sight" but Grant died before this could be accomplished.
We have seen the name of Alex Haley, noted author of Roots which achieved phenomenal commercial success but also changed the way the United States thought about slavery, listed on a couple of Masonic Websites as a 'Famous Freemason'. Each time we've seen this, we've sent along a note to the Webmaster asking for the name and location of his lodge. We've yet to receive that information despite over a dozen pleas for it.
Bob Hope the American comedian and film actor, noted for his unflagging devotion to entertaining American military troops overseas for over 50 years sometimes appears on lists of Famous Masons. Bro. Gani Hernandez, Jr. confirmed with the Masonic Service Bureau of Los Angeles in July, 2000 that Mr. Hope is not a Mason.
U. S. President Thomas Jefferson was, at several points during the past two hundred years, identified as a Mason. Jefferson was involved in Revolutionary matters with many who were Masons and the appearance of the Jefferson name in Lodge record books of the time gave credence to the assumption. Recent research, including a manual
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson received his Initiatory Degree (the first of the three Masonic degrees one takes to become a Master Mason) on October 30, 1937. After receiving that degree, he found that his congressional duties (he was elected to Congress in 1937) took so much time he was unable to pursue Freemasonry further.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 as he stood on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel room. He was a champion of the United States' civil rights movement and is widely credited for spearheading significant movement in racial equality through his non-violent protests during the very violent 1960s.
Pierre L'Enfant, the fabled designer of the city of Washington, D.C., has often been identified as a Mason. However, there is no proof existent that he was. Many of those who've based their conspiracy theories of some overarching world domination wherein Masonic symbols were embedded in the design of the capitol city will be aghast to think that they've based the credibility of their rants on a mountain of sand; nevertheless, we defy them to produce credible PRIMARY evidence of Mr. L'Enfant's membership.
U. S. President Abraham Lincoln was not a Freemason. He applied for membership in Tyrian Lodge, Springfield, Illinois shortly after his nomination for the presidency in 1860. However, he withdrew his application because he felt that his application for membership at that time might be interpreted as a political tactic to obtain additional votes. He advised the lodge that he would resubmit his application again when he returned from his service as president. Lincoln, as we know, never returned. On the death of the President, Tyrian Lodge adopted, on April 17, 1865, a resolution to say "...that the decision of President Lincoln to postpone his application for the honors of Freemasonry, lest his motives be misconstrued, is the highest degree honorable to his memory."
A number of Masonic groups participated in Lincoln's funeral procession and when these stories in the newspapers reached Europe, Masons there 'assumed' that Lincoln was a Mason. The French in particular had numerous tributes to "Brother Lincoln" published in papers there thus adding to the myth.
The actor Carrol O'Connor who became tremendously popular for his portrayal of humorous bigot Archie Bunker on the 1971-1979 US television program "All In The Family" is sometimes thought to have been a Mason because he (supposedly) wore a Masonic ring during his portrayal of a Southern sheriff in another acclaimed television series, "In The Heat Of The Night".
U. S. Revolutionary Thomas Paine who arrived in the Colonies in 1774 and whose fiery pen was said to ignite the Revolution and help shape the country we know today is sometimes thought to be a Mason, presumably because of his affiliations with Benjamin Franklin and Nicolas deBonneville.
The late Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) who was killed by an assassin in a cowardly attack is sometimes seen cited as being a Mason. Despite the difficulties in proving a negative, Israeli Mason Leon Zeldis, one of only 40 living Fellows of the Philalethes Society (the oldest and largest Masonic research society) puts to rest any such claim in his research paper on this subject. You can read it here on the Philalethes website.
President Ronald Reagan has sometimes been referred to as a Freemason but he is not. Some confusion as to his membership arises from a ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House on February 11, 1988, when a group of Freemasons presented President Reagan with a Certificate of Honor from the Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C.
There is no credible evidence whatsoever that Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witness faith, was a Mason. Some have charged that his tombstone appears as a keystone (a symbol used in Royal Arch Masonry), that there appears on the stone a crown and cross and that the stone is in the shape of a pyramid.
Shah of Iran (Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi) - a long-time friend to the US and its allies, he was forced to leave his country when it was taken over by Muslim fundamentalists under the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini. In some quarters, he is claimed to be a Mason. However according to a Mason in Washington DC, his late ex-Imperial Majesty (HIM), the King of Kings and the Light of the Aryans, would NEVER deign to even be made a Freemason at sight, let alone go through all the ritual. This Mason writes
James Smithson, the British mineralogist and chemist, whose legacy provided the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution in 1846 is sometimes seen on lists of Famous Freemasons. We believe that such inclusion is wishful thinking as he is not listed by any of the numerous works which list those who are deemed 'Famous'.
Meridith Wilson whose '76 Trombones' was one of my 'signature songs' as a budding high school musician has been regularly identified on the web as being a Mason. Despite his being a native of Mason City, Iowa and his widow having been very active in a Foundation in his honor (headed by a Mason and the ex-Mayor of the city), there's no indication there that he was a member of the Craft.
In addition, there have been a few who were thought to be Masons simply because of their affiliation with other Masons. Below, we'll mention a few....
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, one of the greatest jazz musicians to have ever lived, is listed on dozens of 'Famous Masons' lists online. On some, it is asserted that he was a member of Montgomery Lodge #18 in New York but there is no such lodge (including Prince Hall Grand Lodges) in New York. In his autobiography "Stachmo", Mr. Armstrong makes reference to his membership in the Knights of Pythias - another fraternal organization which engages in charitable and fraternal causes. Based on lack of evidence, it must be concluded that Mr. Armstrong was NOT a Mason.
Neil Armstrong - American astronaut who as commander of Apollo 11 became the first human being to walk on the moon (July 20, 1969) has been cited by some as having been a Mason. It appears that the confusion may have resulted from the Masonic membership of his father. No one has been able to provide the name of the Lodge to which Armstrong might have belonged.
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World and Founder of the World Scout Movement is sometimes wrongly identified as a Freemason. No proof of this has ever been found and immediately after his death in 1941, his non-membership was confirmed by his widow, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, by his daughter Betty, by his brother Major David Baden-Powell (who was a Mason) and also by V. W. Bro. Lord Somers, who succeeded Baden-Powell at the head of the scout movement. The same confirmation of non-membership was made at the consecration of Baden-Powell Lodge #448, United Grand Lodge of Victoria, Australia.
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher and statesman, often referred to as the most influential and versatile writer of the 17th Century. He has been presumed by some to be the 'real' Shakespeare - and many have pointed to the connections between writings by Bacon and those of Shakespeare with that of Freemasonry.
Lance Burton the world-famous Magician continues the "Royal Dynasty Of Magic" but is not a Mason. Mason Harry Kellar, America's premier magician from 1887 to 1908, selected Mason Howard Thurston as his successor. Before his death in 1935, Bro. Thurston selected Dante as his successor. In turn, Mason 'Dante' (Harry Jansen) selected Lee Grabel (Mason Merill Lee Grabeel) who, similarly, selected Lance Burton in 1954 to continue this extraordinary tradition.
U. S. President George Herbert Walker Bush has also on numerous occasions been referred to as a Freemason. The confusion probably arises from the swearing in ceremonies at his inauguration when he took his oath of office on the George Washington Bible which belongs to St. Johns Lodge in New York City. Because the Bible belonged to a Masonic Lodge many writers assumed he was a Freemason. The Bible was used at the request of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. This particular Bible was first used on April 30, 1789, by the Grand Master of the Masons in New York, to administer the oath of office to President George Washington in New York City. Other presidents who took their oath of office with this Bible were Warren G. Harding, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter.
U. S. President George Walker Bush, son of President George H. W. Bush is not presently rumored to be a Mason. He had wished to take his Oath of Office on the same Bible as used by his father when he became President but the inclement weather was such that the custodians of the Bible from St. Johns Lodge #1 in New York concurred with President-elect Bush just moments before the ceremony that it would have placed the priceless treasure at too great a risk. Accordingly, a family Bible was used instead.
Famous Hollywood movie director James Cameron has been 'linked' by some anti-Masonic conspiracy-minded folks as having received the 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite in some sort of secret ceremony during an Oscar Award presentation. Their claims, of course, totally ignore the fact that 'secret presentations' of that honor simply do not occur. All recipients of the award are announced publicly at the annual Scottish Rite meeting the year before the award is actually presented. The presentation is done at the next annual meeting.
United States Vice President Dick Cheney has sometimes been mentioned as a Mason in various internet newsgroups and in August, 2002, we found him listed on two Masonic websites. Both sites (one essentially a copy of the other) 'trumpeted' him as the highest ranking government official who was a Mason. Both sites though were totally and completely wrong since Mr. Cheney is NOT a Mason. The Masonic Service Association of North America keeps an updated list of elected officials who are members of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Cheney's name has never appeared there. When this fact was brought to the attention of the site where the information was originally placed, their Webmaster contacted the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Wyoming who confirmed that, as stated, Mr. Cheney is NOT a Mason.
Chiang Kai-Shek is highly prominent and highly revered in all aspects of Taiwanese daily life but, although often rumored to be a Mason, was not. (1887-1975)
Charlie Chaplain was not a Mason despite the fact that stories circulate from time to time that he was. The stories are untrue.
Former U. S. President Bill Clinton is not a Mason. He was a member of the Order of DeMolay, a youth group sponsored by Masons and during his membership was the presiding officer (Master Councilor) of his Chapter.
Sean Connery - Who knows how/why some folks decide that a particular individual just 'must' be a Mason. Regardless, about 4-5 times during each year, we get inquiries asking why we've omitted Sir Sean Connery, the famed actor and Scottish activist, from the list of Famous Freemasons. There's a simple reason: as far as anyone can prove, he's simply not a member of the Craft. Who knows: maybe his starring role in the 1975 film of (Mason) Rudyard Kipling's novel, "The Man Who Would Be King" following so closely on the heels of his recognition as 'Bond. James Bond.' caused some to fantasize. Regardless, there's no evidence whatsoever to indicate that he ever became a Mason and until someone can provide dates/places of his membership, he'll continue as a Famous Non-Mason - and one of our favorite actors!
Walt Disney - World famous cartoonist, Walt was a DeMolay (a member of a fraternal organization for young men sponsored by Freemasonry). He did not, however, join the Masonic organization. Rumors circulate continuously indicating that he was a Mason and some of them have proven quite tantalizing. No one, however, has been able to produce the name of a lodge to which Walt might have belonged and despite a desire to list him as a member of the Craft, there is simply no provable evidence that he was.
Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the Confederacy's most daring and effective cavalry commanders during the US Civil War began his military service as a private and rose to command cavalry troops throughout the South during that horrific time.
Reverend Billy Graham - Sometimes referred to as 'America's Minister', Rev. Graham is frequently identified as a Mason by religious intolerants whose ideology is different from his. They feel, apparently, that connecting him with Freemasonry will smear his outstanding abilities and his life-long commitment to his faith. In the earliest days of the world wide web (we seem to recall it was about 1994), a listing of famous Freemasons appeared on the web site of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, USA. Dr. Graham's name appeared on the list in error based on an assumption by the person who prepared it.
General Ulysess S. Grant's father and two brothers were members of the Masonic Lodge at Galena, Ill. The father often told friends that Ulysses intended to petition for the degrees but in the press of duties in the army and the presidency, it was delayed. In 1871, Grant told a group of Knights Templar that when he returned home he would petition Miner's Lodge No. 273. The Grand Master arranged to make him a Mason "at sight" but Grant died before this could be accomplished.
We have seen the name of Alex Haley, noted author of Roots which achieved phenomenal commercial success but also changed the way the United States thought about slavery, listed on a couple of Masonic Websites as a 'Famous Freemason'. Each time we've seen this, we've sent along a note to the Webmaster asking for the name and location of his lodge. We've yet to receive that information despite over a dozen pleas for it.
Bob Hope the American comedian and film actor, noted for his unflagging devotion to entertaining American military troops overseas for over 50 years sometimes appears on lists of Famous Masons. Bro. Gani Hernandez, Jr. confirmed with the Masonic Service Bureau of Los Angeles in July, 2000 that Mr. Hope is not a Mason.
U. S. President Thomas Jefferson was, at several points during the past two hundred years, identified as a Mason. Jefferson was involved in Revolutionary matters with many who were Masons and the appearance of the Jefferson name in Lodge record books of the time gave credence to the assumption. Recent research, including a manual
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson received his Initiatory Degree (the first of the three Masonic degrees one takes to become a Master Mason) on October 30, 1937. After receiving that degree, he found that his congressional duties (he was elected to Congress in 1937) took so much time he was unable to pursue Freemasonry further.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 as he stood on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel room. He was a champion of the United States' civil rights movement and is widely credited for spearheading significant movement in racial equality through his non-violent protests during the very violent 1960s.
Pierre L'Enfant, the fabled designer of the city of Washington, D.C., has often been identified as a Mason. However, there is no proof existent that he was. Many of those who've based their conspiracy theories of some overarching world domination wherein Masonic symbols were embedded in the design of the capitol city will be aghast to think that they've based the credibility of their rants on a mountain of sand; nevertheless, we defy them to produce credible PRIMARY evidence of Mr. L'Enfant's membership.
U. S. President Abraham Lincoln was not a Freemason. He applied for membership in Tyrian Lodge, Springfield, Illinois shortly after his nomination for the presidency in 1860. However, he withdrew his application because he felt that his application for membership at that time might be interpreted as a political tactic to obtain additional votes. He advised the lodge that he would resubmit his application again when he returned from his service as president. Lincoln, as we know, never returned. On the death of the President, Tyrian Lodge adopted, on April 17, 1865, a resolution to say "...that the decision of President Lincoln to postpone his application for the honors of Freemasonry, lest his motives be misconstrued, is the highest degree honorable to his memory."
A number of Masonic groups participated in Lincoln's funeral procession and when these stories in the newspapers reached Europe, Masons there 'assumed' that Lincoln was a Mason. The French in particular had numerous tributes to "Brother Lincoln" published in papers there thus adding to the myth.
The actor Carrol O'Connor who became tremendously popular for his portrayal of humorous bigot Archie Bunker on the 1971-1979 US television program "All In The Family" is sometimes thought to have been a Mason because he (supposedly) wore a Masonic ring during his portrayal of a Southern sheriff in another acclaimed television series, "In The Heat Of The Night".
U. S. Revolutionary Thomas Paine who arrived in the Colonies in 1774 and whose fiery pen was said to ignite the Revolution and help shape the country we know today is sometimes thought to be a Mason, presumably because of his affiliations with Benjamin Franklin and Nicolas deBonneville.
The late Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) who was killed by an assassin in a cowardly attack is sometimes seen cited as being a Mason. Despite the difficulties in proving a negative, Israeli Mason Leon Zeldis, one of only 40 living Fellows of the Philalethes Society (the oldest and largest Masonic research society) puts to rest any such claim in his research paper on this subject. You can read it here on the Philalethes website.
President Ronald Reagan has sometimes been referred to as a Freemason but he is not. Some confusion as to his membership arises from a ceremony held in the Oval Office of the White House on February 11, 1988, when a group of Freemasons presented President Reagan with a Certificate of Honor from the Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C.
There is no credible evidence whatsoever that Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witness faith, was a Mason. Some have charged that his tombstone appears as a keystone (a symbol used in Royal Arch Masonry), that there appears on the stone a crown and cross and that the stone is in the shape of a pyramid.
Shah of Iran (Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi) - a long-time friend to the US and its allies, he was forced to leave his country when it was taken over by Muslim fundamentalists under the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini. In some quarters, he is claimed to be a Mason. However according to a Mason in Washington DC, his late ex-Imperial Majesty (HIM), the King of Kings and the Light of the Aryans, would NEVER deign to even be made a Freemason at sight, let alone go through all the ritual. This Mason writes
James Smithson, the British mineralogist and chemist, whose legacy provided the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution in 1846 is sometimes seen on lists of Famous Freemasons. We believe that such inclusion is wishful thinking as he is not listed by any of the numerous works which list those who are deemed 'Famous'.
Meridith Wilson whose '76 Trombones' was one of my 'signature songs' as a budding high school musician has been regularly identified on the web as being a Mason. Despite his being a native of Mason City, Iowa and his widow having been very active in a Foundation in his honor (headed by a Mason and the ex-Mayor of the city), there's no indication there that he was a member of the Craft.