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New Inductees Honored in the Exhibition “The Masonic Hall of Fame: Extraordinary Freemasons in American History”
by Hilary Anderson Stelling, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
Buffalo Bill
In his early 20s, William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s (1846-1917) exploits as a scout and hunter were featured in a novel and in a stage show—in which he played himself. Drawing on his theatrical experience, in 1883, Cody produced his own show. This outdoor extravaganza showcased animals, cowboys, sharpshooters, frontiersmen, and Native American warriors in thrilling demonstrations of skill and dramatic re-enactments of historical events. Millions enjoyed his nostalgic presentation of the frontier; his vision helped shape the national view of the American West. Buffalo Bill used his celebrity to share his views, including his support for the preservation of Native American culture, wildlife conservation, and women’s suffrage. Cody became a Mason in North Platte, Nebraska, his long-time home base, in 1870. He joined the Scottish Rite in 1894 in New York City.
“…the West of the old times, with its strong characters, its stern battles, and its tremendous stretches of loneliness, can never be blotted from my mind.” — Buffalo Bill Cody, 1879
Theodore Roosevelt
Fueled by boundless energy, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) reached great heights in multiple endeavors. A writer, historian, conservationist, soldier, hunter, and politician, Roosevelt was also President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. In that office, Roosevelt attacked corruption, warred against powerful business monopolies, and supported labor and consumers, seeking “a square deal for every man, big or small, rich or poor.” He sought to position the United States as a power on the world stage. Roosevelt advocated for U.S. naval strength and for the construction of the Panama Canal. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for helping negotiate the end of the Russo-Japanese War. In 1901, Roosevelt was initiated into Matinecock Lodge No. 806 in Oyster Bay, New York. The following year, he described his admiration for the egalitarian ideas of Freemasonry, observing that in the lodge, “…I meet the plain, hard-working man…and meet them on a footing of genuine equality, not false equality, of genuine equality conditioned upon each man being a decent man, a fair dealing man.”
“Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt, 1916
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin
After graduating from West Point, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (b. 1930) joined the Air Force and flew 66 combat missions during the Korean War. He earned a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before he joined NASA’s astronaut program. Aboard Gemini 12, his first space flight, Aldrin undertook three spacewalks, during which he spent nearly eight hours outside of the capsule. During the historic Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, Aldrin served as the Lunar Module Pilot and was the second person to walk on the Moon. After he left NASA in 1971, he developed the Aldrin cycler, a spacecraft trajectory to make travel to Mars more efficient. Aldrin was raised in Colorado’s Lawrence N. Greenleaf Lodge No. 169 in 1956. He received a commission to open a Representation of the Grand Lodge of Texas on the Moon in 1969. Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 is based in Texas “until such time as the Lodge may hold its meetings on the Moon.”
“From space there were no observable borders between nations, no observable reasons for the wars we were leaving behind.” — Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, 2009
Elijah Cummings
A sharecropper’s son who served nearly four decades in state and national legislatures, Elijah Cummings (1951-2019) used his position to advocate for all Americans. After earning degrees in political science and law, he founded a law practice in Baltimore, where he worked until his election to the United States Congress in 1996. Cummings–a lifelong Democrat–strove to increase bipartisan collaboration in Congress through both legislation and committee work. Of the more than 4,000 bills he sponsored in his time in Congress, over 20 percent were co-sponsored by Republican or independent colleagues. A member of Baltimore’s Corinthian Lodge No. 62, Cummings exemplified Masonic values of relief and service. He spent more than 20 years on government oversight and reform committees, working to make the American government better for its constituents. After his death, Cummings lay in state in the Capitol Building. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have paid homage to Cummings’ legacy through legislation named for him that reflected his voting rights and healthcare priorities.
“The true measure of our union is the state of the least among us.” — Elijah Cummings, 2004
Mel Blanc
American actor and radio personality Mel Blanc (1908-1989) is best known for bringing beloved cartoon characters to life with his voice. Melvin Jerome Blanc got his start in radio. Blanc began working with Warner Bros. on animated shorts (which were shown in theaters before feature-length movies) in 1937. Blanc began voicing both Porky Pig and Daffy Duck that year. He would later go on to voice many Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Yosemite Sam, and Foghorn Leghorn. In 1960, he began working for Hanna-Barbara, most notably as Barney Rubble on The Flintstones, the first animated television show broadcast during prime time. Mel Blanc’s lifelong association with Freemasonry began in 1925 when he joined DeMolay’s Sunnyside Chapter in Portland, Oregon. Blanc became a Mason at Portland’s Mid Day Lodge No. 188 in 1931. Twenty years later, Blanc joined the Scottish Rite Valley of Los Angeles and Al Malaikah Shrine Temple. Blanc died in 1989. His gravestone at Hollywood Forever Cemetery famously reads: “That’s All Folks.”
