Famous Masons
Freemasons have helped shape history as presidents, soldiers, scientists, artists, athletes and business leaders, and as the men who founded Culver City and our lodge. Below is a selection of notable Masons, grouped by field, with their lodge where it is known.
Prince Hall Freemasonry takes its name from Prince Hall (c.1735–1807), an abolitionist who led African Lodge in Boston. Its members are listed in their own section.
Notable Masons
Presidents, statesmen & founders
George Washington1st U.S. PresidentMaster, Alexandria Lodge No. 22, Virginia
Benjamin FranklinPrinter, scientist, Founding FatherSt. John's Lodge, Philadelphia (initiated 1731)
Paul ReverePatriot and silversmithGrand Master of Massachusetts, 1794–97
Sam HoustonPresident of the Republic of Texas; Texas governor and senatorCumberland Lodge No. 8, Nashville, TN (initiated 1817)
Theodore Roosevelt26th U.S. PresidentMatinecock Lodge No. 806, Oyster Bay, NY (raised 1901)
Harry S. Truman33rd U.S. PresidentBelton Lodge No. 450, Missouri (1909)
Gerald R. Ford38th U.S. PresidentMalta Lodge No. 465, Grand Rapids, MI (initiated 1949; now Doric Lodge No. 342)
Military
Douglas MacArthurU.S. General of the ArmyManila Lodge No. 1, Philippines (1936)
Omar N. BradleyU.S. General of the ArmyWest Point Lodge No. 877, New York
Jimmy DoolittleAviator; led the 1942 Doolittle Raid
Audie MurphyMost-decorated U.S. soldier of WWII; actorNorth Hollywood Lodge No. 542, California
Science, exploration & space
Sir Alexander FlemingDiscoverer of penicillinLondon Scottish Rifles Lodge No. 2310
Charles LindberghAviator; first solo nonstop transatlantic flightKeystone Lodge No. 243, Missouri (raised 1926)
John GlennFirst American to orbit the Earth; U.S. SenatorConcord Lodge No. 688, New Concord, OH
L. Gordon Cooper Jr.Mercury 7 and Gemini 5 astronautCarbondale Lodge No. 82, Carbondale, CO
Edwin "Buzz" AldrinApollo 11 astronaut; second man on the MoonRaised in Lawrence N. Greenleaf Lodge No. 169, CO; member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, TX
Film, TV & entertainment
Clark GableActorBeverly Hills Lodge No. 528, California (initiated 1933)
John WayneActorMarion McDaniel Lodge No. 56, Arizona (raised 1970)
Roy RogersSinger and Western film starHollywood Lodge No. 355, California
Gene AutrySinging cowboy, actor, and owner of the California AngelsCatoosa Lodge No. 185, Oklahoma (1927)
Oliver HardyComedian (Laurel & Hardy)Solomon Lodge No. 20, Florida
Red SkeltonComedian and TV hostVincennes Lodge No. 1, Indiana
Ernest BorgnineAcademy Award–winning actorAbingdon Lodge No. 48, Virginia
Burl IvesActor and folk singerMagnolia Lodge No. 242, California
Harry HoudiniEscape artist and magicianSt. Cecile Lodge No. 568, New York (initiated 1923)
Danny ThomasEntertainer; founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Music
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartComposerZur Wohltätigkeit Lodge, Vienna
Joseph HaydnComposerZur Wahren Eintracht, Vienna (initiated 1785)
Franz LisztComposer and pianistZur Einigkeit, Frankfurt (initiated 1841)
John Philip Sousa"The March King"Hiram Lodge No. 10, Washington, DC
Irving BerlinSongwriterMunn Lodge No. 190, New York
Al JolsonSinger and actorSt. Cecile Lodge No. 568, New York
Kast ExcelsiorAmerican Occultist, Professional Rootworker, and MusicianPast Master, Culver City Foshay Lodge No. 467 (2014)
Sports
Ty CobbBaseball Hall of FamerRoyston Lodge (initiated 1907)
Jack DempseyHeavyweight boxing championKenwood Lodge No. 800, Chicago
Arnold PalmerGolferLoyalhanna Lodge No. 275, Latrobe, PA
Business & industry
Henry FordFounder of Ford Motor Company
Walter P. ChryslerFounder of Chrysler Corporation
J. C. PenneyDepartment-store founderWasatch Lodge No. 1, Salt Lake City
Col. Harland SandersFounder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Steve WozniakCo-founder of AppleCharity Lodge No. 362, Campbell, California
Literature & the arts
Robert BurnsNational poet of ScotlandSt. David's Lodge No. 174, Tarbolton
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman poet and writerLodge Amalia, Weimar (initiated 1780)
Alexander PushkinRussian poetLodge Ovid, Kishinev (initiated 1821)
Mark TwainAuthorPolar Star Lodge No. 79, St. Louis, MO
Rudyard KiplingAuthor and poetHope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782, Lahore
Sir Arthur Conan DoyleAuthor, creator of Sherlock Holmes
Gutzon BorglumSculptor of Mount RushmoreHoward Lodge No. 35, New York
California, Los Angeles & Culver City
Harry CulverFounder of Culver CityCharter member, Culver City Lodge No. 467 (1917)- CSCharles Emmet ShillitoCulver City's first city clerkFounding Master, Culver City Lodge No. 467
- RHReve HouckFilm electrician; helped start the Culver City bus line; later councilman and mayorCharter member, Culver City Lodge No. 467
James A. FoshayLos Angeles schools superintendent (1895–1906); namesake of Foshay Lodge34th Grand Master of Masons in California (1900); Southern California Lodge No. 278
Earl WarrenCalifornia governor; Chief Justice of the United StatesPast Master, Sequoia Lodge No. 349, Oakland; Grand Master of California 1935–36
Sam HouseProfessional Mobile DJ in Los Angeles, CA.Past Master, Culver City Foshay Lodge No. 467 (2016)
Prince Hall Masons
Founders, faith & abolition
Prince HallAbolitionist; founder of Prince Hall Freemasonry (c.1735–1807)African Lodge (No. 459), Boston
Richard AllenFounder and first bishop of the AME Church
James FortenAbolitionist and sailmaker
Education, law & civil rights
W. E. B. Du BoisEducator, author, historian
Booker T. WashingtonEducator; founder of Tuskegee Institute
Thurgood MarshallU.S. Supreme Court Associate JusticeCoal Creek Lodge No. 88, Tulsa, OK
A. Leon Higginbotham Jr.Federal appeals judgeCampbell-Wash-Joppa Lodge No. 37, Philadelphia
Medgar EversNAACP field secretary
Rev. Jesse JacksonCivil rights leaderHarmony Lodge No. 88, Chicago
Andrew YoungUN Ambassador; Mayor of AtlantaSt. James Lodge No. 4, Atlanta
A. Philip RandolphFounder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car PortersJoppa Lodge No. 55, NYC
Government
Tom BradleyMayor of Los Angeles
Augustus F. HawkinsU.S. Congressman from California
L. Douglas WilderFirst elected Black U.S. governor (Virginia)East End Lodge No. 233, Virginia
Kweisi MfumeNAACP President; CongressmanMount Olive Lodge No. 25, Baltimore
Charles B. RangelU.S. Congressman, New YorkJoppa Lodge No. 55
Military & exploration
Matthew HensonArctic explorer
Gen. Daniel "Chappie" JamesFirst Black four-star general (U.S. Air Force)
Music & entertainment
Duke EllingtonBandleader and composerSocial Lodge No. 1, Washington, DC
Count BasieBandleader and composerWisdom Lodge No. 102, Chicago
Nat King ColePianist and singer
W. C. Handy"Father of the Blues"
Eubie BlakeComposer and pianist
Bert WilliamsActor and comedian
Lionel RichieSinger, songwriter and Commodores co-founderLewis Adams Lodge No. 67, Tuskegee, AL (initiated 2008)
Richard PryorComedian and actorHenry Brown Lodge No. 22, Peoria, IL
Sports
Sugar Ray RobinsonBoxing champion
Ralph MetcalfeOlympic sprinter; later a Congressman
Scottie PippenChicago Bulls forward
Shaquille O'NealNBA championWidow's Son Lodge No. 28, Boston (made a Mason at sight, 2011)
Media & business
John H. JohnsonPublisher of Ebony and Jet
Robert Sengstacke AbbottFounder of the Chicago Defender
Sources
- Masons of California: https://freemason.org/magazine/a-city-and-its-lodge/
- Masons of California: https://freemason.org/what-is-freemasonry/timeline/
- Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/spacemason/
- Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/prince_hall/famous.html
- Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/textfiles/famous.html
- LAUSD archives: https://lausd.pastperfectonline.com/photo/23B0EB2E-92C4-4821-A772-558737955323
- Guernsey Freemasons: https://guernseyfreemasons.org.uk/2025/10/14/brother-lionel-richie/
- Scottish Rite, NMJ: https://scottishritenmj.org/blog/gerald-ford-scottish-rite-freemason
- Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library: https://www.srmml.org/hall-of-fame/edwin-buzz-aldrin/
- Kast Excelsior (linked on the old page): http://www.readersandrootworkers.org/index.php?title=Kast_Excelsior
- Sam House (linked on the old page): http://djsamhouse.com
- Sam House on Famous Birthdays: https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/sam-house.html
- Sam House on X (@djsamhouse): https://x.com/djsamhouse
Photo credits
Photos are public-domain or freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (one from English Wikipedia). Where a license requires attribution, it is given below. Cards with initials have no clearly free photo.
- George Washington: Gilbert Stuart; Public domain; file page
- Benjamin Franklin: Joseph-Siffred Duplessis; Public domain; file page
- Paul Revere: John Singleton Copley; Public domain; file page
- Sam Houston: Oldag07; Public domain; file page
- Theodore Roosevelt: Adam Cuerden; Public domain; file page
- Harry S. Truman: National Archives / Harry S. Truman Library; Public domain; file page
- Gerald R. Ford: David Hume Kennerly; Public domain; file page
- Douglas MacArthur: Photographer not credited.; Public domain; file page
- Omar N. Bradley: United States Army; Public domain; file page
- Jimmy Doolittle: Not recorded on Commons (U.S. Air Force photo); Public domain; file page
- Audie Murphy: U.S. Army; Public domain; file page
- Sir Alexander Fleming: Wellcome Images (photographer not recorded); CC BY 4.0; file page
- Charles Lindbergh: Harris & Ewing; Public domain; file page
- John Glenn: U.S. Senate Historical Office; Public domain; file page
- L. Gordon Cooper Jr.: NASA; Public domain; file page
- Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin: NASA; Public domain; file page
- Clark Gable: New York Daily News Color Studio (likely Harry Warnecke); Public domain; file page
- John Wayne: Unknown photographer; Public domain; file page
- Roy Rogers: Harry Warnecke / Robert F. Cranston; CC0; file page
- Gene Autry: Harry Warnecke / Robert F. Cranston; Public domain; file page
- Oliver Hardy: Harry Warnecke; CC0; file page
- Red Skelton: Adam Cuerden; Public domain; file page
- Ernest Borgnine: Milburn McCarty Public Relations (publicity photo); Public domain; file page
- Burl Ives: Studio publicity photo (photographer not recorded); Public domain; file page
- Harry Houdini: Campbell-Gray, Ltd.; Public domain; file page
- Danny Thomas: CBS Television; Public domain; file page
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Johann Nepomuk della Croce; Public domain; file page
- Joseph Haydn: Thomas Hardy; Public domain; file page
- Franz Liszt: Herman Biow; Public domain; file page
- John Philip Sousa: Unknown (The March King: John Philip Sousa collection); Public domain; file page
- Irving Berlin: Al Aumuller, World Telegram staff photographer; Public domain; file page
- Al Jolson: Film studio; Public domain; file page
- Ty Cobb: International Film Service; Public domain; file page
- Jack Dempsey: Not recorded on Commons; Public domain; file page
- Arnold Palmer: U.S. Coast Guard; Public domain; file page
- Henry Ford: Ford Motor Company. Photographic Department; Public domain; file page
- Walter P. Chrysler: Harris & Ewing, photographer; Public domain; file page
- J. C. Penney: Not recorded on Commons; Public domain; file page
- Col. Harland Sanders: Dan Lindsay (Edgy01); CC BY-SA 3.0; file page
- Steve Wozniak: Gage Skidmore; CC BY-SA 3.0; file page
- Robert Burns: Alexander Nasmyth; Public domain; file page
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Joseph Karl Stieler; Public domain; file page
- Alexander Pushkin: Orest Kiprensky; Public domain; file page
- Mark Twain: A.F. Bradley, New York; Public domain; file page
- Rudyard Kipling: Elliott & Fry; Public domain; file page
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Walter Benington; Public domain; file page
- Gutzon Borglum: Unidentified photographer; Public domain; file page
- Harry Culver: Robertbattle at English Wikipedia; Public domain; file page
- James A. Foshay: Not recorded on Commons (California Historical Society ref. CHS-3763); Public domain; file page
- Earl Warren: Harris & Ewing photography firm; Public domain; file page
- Kast Excelsior and Sam House: photos provided by the lodge
- Prince Hall: Unattributed (portrait as published by the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon); Public domain; file page
- Richard Allen: Daniel A. Payne; Public domain; file page
- James Forten: Probably by Robert Douglass Jr.; Public domain; file page
- W. E. B. Du Bois: James E. Purdy / Adam Cuerden; Public domain; file page
- Booker T. Washington: Harris & Ewing; Public domain; file page
- Thurgood Marshall: Robert S. Oakes; Public domain; file page
- A. Leon Higginbotham Jr.: White House photographer; Public domain; file page
- Medgar Evers: Unknown (distributed by AP); Public domain; file page
- Rev. Jesse Jackson: Warren K. Leffler (U.S. News & World Report); edited by Fletcher6; Public domain; file page
- Andrew Young: Rob Croes for Anefo; CC0; file page
- A. Philip Randolph: John Bottega, NYWTS staff photographer; Public domain; file page
- Tom Bradley: Security Pacific National Bank Collection; Public domain; file page
- Augustus F. Hawkins: U.S. Congress; Public domain; file page
- L. Douglas Wilder: Not recorded on Commons (NIH Record, 2003); Public domain; file page
- Kweisi Mfume: House Creative Services; Public domain; file page
- Charles B. Rangel: US Congress; Public domain; file page
- Matthew Henson: Unknown; Public domain; file page
- Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James: Not recorded on Commons (uploaded by ERcheck); Public domain; file page
- Duke Ellington: Unknown; Public domain; file page
- Count Basie: James J. Kriegsmann; Public domain; file page
- Nat King Cole: General Artists Corporation (management); Public domain; file page
- W. C. Handy: Carl Van Vechten; Public domain; file page
- Eubie Blake: Unknown; Public domain; file page
- Bert Williams: Samuel Lumiere studio, New York City; Public domain; file page
- Lionel Richie: Shawn Miller/Library of Congress; CC0; file page
- Richard Pryor: NBC Television; Public domain; file page
- Sugar Ray Robinson: ACME; Public domain; file page
- Ralph Metcalfe: Photographer not credited; Public domain; file page
- Scottie Pippen: Sea Cow; CC BY-SA 4.0; file page
- Shaquille O'Neal: TechCrunch; CC BY 2.0; file page
- John H. Johnson: Unknown; Public domain; file page
- Robert Sengstacke Abbott: Unknown (c. 1920); PD-US; file page