Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents a partial list of famous Prince Hall Affiliated Masons.
This list is part of a longer list with photographs that was compiled by a Prince Hall Affiliated lodge in Ohio,
The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those listed for their contributions to the United States and to the world. Thanks also to members of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Of Ohio who compiled this list and published it online.
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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Prince Hall Affiliated Masons and Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners.
This is only a partial list of famous Black men who were or are freemasons. Please add to this list with online source/s.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/02/general-information-about-prince-hall.html for a 2024 pancocojams post entitled "General Information About Prince Hall Masons & Prince Hall Shriners (2024 Update)."
Also, click the tags below to find other pancocojams posts on this subject.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
There are a number of online lists of famous Black Freemasons. However, the list that is excerpted in this pancocojams post is the most comprehensive that I've found online for famous Black members of Prince Hall affiliated Masonic lodges. Other online lists may include some of these names as well as some names of famous Black men who are members of freemason lodges that aren't Prince Hall affiliated.
With no disrespect, but for space considerations, this pancocojams excerpt of this list omits all of the names of mayors, all of the names of sports figures, and some of the names of religious leaders, some politicians, some entertainers, and some other famous men from that PHA compiled list.
Click the link that is given to read that complete list.
This list that is excerpted in this pancocojams post doesn't include any publishing date. For the historical record, please share information about when this list was first published. Also, please add any names of famous Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) Masons who aren't found on the complete list that is given on that online page. Thanks!
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A PARTIAL LIST OF FAMOUS BLACK PHA FREEMASONS
From https://phaohio.org/notable-ph-masons Notable Prince Hall Masons [compiled by Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Of Ohio, retrieved on February 7, 2024]
COPYRIGHT © - MW PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF OHIO F&AM - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Bro. Robert Sengstacke Abbott
Oriental Lodge No. 68
Chicago, Illinois
Founded and publisher The Chicago Defender
Bro. Ezra D. Alexander
Central Lodge No. 1
Indianapolis, Indiana
One of the Founders of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Richard Allen
African Lodge No. 459
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Founder and first Bishop of the A.M.E. Church
Bro. William “Count” Basie
Wisdom Lodge No. 102
Chicago, Illinois
Orchestra leader/composer
Bro. Julian Bond
St. James Lodge No. 4
Atlanta, Georgia
Past president, NAACP
Bro. Roland Burris
Eureka Lodge No. 64
Chicago, Illinois
Former U.S. Senator, Illinois
Bro. Jerry Butler
North Star Lodge No. 1
Chicago, Illinois
Famous R&B singer, Award-winning performer, producer and composer
Bro. Braxton F. (Fancourt) Cann
Wesley Smith Lodge No. 107
Cincinnati, Ohio
Past Grand Sire Archon, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Raymond W. (Winfield) Cannon
Palestine Lodge No. 7
Minneapolis, Minnesota
12thGeneral President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Gene Chandler
King David Lodge No. 100
Chicago, Illinois
Famous R&B singer
Bro. Emmanuel Cleaver
Eureka Lodge No. 170
Kansas City, Missouri
U.S. Representative, Kansas City, Missouri
Bro. James E. (Enos) Clyburn
Nehemiah Lodge No. 51
Charleston, South Carolina
U.S. Representative, South Carolina
Bro. Nathaniel “Nat King” Cole
Thomas Waller Lodge No. 49
Los Angeles, California
Famous singer
Bro. Frank Coleman
Pythagoras Lodge No. 9
Washington, DC
One of the Founders of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc./
Howard University professor
Bro. John Conyers
Famabiff Lodge No. 33
Detroit, Michigan
Former U.S. Representative, Detroit
Bro. George W. (Williamson) Crawford
Widows Son Lodge No. 1
New Haven, Connecticut
Original member, Niagara Movement and NAACP
11th Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council,
Northern Jurisdiction
Bro. Benjamin Crump
J. R. E. Lee Sr. Lodge No. 422
Quincy, Florida
Lawyer for Trayvon Martin’s family
Bro. Elijah E. (Ernest) Cummings
Corinthian Lodge No. 62
Baltimore, Maryland
Former U.S. Congressman, Baltimore
Bro. Ossie Davis
Xenia Lodge No. 50
New York, New York
Actor
Bro. Martin R. (Robison) Delany
St. Cyprian Lodge No. 13
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
First Black to matriculate to Harvard Medical School/
First Black Major in the U.S. Army
Bro. Elder Watson Diggs
Central Lodge No. 1
Indianapolis, Indiana
A Founder of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt) DuBois
Widows Son Lodge No. 1
New Haven, Connecticut
Educator/author/historian
Bro. Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar Lodge No. 219
Jacksonville, Florida
Famous poet
Bro. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington
Social Lodge No. 1
Washington, DC
Orchestra leader/composer
Bro. Medgar Evers
West Jackson Lodge No. 697
Jackson, Mississippi
Civil rights activist
Bro. Louis Gossett Jr.
Soria City Lodge No. 542
Gulfport, Mississippi
Actor
Bro. William H. (Herbert) Gray III
Mount Olive Lodge No. 27
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Former U.S. Representative, Philadelphia
Former president, UNCF
Bro. Lionel Hampton
Boyer Lodge No. 1
York, New York
Jazz musician
Bro. William C. (Christopher) Handy
Hiram Lodge No. 4
New York, New York
Father of the Blues
Bro. Alcee Hastings
Pompano Beach Lodge No. 409
Pompano Beach, Florida
Former U.S. Representative, Fort Lauderdale
Bro. Augustus F. (Freeman) “Gus” Hawkins
Western Knights Lodge No. 56
Los Angeles, California
Former U.S. Representative, Los Angeles
Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus
Bro. A. (Aloyisus) Leon Higganbotham Jr.
Campbell Washington Joppa Lodge No. 37
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Influential judge
Bro. Benjamin L. (Lawson) Hooks
Eureka Lodge No. 3
Memphis, Tennessee
Former Director, NAACP
Bro. Daniel “Chappie” James
P.G. Porter Lodge No. 142
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
First Black four-star General
in the U.S. armed forces
Bro. James Weldon Johnson
Hiram Lodge No. 4
Paul Laurence Dunbar Lodge No. 219
Jacksonville, Florida
Writer, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Bro. John H. (Harold) Johnson
Harmony Lodge No. 88
Chicago, Illinois
Publisher, Ebony and Jet magazines
Bro. Absalom Jones
African Lodge No. 459
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
First Black Priest, AME Church
Bro. George Biddle Kelley
Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 25
Troy, New York
One of the Founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
Bro. Don King
William T. Boyd Lodge No. 79
Cleveland, Ohio
Famous boxing promoter
Bro. John Lewis
H.R. Butler Lodge No. 23
Atlanta, Georgia
Former U.S. Representative, Atlanta
One of the Freedom Riders
Bro. Willis L. Lonzer III
Eureka Lodge No. 64
Chicago, Illinois
36th General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Edgar Amos Love
Corinthian Lodge No. 18
Washington, DC
One of the Founders of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
and Corinthian Lodge No. 18, MWPHGLDC
Bro. Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela Lodge No. 843
Johannesburg, South Africa
Former President, South Africa
Bro. Thurgood Marshall
Coal Creek Lodge No. 88
Tulsa, Oklahoma
First Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Bro. William A. (Andrew) McClain
Wesley Smith Lodge No. 107
Cincinnati, Ohio
Past Grand Sire Archon, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Richard B. Millspaugh
Keystone Lodge No. 196
Opelousas, Louisiana
17th Grand Polemarch, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc
Bro. Garrett A. (Augustus) Morgan Sr.
Excelsior Lodge No. 11
Cleveland, Ohio
Inventor of traffic light, gas mask, and
hair straightening cream (perm)
Bro. Jessie Owens
King David Lodge No. 100
Chicago, Illinois
Olympic gold medalist
Bro. Adam C. (Clayton) Powell
Boyer Lodge No. 1
New York, New York
First Black U.S. Representative, New York State
Bro. Richard Pryor
Henry Brown Lodge No. 42
Peoria, Illinois
Comedian/Actor
Bro. A. (Asa) Philip Randolph
Joppa Lodge No. 55
New York, New York
Founder and First president of the International Brotherhood
of Sleeping Car Porters
Bro. Charles Rangel
Joppa Lodge No. 55
New York, New York
Former U.S. Representative, New York City
Bro. Hiram Rhodes Revels
Lone Star Lodge No. 22
St. Louis, Missouri
First Black U.S. Senator
First president, Alcorn State University
Bro. Hobson R. (Richmond) Reynolds
Prudence Lodge No.
11
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
12th Grand Exalted Ruler, Improved Benevolent and Protective
Order Elks of the World, Inc.
Bro. Lionel Ritchie
Lewis Adams Lodge No.
67
Tuskegee, Alabama
Famous R&B singer
Bro. Bobby Rush
Harmony Lodge No. 88
Chicago, Illinois
Co-founded Illinois Chapter Black Panther Party
U.S. Representative, Chicago
Bro. Al (Alfred) C. Sharpton Jr.
Joppa Lodge No. 55
New York, New York
Civil Rights advocate
Bro. Reuben E. Shelton
MWPHGL of Missouri
34th Grand Polemarch, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Thomas W. Stringer
Multiple Lodges in
five different jurisdictions
First MWGM, MWPHGLOH and MW Stringer Grand Lodge
1stSupreme Chancellor, Knights of Pythias
Bro. Frank M. (Myron) Summers
Joppa Lodge No. 79
East St. Louis, Illinois
17th Grand Polemarch, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
13th Sovereign Grand
Commander, United Supreme Council,
Northern Jurisdiction
Bro. A. (Abram) Langston Taylor
Pythagoras Lodge No. 9
Washington, DC
One of the Founders of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. William R. Tolbert Jr.
St. John’s Lodge No.
3
Monrovia, Liberia
Former President, Liberia
Bro. Booker T. (Taliaferro) Washington
MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts
Founder, Tuskegee Institute (Now Tuskegee University)
Bro. Harold Washington
Harmony Lodge No. 88
Chicago, Illinois
First Black Mayor of Chicago
Former U.S. Representative, Chicago
Bro. Lawrence Douglass Wilder
East End Lodge No. 33
Richmond, Virginia
First Black elected Governor in the United States
Bro. James R. Williams
Mount Calvary Lodge No. 76
Akron, Ohio
25th General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Bro. Donald P. Wilson
James W. Grant Lodge
No. 131
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
13thGrand Exalted Ruler, Improved Benevolent and Protective
Order Elks of the World, Inc.
Bro. Andrew Young
St. James Lodge No. 4
Atlanta, Georgia
Former Mayor, Atlanta
Former Ambassador to the United Nations
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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
As this list of famous members of Prince Hall Affiliated Masons shows, PHA Masons and have a congenial relationship with Sigma Pi Phi (The Boulé) and with historically Black Greek letter fraternities because some of the founders of those fraternities* may have been members of both of Sigma Pi Phi and PHA Masons.
ReplyDelete*This may not include Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, inc.
Also, some of past and present day members of each of the five National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine) historically Black Greek letter (university based) fraternities have had and still have some members who are also Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) Masons.
Historically and in the present, some Prince Hall Affiliated Masons have been/are members of the United States military.
ReplyDeleteAlthough lots of people look to South African boot dancing as the source of historically Black fraternity (and sorority) steppin', I believe that Black Greek letter organizations can trace much of their steppin, strolling, and chanting performance traditions to the United States-including the African American originated tradition of military cadence calls, soulful high stepping military marching, and the Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners'* Camel walking which is quite similar to historically Black Greek letter fraternity strolling.
*A man must be a Mason in order to be a Shriner.
*All Shriners are Masons, but all Masons aren't Shriners.