United Supreme Council

The United Supreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction of the U.S.A. and Canada as organized on April 5, 1869, in the city of Washington, D.C., by many high degree Masons from Washington , D.C.

to regulate Scottish Rite Masonry from the fourth to the thirty-third degrees.

 

In the year 1856, several members of Washington DC petitioned King David Supreme Council of Philadelphia Pa. for the Scottish Rite degrees. On May 5, 1856 they were given the Scottish Rite degrees. They worked under King David Supreme Council from 1856 – 1869 at which time they wanted to administer the Scottish Rite degrees themselves.

 

In the year 1869, Edward M. Thomas 33 rd , John P. Costan 33 rd , John A. Gray 33 rd , Henry H. Dade 33 rd , John H. Smallwood 33 rd , Adolphus Hall 33 rd , and several others residing in the city of Washington D.C. petitioned to have a Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite duly organized and constituted at Washington, D.C.

 

Wm. Thompson 33 rd , Jonathan Davis 33 rd , J. W. Warlett 33 rd , W. H. Riley 33 rd , Cyrus G. Burton 33 rd , J.W. Henderson 33 rd and George W. Hopewell 33 rd of the King David Supreme Council of Philadelphia, Pa. on the 5 th day of April, 1869, in the city of Washington, D.C. and in compliance with the Grand Constitutions of 1786, regularly organized and opened a Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction, United States of America. William H. Thomas 33 rd was elected its first M. P. Sovereign Grand Commander.

 

This United Supreme Council for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction has continued to meet regularly since 1869 down to the present time and Ill. Otis F. Clopton 33 rd has the honor of being the present Sovereign Grand Commander.

The Five Original Prince Hall Supreme Councils

 

 

1 1854 King David Philadelphia David Leary

2 1864 United States New York Peter W. Ray

3 1869 Southern and Western Washington William H. Thomas

4 1870 Southern Baltimore Lemuel G. Griffin

5 1871 King Frederick Philadelphia Joshua D. Kelley

 

King David Supreme Council was set up by Count de St. Laurent 33 rd of the Supreme Council of France. It in turn conferred the degrees on Washington , D.C. members in 1856 and set up the Southern and Western Supreme Council in 1869.

 

United States Supreme Council was set up by Baron A. Hugo de Bulow 33 rd a member of the Grand Orient of France. It in turn set up the Southern Supreme Council at Baltimore , Md. in 1870. The Southern Supreme Council set up the King Frederick Supreme Council in 1871.

 

The five Supreme Councils became Masonic rivals, competing for members and at times for the same members. On April 1, 1880 the United States Supreme Council issued a call for representatives of all the Supreme Councils to meet in New York . The meeting took place on October 21 st 1880 where the passage of a resolution to convene the representatives again on January 13, 1881 . On this date eighteen Inspector Generals convened in Corinthian Hall , New York City. John S. Chase of the United States Supreme Council was elected Chairman and Samuel R. Scottron of the United States Supreme Council was elected Secretary. The result was an agreement to form two Supreme Councils.

In pursuance of the decrees, resolutions and articles of a convention of the Supreme Councils, held at the City of New York, in the State of New York, on the 13 th day of January, 1881, it was agreed to form two Supreme Councils for the United States of America. The three in the north to form one Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction, and the two in the south to form one Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction.

 

On April 9 th 1881, a union was formed between the King David Supreme Council and King Frederick Supreme Council at Philadelphia, Pa., and is known as the United Supreme Council of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America, Grand East at Philadelphia, Pa. (United States Supreme Council backed out due to a law suit filed against it in Chicago Ill.)

 

On January 27 th 1887 , a union was formed between the Southern Supreme Council of Baltimore , Md. , and the Southern and Western Supreme Council of Washington, D. C., and is known as the United Supreme Council for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America .

 

Minutes, October, 1894

 

Union of Supreme Councils in the United States . The Supreme Councils were united by the following resolutions:

 

The United Supreme Council of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the thirty-third and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern and Western Jurisdiction of the United States, having its See at Washington, D. C., the Grand Orient, aforesaid, duly and lawfully assembled in annual session at Kansas City, in the State of Missouri, on the 16 th and 17 th days of October, 1894, V. E., do hereby order and ordain the following:

 

Greeting:

We do hereby make it known unto you that there are only two regular and legal Supreme Councils of the thirty-third and last degree of the A. A. S. Rite of Freemasonry among colored Masons in the United States of America .

 

One with it's See at the Grand Orient of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania , and presided over by the Ill. George W. Roper, 33 rd , M. P. Sov. Grand Commander, and known by the style of United Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America;

 

The other, with it's See at the Grand Orient of Washington, in the District of Columbia , and presided over by the Ill. Thornton A. Jackson, 33 rd , 96 th , M. P. Sov. Grand Commander, and known by the style of the United Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the thirty-third and last degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern and Western Jurisdiction of the United States of America.

 

These two Supreme Councils of the thirty-third degree are the only true, lawful and legitimate Supreme Councils among colored Masons in the United States of America , with relations of correspondence and amity established and the appointment by each of a Grand Representative near the other.

 

At one time there existed in this country, as late as 1881, five Supreme Councils among colored Masons, all claiming the right and authority to confer the several degrees and establish bodies of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.

 

The Supreme Council of the United States of America , it's Territories and Dependencies, Grand East at New York , and presided over by Ill. Peter W. Ray, 33 rd , as its M. P. Sov. Grand Commander, said to have been organized in 1864 by one Baron A. Hugo De Bulow, at one time a member of the Supreme Council of France.

 

The Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction, Grand East at Baltimore , Md. , and presided over by Ill. Lemuel D. Griffin, 33 rd as its M. P. Sov. Grand Commander, was organized by and under the De Bulow authority.

 

The Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction, Grand East at Philadelphia , Pa. , and presided over by Ill. J. D. Kelly, 33 rd , as its M. P. Sov. Grand Commander, and known as King Frederick Supreme Council, was duly open by the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction near this Grand East;

Thornton A. Jackson

 

1895 Discord, PHA and Southern and Western split

 

1895 is the year that tore Prince Hall Masonry apart. In 1895 John G. Jones became M. P. Sov. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council Southern and Western in October 1895.

 

John G. Jones and Thornton A. Jackson fell out which caused John G. Jones to expel Thornton A. Jackson from the United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction and Thornton A. Jackson expelled John G. Jones from the United Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction.

 

The names of some of the expelled members from the United Supreme Council Southern and Western, Thornton A. Jackson 33 rd , James O. Bampfield 33 rd , F.A. Revels 33 rd , John W. Freeman 33 rd , L.W. Pulis 33 rd , and Richard H. Gleaves 33 rd , of Washington, D.C., Magnus L. Robinson 33 rd , and R.B. Robinson 33 rd , of Alexandria, Va., Milton F. Fields 33 rd , of St. Louis, Mo., John A. Bell 33 rd of Grand Rapids, Mich., H.W. Knight 33 rd , M.P. Triplett, 33 rd and William Gray 33 rd of Chicago, Ill., Daniel Brown 33 rd of Rosebud, Ala., W.C. Lane 33 rd of Cambridge, Mass., E.A. Williams 33 rd formerly of New Orleans, La., residing in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

 

When you look at the office of M. P. Sov. Grand Commander you will see that between 1875 and 1895 the office of M. P. Sov. Grand Commander was rotated between members of the Southern Supreme Council and the Southern and Western Supreme Council:

William H. Thomas Southern and Western 1869 - 1875

James A. Handy Southern 1875 - 1878

Thornton A. Jackson Southern and Western 1878 - 1881

James A. Handy Southern 1881 - 1889

Thornton A. Jackson Southern and Western 1889 – 1895

John G. Jones Southern and Western 1895 - 1914

 

James A. Handy is listed as a member of the Baltimore (Southern) Supreme Council, also you will see that he was our Sovereign after the Southern Supreme Council was set up in 1870. In the 1881 NY meeting, James A. Handy represented the Southern Supreme Council. Thornton Jackson represented the Southern and Western Supreme Council. It shows that members had membership in both Supreme Councils.

 

In 1895 John G. Jones, Lt. Sovereign Grand Commander of The United Supreme Council Southern and Western, set up John G. Jones Consistory #1 in Washington D.C. Members were becoming members in this new Consistory. Grand Master Hamilton Smith issued an edit forbidding any member to hold membership in this Consistory. These members had to renounce their membership or be expelled. The members felt that the edit from Grand Master Hamilton Smith was wrong and appealed to the Grand Master who denied the appeal.

 

The Grand Lodge split and became the present day Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge and the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. These two Grand Lodges are still active in Washington , DC .

 

(Note: John G. Jones Consistory #1 has been active in Washington, D.C. since 1895 and is the oldest Consistory in our Supreme Council).

Conclusion

 

Supreme Councils can only be set up by another Supreme Council. This Supreme Council has never set up nor authorized any other Supreme Councils. There are several Southern and Western and other organizations which use our corporate name and our history.

 

There has only been one United Supreme Council Southern and Western registered in Washington, D. C. since its formation in 1869, with the first members starting in 1856 from the conferring of degrees from King David Supreme Council. It is an incorporated non – profit corporation since 1895 in good standing in Washington, DC and a 501 C- 10 tax exempt charitable organization. Some organizations get copies of our corporation papers and illegally tell their members that it's their corporation papers.

 

Unlike today, members then could have membership in more than one Masonic Jurisdiction. Due to that crossing over, it was the ground floor for the problems we have today with so many different Masonic Orders.

 

1895 is when the Supreme Councils of the Southern Jurisdiction (PHA) and the Southern and Western Jurisdiction formally split and 1900 when the Imperial Grand Council Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (PHA) split from our Imperial Grand Council Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Ill. Ollie Spencer, Sr. 33 rd (DC)

President General Emeritus

DC Corporate Registered Agent  

This council is the Supreme governing and administrative body of the Fraternity. Its purpose is to give the Masonic student a cleaner insight into the realms Masonic perfection, and render to him similar service as the college renders to the high school graduate. The Scottish Rite is to the enterprising Mason what classics are to the professional tutor, looking up toward higher ideals, desirous to soar among the talented craftsmen of the art, and better suited for competent leadership and tutorship. It provides newer, and more definite avenues of expansion and development in matters pertaining to the whole Fraternity.