The famous Masons

HRH Prince Edward the Duke of Kent (1935 - )

HRH Prince Edward the Duke of Kent was initiated into Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 on 16 December 1963.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip (1921 - 2021)

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) was a Freemason. He was initiated into Navy Lodge, No 2612 on 5 December 1952.

King George VI (1895 - 1952)

King George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York) was born on 14 December 1895 in Sandringham, Norfolk, and was King of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952.
George VI was initiated in Navy Lodge No. 2612 on 2 December 1919.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
Churchill was initiated into Studholme Lodge No. 1591 (now United Studholme Alliance Lodge) on 24 May 1901.

George Washington (1732-1799)

The first President of the United States, George Washington was initiated as a Freemason in 1752. He graduated to Master Mason in less than a year and performed Masonic rites when he laid the cornerstone of the Capitol in 1793. He received a Masonic funeral; even today, Masons take pilgrimages to his tomb at Mount Vernon.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Prominent scientist, inventor, and civic activist, the United States founding father Benjamin Franklin is perhaps one of the most famous Freemasons. Alongside his duties as Grand Master of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin formulated theories of positive and negative electrical charges and invented the lightning rod and bifocal glasses.

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)

Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving “peace through strength” abroad.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

Shortly before becoming president due to McKinley's assassination, Roosevelt joined the local Masonic Lodge in his hometown and vacation home of Oyster Bay, NY. He stayed an active member during and after his presidency.

J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972)

One of the Freemason’s most dedicated members was the founder of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. He was a Master Mason by 25 years old, became a 33rd-degree Inspector General Honorary in 1955, the highest level in Freemasonry.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

FDR was an active Mason, first as a Master Mason in 1911, then in a number of different Lodges. In 1934, he was made an honorary Grand Master of the Order of DeMolay, a Masonic youth organization.

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States (1945–53). As the final running mate of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, Truman succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when Roosevelt died after months of declining health. Under Truman, the Allies successfully concluded World War II; in the aftermath of the conflict, tensions with the Soviet Union increased, marking the start of the Cold War.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

The famous Austrian composer was the son of a Freemason and wrote several Masonic musical numbers. Composer Franz Joseph Haydn belonged to the same lodge as Mozart. Other notable Johann Christian Bach was also a Freemason.