Who are the Freemasons?

A Fraternal Organization With A Social Purpose Whose Members Have High Moral Standards And Who Work For The Benefit Of Others.

Be an organization of the highest moral and ethical quality that provides its members and their families with opportunities to develop their spirituality, character, and leadership potential;

Be serviceable both to our members and their families by providing support and assistance in a variety of forms;

Provide both our members and their families with opportunities for fellowship and friendship with other like-minded individuals;

Be serviceable to the community by Lodge participation in civic and charitable activities; and through the honest, fair, and courteous actions of our individual members.

Freemasons (also known as Masons) belong to the world's oldest and largest fraternal organization. Today, there are more than two and one-half million Freemasons in North America. Freemasons represent virtually every occupation and profession, yet within the Fraternity, all meet as equals. Freemasons come from diverse political ideologies, yet meet as friends. Freemasons come from varied religious beliefs and creeds, yet all believe in one living and true God. Many of the United States' early patriots were Freemasons. Thirteen signers of the Declaration of Independence, nine signers of the Constitution and sixteen former Presidents of the United States, including George Washington, were Freemasons. Men like Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Joseph Warren were also Freemasons. Throughout America's history, many other good and true men have proudly joined the ranks of Freemasonry.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry is how so many men, from so many different walks of life, can meet together in Peace, always conducting their affairs in Harmony and Friendship—and call each other "Brother".

What Is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry (or Masonry) is dedicated to the Brotherhood of Men Under The Fatherhood of God. It uses the tools and implements of ancient stonemasons (architects) symbolically in a system of instruction designed to build character and moral values in its members.

Its singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of Friendship, Compassion and Brotherly Love have survived even the most derisive political, military, and religious conflicts over dozens of centuries. Freemasonry is a Fraternity which encourages its members to practice the Faith of their personal acceptance. It also teaches that each person, through self-improvement and helping others, has an obligation to make a difference for good in the world.

Where Did Freemasonry Begin?

No one knows just how old Freemasonry is because the actual origins of our Order have been lost in time. Most scholars believe Freemasonry arose from the guilds (gilds) of stonemasons who build the majestic castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Some of the oldest records mention Freemasonry as early existing as 926 A.D.

In 1717, Freemasonry created a formal organization when four Lodges in London joined together to form England's first Grand Lodge. By 1731, when Benjamin Franklin joined the Fraternity, there were already several Masonic Lodges in the Colonies.

Today, Masonic Lodges are found in almost every community throughout North America and, in large cities, there are usually several Lodges.

A Freemason can travel to almost any country in the world and find a Masonic Lodge where he will be greeted and welcomed as a "Brother". There are currently over 14,000 Masonic Lodges around the world!

What Do Freemasons Do?

The Masonic experience encourages members to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, and better citizens. The fraternal bonds formed in the Lodge help build lifelong friendships among men with similar goals and values. Beyond its focus on individual development and growth, Freemasonry is deeply committed to and involved in helping people. The Freemasons of North America, for example, contribute over one and one-half million dollars a day to charitable and worthwhile causes.

This philanthropy represents an unparallel example of the humanitarian commitment of this great and honorable Fraternity. Much of that assistance goes to people who are not Freemasons.

The Shrine Masons (Shriners), for example, operate the largest network of hospitals for burned and orthopaedically impaired children in the country -- and there is never a fee for treatment.

Scottish Rite Masons maintain a nationwide network of over 150 Childhood Language Disorder Clinics, Centers, and Programs—again, there is never a fee for this treatment.

Royal Arch Masons fund auditory research for children with hearing impairments.

Many other of our Masonic organizations sponsor a variety of philanthropies, including scholarship programs for children, and the perform public service activities in their respective communities.

Freemasons also enjoy the Fellowship of each other and their families in many social and recreational activities.

Masonic Principles Include ...

Faith must be the center of our lives.

All men and women are the children of God.

No one person has the right to tell another person what he or she must think or believe.

Each person has a responsibility to be a good citizen and obey the law.

It is important to work together to make the world a better place for all.

Honor and integrity are the keys to a meaningful life, and are far more valuable than worldly treasures.

What Is A Masonic Lodge?

The word "Lodge" means both a group of Freemasons meeting together as well as the room or building in which they meet. Masonic buildings are sometimes called "Temples" because the original meaning of the term was "a place of knowledge"—and Freemasonry encourages the advancement of knowledge among all people—and especially its members.

Masonic Lodges usually meet once or twice a month to conduct regular business, vote upon petitions for membership, and bring new Freemasons into the Fraternity through three distinct ceremonies called "Degrees." In the Lodge Room, all Freemasons share in a variety of programs. It is here where the bonds of Friendship and Fellowship are formed and strengthened.

Who Can Qualify To Join?

In New Jersey, applicants must be men, twenty-one years of age or older, who are of good character and who believe in a Supreme Being. To become a Freemason, one must petition a particular Lodge. The Master of the Lodge appoints a committee to visit the applicant to explain the Principles of Freemasonry prior to the Lodge balloting upon his petition.

So Who Are the Freemasons?

Freemasons are men of good character who strive to improve themselves and make the world a better place. They belong to the oldest and most honorable Fraternity known to man.

If you think you may be interested in becoming a Freemason, you can begin by contacting a Lodge in your area or speaking to a Mason.

Who is a Freemasons that I know?  

Abbott, Sir John J.C. - Prime Minister of Canada 1891-92
Aldrin, Edwin E. - Astronaut
Armstrong, Louis - Jazz Musician
Arnold, General Henry "Hap" - Commander of the Army Air Force
Austin, Stephen F. - Father of Texas
Autry, Gene - Actor
Baldwin, Henry - Supreme Court Justice
Balfour, Lloyd - Jewelry
Bartholdi, Frederic A. - Designed the Statue of Liberty
Bassie, William "Count" - Orchestra leader/composer
Baylor, Robert E. B. - Founder Baylor University
Beard, Daniel Carter - Founder Boy Scouts
Bell, Lawrence - Bell Aircraft Corp.
Bennett, Viscount R.B. - Prime Minister of Canada 1930-35
Berlin, Irving - Entertainer
Black, Hugo L. - Supreme Court Justice
Blair, Jr., John - Supreme Court Justice
Blatchford, Samuel - Supreme Court Justice
Bolivar, Simon - "Liberator" of South America
Borden, Sir Robert L. - Prime Minister of Canada 1911-1920
Borglum, Gutzon & Lincoln - Father and Son who carved Mt. Rushmore
Borgnine, Ernest - Actor
Bowell, Sir Mackenzie - Prime Minister of Canada 1894-96
Bowie, James - Alamo
Bradley, Omar N. - Military leader
Brant, Joseph - Chief of the Mohawks 1742 - 1807
BuBois, W.E.B. - Educator/scholar
Buchanan, James - President of the U.S.
Burnett, David G. - 1st President of the Republic of Texas
Burns, Robert - The National Poet of Scotland
Burton, Harold H. - Supreme Court Justice
Byrd, Admiral Richard E. - Flew over North Pole
Byrnes, James F. - Supreme Court Justice
Calvo, Father Francisco - Catholic Priest who started
Freemasonry in Costa Rica 1865
Carson, Christopher "Kit" - Frontiersman, scout and explorer
Casanova - Italian Adventurer, writer and entertainer
Catton, John - Supreme Court Justice
Chrysler, Walter P. - Automotive fame
Churchill, Winston - British Leader
Citroen, Andre - French Engineer and motor car manufacturer
Clark, Roy - Country Western Star
Clark, Thomas C. - Supreme Court Justice
Clark, William - Explorer
Clarke, John H. - Supreme Court Justice
Clemens, Samuel L. - Mark Twain - writer
Clinton, DeWitt - Governor and founder of Public School System (NY)
Cobb, Ty - Baseball Player
Cody, "Buffalo Bill" William - Indian fighter, Wild West Show
Cohan, George M. - Broadway star
Cole, Nat 'King' - Great ballad singer
Collodi, Carlo - Writer of Pinocchio
Colt, Samuel - Firearms inventor
Combs, Earle Bryan - Baseball Hall of Fame
Crockett, David - American Frontiersman and Alamo fame
Cushing, William - Supreme Court Justice
Dempsey, Jack - Sports
Desaguliers, John Theophilus - Inventor of the planetarium
Devanter, Willis Van - Supreme Court Justice
Diefenbaker, John G. - Prime Minister of Canada 1957-63
Dole, Robert - US Senator
Doolittle, General James - Famous Air Force Pilot
Douglas, William O. - Supreme Court Justice
Dow, William H. - Dow Chemical Co.
Doyle, Sir Author Conan - Writer - Sherlock Holmes
Drake, Edwin L - American Pioneer of the Oil industry
Dunant, Jean Henri - Founder of the Red Cross
Edward VII - King of England
Edward VIII - King of England who abdicated the throne in less than 1 year
Ellington, Duke - Composer, Arranger and Stylist
Ellsworth, Oliver - Supreme Court Justice
Ervin Jr, Samual J. - Headed "Watergate" committee
Faber, Eberhard - Head of the famous Eberhard Faber Pencil Company
Fairbanks, Douglas - Silent film actor
Field, Stephen J. - Supreme Court Justice
Fields, W.C. - Actor
Fisher, Geoffrey - Archbishop of Canterbury 1945 - 1961
Fitch, John - Inventor of the Steamboat
Fleming, Sir Alexander - Invented Penicillin
Ford, Gerald R. - President of the U.S.
Ford, Henry - Pioneer Automobile Manufacturer
Franklin, Benjamin - 1 of 13 Masonic signers of Constitution of the U.S.
Gable, Clark - Actor
Garfield, James A. - President of the U.S.
Gatling, Richard J. - Built the "Gatling Gun"
George VI - King of England during W.W. II
Gibbon, Edward - Writer - Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Gilbert, Sir William S. - Was the librettist for "Pirates of Penzance"
Gillett, King C. - Gillett Razor Co.
Glenn, John H. - First American to orbit the earth in a space craft
Godfrey, Arthur - Actor
Gray, Harold Lincoln - Creator of "Little Orphan Annie"
Grissom, Virgil - Astronaut
Grock - Swiss Circus Clown
Guillotin, Joseph Ignace - Inventor of the "Guillotine"
Hancock, John - 1 of 9 Masonic signers of Declaration of Independence
Harding, Warren G. - President of the U.S.
Hardy, Oliver - Actor - Comedian
Harlan, John M. - Supreme Court Justice
Hedges, Cornelius - "Father" of Yellowstone National Park
Henry, Patrick - Patriot
Henson, Josiah - Inspired the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
Hilton, Charles C. - American Hotelier
Hoban, James - Architect for the U.S. Capital
Hoe, Richard M. - Invented the rotary press, revolutionizing newspaper printing
Hoover, J. Edgar - Director of FBI
Hope, Bob - Comedian
Hornsby, Rogers - An original member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Houdini, Harry - Magician
Houston, Sam - 2nd&4th President of the Republic of Texas
Jackson, Andrew - President of the U.S.
Jackson, Reverend Jesse - Minister
Jackson, Robert H. - Supreme Court Justice
Jenner, Edward - Inventor - Vaccination
Johnson, Andrew - President of the U.S.
Jolson, Al - Fame as the first 'talking picture' the Jazz Singer
Jones, Anson - 5th President of the Republic of Texas
Jones, John Paul - Naval Commander
Jones, Melvin - One of the founders of the Lions International
Juarez, Benito - President of Mexico
Key, Francis Scott - Wrote U.S. National Anthem
Kemp, Jack - Quarterback Buffalo Bills, Congressman
Kipling, Rudyard - Writer
Lafayette, Marquis de - Supporter of American Freedom
Lake, Simon - Built first submarine successful in open sea.
Lamar, Joseph E. - Supreme Court Justice
Lamar, Mirabeau B. - 3rd President of the Republic of Texas
Land, Frank S. - Founder Order of DeMolay
Lewis, Meriwether - Explorer
Lincoln, Elmo - First actor to play Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
Lindbergh, Charles - Aviator
Lipton, Sir Thomas - Tea
Livingston, Robert - Co-Negotiator for purchase of Louisiana Territory
Lloyd, Harold C. - Entertainer
MacArthur, General Douglas - Commander of Armed Forces in Philippines
MacDonald, Sir John A. - Prime Minister of Canada 1867-73 & 1878-91
Marshall, James W. - Discovered Gold at Sutter's Mill California 1848
Marshall, John - Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court 1801 - 1835
Marshall, Thurgood - Supreme Court Justice
Mathews, Stanley - Supreme Court Justice
Mayer, Louis B. - Film producer who merged to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Mayo, Dr. William and Charles - Began Mayo Clinic
Maytag, Fredrick - Maytag
McKinley, William - President of the U.S.
Menninger, Karl A. - Psychiatrist famous for treating mental illness
Mesmer, Franz Anton - practiced Mesmerism which led to Hypnotism
Michelson, Albert Abraham - Successfully measured the speed of light in 1882
Minton, Sherman - Supreme Court Justice
Mix, Tom - U.S. Marshal turned actor. Stared in over 400 western films
Monroe, James - President of the U.S.
Montgolfier, Jacques Etienne - Co-developer of the first practical hot-air balloon
Moody, William H. - Supreme Court Justice
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus - Composer
Murphy, Audie - Most decorated American Soldier of WWII.
Naismith, James - Inventor of Basketball
Nelson, Samuel - Supreme Court Justice
New, Harry S. - Postmaster General who established Airmail
Newton, Joseph Fort - Christian Minister
Nunn, Sam - U.S. Senator
Olds, Ransom E. - American automobile pioneer
Otis, James - Famous for "Taxations without Representation is Tyranny"
Palmer, Arnold - Golf Pro
Papst, Charles F. - Coined the term "Athletes Foot"
Paterson, William - Supreme Court Justice
Peale, Norman Vincent - Founder of "Guidepost"
Peary, Robert E. - First man to reach the North Pole (1909)
Penny, James C. - Retailer
Pershing, John Joseph - Decorated American Soldier
Pitney, Mahlon - Supreme Court Justice
Poinsett, Joel R. - U.S. Minister to Mexico who developed the flower: Poinsettia
Polk, James Knox - President of the U.S.
Pullman, George - Built first sleeping car on train.
Pushkin, Aleksander - Russian Poet
Reed, Stanley F. - Supreme Court Justice
Revere, Paul - Famous American
Richardson, Elliot - Attorney General
Rickenbacker, Eddie - Great American Air Force Ace
Ringling Brothers - All 7 brothers and their father were Masons.
Robinson, Sugar Ray - American Boxer
Rogers, Roy - American cowboy and screen star
Rogers, Will - Actor
Roosevelt, Franklin D. - President of the U.S.
Roosevelt, Theodore - President of the U.S.
Rutledge, Wiley B. - Supreme Court Justice
Salten, Felix - Creator of Bambi
San Martin, Jose - "Liberator" of South America
Sarnoff, David - Father of TV.
Sax, Antoine Joseph - Invented the Saxophone (1846)
Schoonover, George - Founder of "The Builder"
Scott, Sir Walter - Writer
Sellers, Peter - Actor
Sibelius, Jean - Composer (Finland)
Skelton, Red - Entertainer
Smith, John Stafford - Wrote the music that became the US National Anthem.
Sousa, John Philip - Led the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 - 1892
Stanford, Leland - Drove the gold spike linking the intercontinental railroad
Stanford, Leland - Railroads & Stanford University
Stewart, Potter - Supreme Court Justice
Still, Andrew T. - American Physician who devised treatment of Osteopathy
Stratton, Charles "Tom Thumb" - Entertainer
Swayne, Noah H. - Supreme Court Justice
Swift, Johathan - Wrote Gulliver's Travels
Taft, William Howard - President of the U.S.
Teets, John W. - Chairman and President of Dial
Corporation
Thomas, Dave - Founder of Wendy's Restaurant
Thomas, Lowell - Brought Lawrence of Arabia to public notice
Tirpitz, Alfred Von - German Naval officer responsible for submarine warfare
Todd, Thomas - Supreme Court Justice
Travis, Colonel William B. - Alamo
Trimble, Robert - Supreme Court Justice
Truman, Harry S. - President of the U.S.
Vinson, Frederick M. - Supreme Court Justice
Voltaire - French writer and philosopher
Wadlow, Robert Pershing - Tallest human on record being almost 9 feet tall
Wallace, Governor George C. - Presidential Candidate who was nearly assassinated
Wallace, Lewis - Wrote "Ben Hur"
Warner, Jack - Warner Brothers Fame
Warren, Earl - Supreme Court Justice
Washington, Booker T - Educator and author
Washington, George - President of US, 1st
Wayne, John - Actor
Webb, Matthew - First man to swim the English Channel
(1875)
Whiteman, Paul - "King of Jazz"
Woodbury, Levi - Supreme Court Justice
Woods, William B. - Supreme Court Justice
Wyler, William - Director of  "Ben Hur"
Zanuck, Darryl F. - Co-founder of 20th Century
Productions in 1933
Ziegfeld, Florenz - His Ziegfeld's Follies began in 1907