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10 Most Famous & Powerful Freemasons

Almost six million people worldwide are involved in the enormous movement known as Freemasonry. Although remaining a secret, a number of well-known people from both history and the present have revealed their membership.

Men from various professions, including athletics, politics, science, and the arts, make up the impressive list of well-known Freemasons. United States Presidents who were Freemasons formed around one-third of all Presidents. Among its noteworthy members are politicians, inventors, and even some war heroes from Australia.

Here are 10 famous and powerful Freemasons.

1. Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis from Wikimedia Commons

Benjamin Franklin, a prominent scientist, inventor, and community leader, is arguably one of the most well-known Freemasons. Benjamin Franklin developed theories of positive and negative electrical charges, the lightning rod, and bifocal glasses in addition to his responsibilities as Grand Master of Pennsylvania.

2. George Washington

It is true that George Washington, the country’s first president, was a Freemason.  In Fredericksburg, Virginia, Washington became a member of the Masonic Lodge in 1752 and later rose to prominence within it. The principles of brotherhood, generosity, and self-improvement were values Washington upheld as a Freemason.

His vision for a new country was in line with the Masonic ideals of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of knowledge. Despite having a huge impact on his life through his membership in Freemasonry, Washington always kept his private and public views separate, demonstrating his dedication to religious freedom and tolerance for people of all faiths.

3. Mozart

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The well-known Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Freemason. In 1784, Mozart enrolled in the Vienna Masonic Lodge and started participating actively. His compositions and personal views are a direct result of the immense influence that Freemasonry had on his life and career.

In his role as a Freemason, Mozart upheld the values of enlightenment, brotherhood, and the search for the truth. He was inspired by the Masonic values of tolerance, equality, and the pursuit of knowledge. Because of his Freemasons membership, Mozart was able to connect with a welcoming group of people who shared his values towards creative expression and intellectual development.

4. Simón Bolívar

Bolivar, who was the most notable figure in the South American independence movement, was born in Caracas, in what is now Venezuela. Gran Colombia, which would eventually become Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, as well as Peru and Bolivia, which bears his name, was liberated from Spanish rule by him.

In 1803 in Cadiz, Spain, Bolvar received his Masonic initiation; in 1806 he was raised in the Mother of St. Alexander of Scotland Lodge in Â鶹APP. Bolivar was awarded the 33rd degree of honorary inspector general in the Scottish Rite in April 1824. In 1824, he established the Order and Liberty Lodge No. 2 in Peru as well as Protectora de las Vertudes Lodge No. 1 in Venezuela, where he also served as master.

5. Mark Twain

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Late in the 1890s, Mark Twain went on a worldwide lecture tour that took him to Australia, India, Canada, and a number of other nations. While on the road, Twain commonly found Masonic ties to the country he was visiting. He sent a hand-crafted gavel to Polar Star Lodge’s Worshipful Master because he was particularly curious about Lebanon’s relationship to the Craft.

Twain used the Masonic term “Great Architect of the World” to refer to God and made multiple references to Freemasonry in his literature. The commitment of Mark Twain to his writing, exploration, and Freemasonry is an example to us all. We are honoured to call him a Brother. He is known as the “Father of American Literature” by many.

6. Winston Churchill 

On May 24, 1901, Churchill received his Masonic initiation into Studholme Lodge No. 1591, which is now known as United Studholme Alliance Lodge. Churchill is a direct descendant of the Masons. On March 5th, 1902, he was elevated as a Master Mason after earning his Fellowcraft degree two months later.

Churchill was starting to climb the political ladder in England at the time of his life. He wasn’t able to participate much in the brotherhood’s activities because of his desire and commitment to the government. Nonetheless, Brother Churchill’s actions and leadership in the following years were a testament to the Masonic vow to lead a morally upright life.

7. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin .D. Roosevelt by Library Congress/Unsplash

On October 10, 1911, at Holland Lodge, No. 8 in New York City, Roosevelt received his Freemasonry initiation shortly after winning the election to the state Senate. Six weeks later, he received his Master Mason initiation. Roosevelt, a long-time Mason who petitioned the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in the Albany Consistory of New York in 1929, earned his 32nd degree that same day. He joined the Albany Cyrus Temple’s Shriners a year later.

Roosevelt enthusiastically chased any position in the fraternity he could obtain because, without a doubt, the principles of Masonry were engraved in his heart. He was also a Shriner, a Master Mason, and a 32nd-degree Scottish Rite Freemason.

8. J. Edgar Hoover 

In Washington, D.C.’s Federal Lodge No. 1, Hoover was initiated on November 9th, 1920. He was a dedicated mason who was recognised by the fraternity with a number of awards. Hoover was initiated as a 33° Mason in 1955 by the United States’ Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Southern Masonic Jurisdiction (AASR-SMJ). The Grand Cross of Honor was also given to him by the AASR-SMJ. Hoover’s personal files and records are kept in a room at the House of the Temple, where the AASR-main SMJ’s office is located.

9. Earl Warren

Justice Earl Warren at the opening of the John F. Kennedy Memorial near Jerusalem – by Moshe Pridan – Wikimedia Commons

In 1935, Warren was chosen as the Grand Master of the California Grand Lodge. According to Warren’s biographer “thrived in the Masons because he shared their beliefs, but those ideas also influenced him by nurturing his devotion to service and strengthening his belief that society’s problems were best solved by small groups of intelligent, well-meaning citizens. These principles united Warren’s Progressivism, Republicanism, and Masonry.”

10. Cecil B. DeMille

The well-known American director Cecil B. DeMille was a member of the Freemasons. In 1919, DeMille received his initiation into Freemasonry and enrolled in New York’s Prince of Orange Lodge No. 16.

He committed to the Masonic fraternity’s principles of brotherhood, morality, and development of the self. Though it had no noticeable effects on his films, DeMille’s involvement in Freemasons was a major part of his personal life. DeMille had access to a welcoming group of people who shared his ideals through Freemasonry. 

There’s a lot of mystery that comes up every time someone mentions Freemasons, however, what is obvious is that these people are all powerful and have had a lot of influence in our society.