Washington's Grand Lodge says "neither race nor color" bars a Mason, then quotes Pike's refusal (Washington State, 15 June 1897; printed in the 1898 Proceedings)

SUMMARYWashington's Grand Lodge says "neither race nor color" bars a Mason, then quotes Pike's refusal (Washington State, 15 June 1897; printed in the 1898 Proceedings) [Connections: Masonic color line, asylums, castles, wight, Nov 5, 2026]

RECORDA special committee report titled Negro Masonry was signed by Thomas M. Reed, Wm. H. Upton and J.E. Edmiston and adopted on 15 June 1897 by an "almost unanimous" vote. It answered a petition from Gideon S. Bailey and Con A. Rideout, Black Masons in Seattle. Resolution 1: "neither race nor color are among the tests proper to be applied to determine the fitness of a candidate for the degrees of Masonry." The report concludes that men made in those Black lodges "are as fully entitled to the name of Masons and to brotherly recognition as any other Masons in the world."

WITNESSa Masonic Grand Lodge's own proceedings, reprinted by the Alberta Masonic library from the 1898 Proceedings

PATTERNA white Grand Lodge put in writing, in 1897, that the color line had no basis in Masonic law

LENS (WW9)A Grand Lodge's own pen says the color line was never Masonic law. It was chosen

OPENThe reprint does not record what happened next. The Emeth essay (below) says Washington "Recognized Prince Hall Masons in 1897, then rescinded the decision under pressure," with mutual recognition only in 1990. The rescission and the "pressure" from other grand lodges need the 1898–99 Proceedings of other grand lodges

SOURCENegro Masonry: A Committee Report Adopted June 15, 1897 (Alberta Masonic library reprint, PDF); Prince Hall Recognition (Emeth, 2020).