About Us

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°, John P. Costan 33°, John A. Gray 33°, Henry H. Dade 33°, John H. Smallwood 33°, Adolphus Hall 33° , 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°, Jonathan Davis 33°, J. W. Warlett 33°, W. H. Riley 33° , Cyrus G. Burton 33° , J.W. Henderson 33° and George W. Hopewell 33° of the King David Supreme Council of Philadelphia, Pa. on the 5th 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° was elected its first M. P. Sovereign Grand Commander.

This United Supreme Council for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction have continued to meet regularly since 1869 down to the present time and Ill. Otis F. Clopton 33° 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° 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° 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 21st 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 13th 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 9th 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 27th 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 16th and 17th days of October, 1894, V. E., do hereby order and ordain the following:

Greetings:

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°, 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°, 96th, 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°, 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° 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° , 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.