Past Masters

W.:. Worshipful
V.:.W.:. Very Worshipful
R.:.W.:. Right Worshipful
M.:.W.:. Most Worshipful
* Deceased

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1. W.:.Christopher Yates * 1774-1776, 1778-1784 Surveyor by occupation. Founder and first Master of St. George’s Lodge.
Lieut. Col. Albany County Militia. Member of the Third Provincial Congress, 1776.
2. W.:. John Aaron Bradt * 1777 Innkeeper and Indian Trader
3. W.:.Robert Alexander * 1785-1786, 1789-1790 Merchant, Captain in Col. Wemple’s Regiment of Albany County Militia
4. W.:. Cornelius Van Dyke * 1787-1788 Physician, Col. First New York Line
5. W.:. Joseph Christopher Yates * 1791-1796, 1798 First Mayor of the City of Schenectady 1798-1803, Governor of the State of New York 1823-1824
6. W.:.Jellis A. Fonda * 1797, 1799-1802, 1805 Major and Adjutant of the command of Col. Willett’s Regiment of Levies, First Clerk of Schenectady 1809-1834
7. W.:. Henry Yates, Jr. * 1803, 1810, 1815-1824 Mayor of Schenectady 1817-1825, State Senator 1810, 1814, 1818-1822
8. W.:. William J. Teller * 1804, 1806-1807
9. W.:. Thomas B. Clench * 1808, 1811-1814
10. W.:. John G. Van Ingen * 1809
11. W.:. Richard McMichael * 1825
12. W.:. Giles Fonda Yates * 1826-1827, 1844-1845 Attourney-at-law, Antiquarian, Editor, Sovereign Grand Commander Supreme Council A.A.S.R. Northern Jurisdiction 1851
13. W.:.Isaac Maus Schermerhorn * 1828-1843 Physician, Surgeon of the 59th regiment of New York Infantry, Brig. General of the 14th Brigade, 14th Division N.Y.S. Militia, Mayor of Schenectady
14. M.:.W.: Stephen H. Johnson * 1846 Attorney, State Senator and a Judge. Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York 1867. For a detailed biography of Grand Master Johnson, go to the Grand Masters page.
15. W.:.Smith B. Burnham * 1847
16. W.:. Levi H. Willard * 1848
17. W.:. Joseph H. Horsfall * 1849
18. W.:. Edward McCamus * 1850
19. W.:. Frederick R. Mudge * 1851
20. W.:. Joseph Y. Brower * 1852
21. W.:.James E. VanHorne * 1853 Mayor of Schenectady 1848-1850
22. W.:. Stephen O. Durkee * 1854
23. W.:. Abram A. Van Vorst * 1855-1856 Mayor of Schenectady 1852-1854, Mayor of Schenectady 1869-1871, Mayor of Schenectady 1881-1883
24. R.:.W.:.William J. VanHorne * 1857-1858, 1871 District Deputy Grand Master of the 7th Masonic District 1864-1865
,District Deputy Grand Master of the 9th Masonic District 1865-1866, Mayor of Schenectady 1871-1873
25. W.:. Charles S. Vedder * 1859
26. W.:. John N. Banker * 1860-1861
27. W.:. Horace Goodrich * 1862-1863
28. W.:. James Comstock * 1864
29. W.:. Robert Lent 1865
30. W.:. S. L. Roberts Buchanan * 1866-1868 First High Priest of St. George’s Chapter No. 157, R. A. M. 1855-1859, First Commander of St. George’s Commandery No. 37, K. T. 1866-1869
31. W.:. Edgar M. Jenkins * 1869-1870
32. R.:.W.:. John A DeRemer * 1872-1873 Commissioner of Appeals 1885-1888
33. R.:.W.:. John Keyes Paige * 1874-1876 District Deputy Grand Master of the 12th Masonic District 1874-1876
34. W.:. Cady Staley * 1877
35. W.:. Scott Hunter * 1878-1879
36. W.:. I. B. Price * 1880-1881
37. R.:.W.:. William H. Peckham * 1882-1883 District Deputy Grand Master of the 12th Masonic District 1891-1892
38. W.:. T. Low Barhydt * 1884-1885 Mayor of Schenectady 1887-1889
39. W.:. John H. White * 1886-1887 Mayor of Schenectady 1900-1902, Schenectady Masonic Hall Association Representative from 1908 to 1911
40. W.:. Peter M. Doty * 1888-1889
41. W.:. Francis Williamson * 1890
42. R.:.W.:. Charles E. Palmer * 1891-1892 Grand Steward 1892-1893
43. R.:.W.:. Thomas W. Wright * 1893-1894
44. R.:.W.:. William H. Smith * 1895-1896 Mayor of Schenectady 1876-1879, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Maine
45. W.:. David Engleman * 1897
46. W.:. Marshall B. McKinley * 1898-1899 Master of the 125th Anniversary
47. R.:.W.:. William W. Wemple * 1900 Grand Sword Bearer 1903-1904, New York State Assemblyman 1903-1906 N. Y. State Senate 31st District 1907-1908
48. R.:.W.:. Horace S. Van Voast * 1901 Mayor of Schenectady 1902-1904,
Mayor of Schenectady 1908-1910, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Maryland
49. W.:. George Wood * 1902
50. W.:. Albert Tenney * 1903
51. W.:. Arthur Marvin * 1904
52. W.:. Andrew Kidd, Jr. * 1905
53. R.:.W.:. Samuel S. Forster * 1906 Founder and First Master of Charles W. Mead Lodge No. 862, F. & A. M. 1907-1908, District Deputy Grand Master of the 17th Masonic District 1909-1911
54. R.:.W.:. Frank Hoppman * 1907 Representative and also a President of the Schenectady Masonic Hall Association for 31 years from 1912 to 1943., Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick, Canada
55. W.:. Wooster B. Curtis * 1908
56. W.:. Frank H. Sargent * 1909 First Elected Illustrious Master of St. George’s Council No. 74, R. & S. M. 1911-1912
57. R.:.W.:. Howard R. Ouderkirk * 1910 He has attained the usual honor in the Masonic Order as Master of St. George’s Lodge, and at the date of his installation was the youngest Master at the age of 28 to be elected to that office since the Lodge was chartered in 1774 from 1910 to 1987., District Deputy Grand Master of the
17th Masonic District 1914-1915
58. W.:. Marcus E. France * 1911
59. W.:. Frank R. Swart * 1912
60. R.:.W.:.Charles W. Collins * 1913 Grand Steward 1917-1918
61. W.:. William T. Strickland * 1914
62. W.:. Edward J. Apps * 1915
63. W.:. Charles H. Schlansker * 1916
64. W.:. Harry D. Holbrook * 1917
65. W.:. Samuel E. Davis * 1918
66. R.:.W.:.Evan R. Cullings * 1919 Grand Steward 1927-1928
67. W.:. Henry C. Fagal * 1920 Mayor of Schenectady 1928-1932, Mayor of Schenectady 1934-1936
68. R.:.W.:.Walter S. McNab * 1921 N.Y.S. Assemblyman 1st Dist. 1915-1919, Director of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory 1947-1963, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Ohio
69. R.:.W.:.Edwin C. Vedder * 1922 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1928-1929
70. W.:. Aaron J. Bradt * 1923
71. W.:. Percy W. Ward * 1924 Master of the 150th Anniversary
72. R.:.W.:.Joseph P. Thompson * 1925 Grand Sword Bearer 1956-1957
73. W.:. Albert E. Butler * 1926
74. W.:.George M. Betts * 1927
75. W.:. Edward A. Cummings * 1928
76. W.:. Daniel F. Webster * 1929
77. W.:. Frederick H. Robinson * 1930
78. W.:. Roy W. Peters * 1931
79. M.:.W.:. Richard A. Rowlands * 1932 Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York 1950-1951. For a detailed biography of Grand Master Rowlands, go to the Grand Masters page.
80. W.:.Horace S. Van Voast * 1933
81. W.:. William W. Wemple * 1934 N.Y.S. Assemblyman 2nd Dist. 1930-1931
82. W.:. Arthur R. Winder * 1935 He was summoned by the Grand Architect of the Universe during his term as Master of St. George’s Lodge on July 26, 1935
83. R.:.W.:. William A. Rockwell * 1936 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma
84. W.:. Robert L. Aughenpaugh * 1937
85. W.:. Herbert E. Rolfe * 1938
86. R.:.W.:. Robert J. Swackhammer * 1939 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1943-1944
87. R.:.W.:. William D. Gillespie * 1940 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, Deputy Grand Marshal 1948-1949, Grand Marshal 1950-1951
88. W.:. Edgar W. Snell * 1941
89. W.:. J. F. Heaword Robinson, Jr. * 1942
90. R.:.W.:. Earl S. Moncton * 1943 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 1953-1954 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Vermont
91. W.:. Kenneth D. Bartlett * 1944
92. W.:. Farnum E. Thomas * 1945
93. W.:. Harold I. Blessing * 1946
94. W.:. Chester W. Looman * 1947
95. W.:. Lester E. Davenport * 1948
96. W.:. Anthony E. Stritter * 1949 Master of the 175th Anniversary
97. R.:.W.:. Stuart S. Gillespie * 1950 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Delaware
98. W.:. Grandville H. Jarvis * 1951
99. W.:. John H. Guevin, Sr. * 1952
100. W.:. Lewis B. Mull * 1953
101. R.:.W.:. William T. Short * 1954 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1959-1960
102. W.:. Roy B. Quick * 1955
103. W.:. Eugene W. Baxter * 1956
104. R.:.W.:. Robert J. Henry * 1957 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1970-1971
105. W.:. Harvey E. Garrison * 1958 Dedicated Service Award 1979
106. R.:.W.:. Stuart G. Henry * 1959 Grand Steward 1965-1966
107. W.:. Hinsdill P. Stevenson * 1960
108. R.:.W.:. Clifford B. Foland * 1961 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky
109. W.:.Kenneth J. Tullock * 1962 Dedicated Service Award 1975
110. W.:. Walter L. Schlenker* 1963
111. R.:.W.:. Bruce A. Henry * 1964 Grand Steward 1978-1979
112. R.:.W.:. Raymond M. Gates * 1965 Grand Sword Bearer 1985-1986
113. R.:.W.:. Lee H. Esmann 1966 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1982-1983
114. W.:. Charles H. Smith * 1967
115. R.:.W.:. Donald Pfeiffer* 1968 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia, Canada
116. V.:.W.:. Ernest K. Contompasis * 1969 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 1981-1982, Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1985-1987
117. W.:.Elmer I. Kidder * 1970
118. W.:. Harry Spodak * 1971
119. W.:. Albert A. Palmer * 1972 Dedicated Service Award 1998
120. W.:. Frank E. Parker * 1973
121. M.:.W.:. Roswell T. Swits* 1974 Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York 1988-1990. For a detailed biography of Grand Master Swits, go to the Grand Masters page.
122. W.:. Leonard G. Hunter II 1975
123. W.:. Robert H. Pelham Jr. * 1976
124. W.:. Roger H. Pelham 1977
125. R.:.W.:. Nicholas J. Cilberti * 1978, 1990 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii
126. W.:. Bobbie B. Hull 1979
127. R.:.W.:.William B. Fink Jr. 1980 District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 2004-2006, Jr. Grand Warden 2012-2014
128. W.:. William B. Fink Sr. * 1981
129. R.:.W.:. Francis I. Karwowski 1982 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 1989-1990, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, 2007-2008 Most Illustrious Grand Master Grand Council Cryptic Masons State of New York
130. R.:.W.:. Rodger H. Bricknell * 1983 Director of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory 1990-1993
131. W.:. Theodore B. Schwermer * 1984 Dedicated Service Award 1981
132. W.:. Donald G. Bowers 1985
133. R.:.W.:. Michael T. Brockbank 1986 Deputy Grand Standard Bearer 1987-1988, Grand Standard Bearer 1988-1990, Trustee Masonic Hall & Asylum 1990-1996, Director of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory 2001-2004, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of The Netherlands, Hudson-Champlain Regional Deputy
Proctor 2007 to the present
134. R.:.W.:. Ralph Pfeiffer 1987 At the time of his installation he became the youngest Master of St. George’s Lodge at the age of 27 going all the way back to when the lodge was chartered in 1774 from 1987 to the present. President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic District 1998-1999
Grand Sword Bearer 2000-2002, District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 2010-2012
135. R.:.W.:. John David Henry* 1988 Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1996-1999 and 2001-2007, Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky,
Hudson-Champlain Regional Assistant Grand Lecturer 2007-2009
136. W.:. David L. Palmquist 1989
137. W.:. Kent R. DeBie 1991 2nd Vice President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic District 1995-1996
138. W.:. Cary L. Peek 1992
139. W.:. Philip S. Arony 1993 3rd Vice President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic District 1994-1995
140. W.:. James D. Vooys 1994
141. R.:.W.:. Henry M. Michelin 1995, 2001-2002 Grand Director of Ceremonies 2010-2012
142. R.:.W.:. Ralph H. Rosenthal 1996, 2004 Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
143. R.:.W.:. Richard Rasmussen * 1997 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 1986-1987, District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 1990-1991
144. R.:.W.:. David E. Barnes 1998 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 2001-2002, District Deputy Grand Master of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 2002-2004
145. R.:.W.:. R. Bruce Murphy 1999, 2003 Grand Steward 2004-2006
146. W.:.Glenn W. Bull * 2000 Dedicated Service Award 2007
147. W.:. Robert Brilling Jr. 2005
148. W.:. Robert E. McCloskey 2006, 2007 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 2008-2009
149. V.:..W.:. Damon B. Carr 2008 Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 2009-2011
150. W.:. Edward W. Mosso 2009 Grand Patron Order of the Eastern Star State of New York 2023-2024

Associate Grand Patron, Order of the Eastern Star State of New York 2022-2023

151. W.:. Richard W. James 2010 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic District 2012-2013
152. V.:..W.:. David Donofrio, Jr. 2011 Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Rensselaer-Schenectady Masonic District 2012-2013
153. W.:. Alex B. Smuckler 2012
154. W.:. Eric J. Tucker 2013
155. W.:. Chad J. Pezzano 2014 – 2016 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 2017-2018
156. V.:.W.:. Paul D. Hulseapple 2016 – 2018 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic
District 2019-2023 President of the Old 17th District Masters and Officers Association 2017-2018 Assistant Grand Lecturer 2019 – 2023
157. W.:. Darrell C. Pinckney 2018 – 2020
158. W.:. Richard W. James 2020-2021 President of the Past Master’s Association of the Old 17th Masonic District 2012-2013
159. W.:. Raymond Kappes 2021-2023
160. R.:.W.:. John A. Califano 2021-2023 Grand Chaplain

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