The Harding biography "The Shadow of Blooming Grove" covers the subject of W.G.'s masonic aspirations in great detail. He was actually denied entry into the masonic order until later in his life, after his first term as a congressman, due to the rumors around Ohio that he was of Negro ancestry, an accusation used by Harding's enemies in those race-conscious times. As his prestige rose and he entered the Senate he basically forced his way into the order and was shuffled quickly through its ranks to the highest levels.

As a Shriner I have often heard of our membership number woes. The peak of membership, if I recall correctly, was actually after WWII, but in the 1960s the decline began with the deaths of men in their 60s and 70s. The current concern about membership is rooted in our support of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children, which provide orthopedic and burn care absolutely free of charge. Each year we have fewer men to assist in the fund raising efforts.

Also, I doubt 250,000 delegates showed up for the convention; that was probably the number of Shriners nationwide in 1923.

[Masonic membership at its peak in the United States was around 4 million. The population of Washington was expected to grow from 437,000 to over 700,000 during the week of the Shrine convention in June 1923, according to the New York Times. The Washington Post put the number of guests at 500,000. - Dave]

Dave, I raise my fez to salute your always excellent research abilities. - DoninVa

Friday: With my fez still in the air, after a night's sleep I realize we are talking apples and oranges. While all Shriners are Masons, not all Masons are Shriners. I was considering Shrine membership, not Lodge membership; by 1930 there were 600,000 Shriners.

Hats Off you are right about more free time for many people. The Lodge Hall was a more respectable place than a local tavern, especially during Prohibition. The camaraderie was another factor and there were some good works involved. I think it started to unravel after WWII.

True. They had just reached the point where you didn't need to work 18 hours a day just to survive, the country was in decent shape economically, and kids' sporting events, dance recitals and all of the other stuff that occupies people's lives had not yet been invented.

However, back then, you had to seek activities for your leisure. Today a lot of folks turn on the TV and crack a cold one because leisure is handed to us via satellite. That is definitely a factor in Masonic as well as other existing fraternal organizations decline in numbers. The old-timers die off, younger folks have other outlets.

This image may be indicative of an era when people had a lot more free time on their hands.