Harold Van Buren Voorhis (January 3, 1894 – May 23, 1983) was a chemist, noted Masonic author, and executive at Macoy Publishers and Masonic Supply Company.

Education and career

Harold was born January 3, 1894, to Thomas Voorhis, Jr. (1864-1941) and Mary Peck Bates (1868-1962) at Rector Place, Red Bank, New Jersey. He attended Red Bank High School, graduating in 1912. He attended

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

College from 1912–13 and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Teachers Extension from 1913–16. He worked as a chemist at Bull & Roberts, in New York, NY from 1912–20, and returned there later for a succession of positions starting in 1943: secretary-treasurer (1943–59); assistant to the president (1962); and consultant (1963–67). He served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

from January 1, 1917, to February 13, 1919. He later became vice president of Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co. from 1946–70. He was an early

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

hobbyist, joining the Radio League of America in its first year, 1915, and

American Radio Relay League The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the United States. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was co-founded on April 6, 1914, by Hiram Percy Maxim and Clarence D. Tuska of ...

in 1922, eight years after its founding. He married first Lucille Marie Hottendorf on July 2, 1932, in Elkton, Maryland and second Ethel Rita Landau (1914-1988) on October 20, 1953, in New York, New York.

Masonic career

He was Worshipful Master of Mystic Brotherhood Lodge 21, F. & A. M. of Red Bank, NJ in 1937, and served in many other capacities in many other Masonic groups.

Selected writings

*''Arthur Edward Waite, a check list of his writings'' (1932) ("regular edition" of 150 copies) *''Arthur Edward Waite: a check list of his Writings'' (1932) ("limited edition" of 100 numbered copies) *''The history of organized masonic Rosicrucianism ...'' (1935) ("limited edition" of 52 copies) *''The Eastern Star - The Evolution From a Rite to an Order'' (1938); reprinted 1976 *'' egro Masonry in the United States' - (1940) reprinted 2003 *''History of Knight Templary in New Jersey'' (1944) *''Facts for Freemasons'' (1951) *''100 Year Celebration of Mystic Brotherhood Lodge No. 21, Free and Accepted Masons'' (1952) *''Masonic organizations and allied orders and degrees: a cyclopaedic handbook'' (1952) *''Masonic Rosicrucian societies in England, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Canada & the United States of America'' (1958) *''Our Colored Brethren'' (1960) *''The Royal Order of Scotland'' (1960) *''The Red Cross of Constantine'' (1963) *''The Story of the Scottish Rite'' (1965) *''The History of the Scottish Rite in New Jersey'' (1970) *''A history of organized Masonic Rosicrucianism; Societas Rosicruciana'' (1983)See: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/476621117 - This work is a revised and expanded version of ''The history of organized masonic Rosicrucianism ...'' (1935)

References

*Hinks, Peter P.
"John Marrant and the Meaning of Early Black Freemasonry."
The William and Mary Quarterly 64.1 (2007): 25 May 2008.

at the Livingston Masonic Library contains correspondence between Cusick and Voorhis in addition to a collection of Voorhis books. *Perlman, Daniel.
"Organizations of the Free Negro in New York City, 1800-1860"
The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul., 1971), pp. 181–197. {{DEFAULTSORT:Voorhis, Harold Van Buren People from Red Bank, New Jersey 1894 births 1983 deaths American Freemasons 20th-century American non-fiction writers