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The Loyal Order of Moose is a
fraternal and service organization founded in 1888 and headquartered in
Mooseheart, Illinois.
Moose International supports the operation of
Mooseheart Child City & School, a community for children and teens in need, located west of Chicago; and Moosehaven, a retirement community for its members near
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
.
Additionally, the Moose organization conducts numerous sports and recreational programs, in local Lodge/Chapter facilities called either Moose Family Centers or Activity Centers, in the majority of 44 State and Provincial Associations, and on a fraternity-wide basis. There is also a
Loyal Order of Moose in Britain
The Moose International in Great Britain Association (formerly known as The Grand Lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose in Great Britain) is a fraternal service organisation. It was run by a "Grand Council" from 1926 to 2013, and since then by a "Natio ...
. These organizations together make up the Moose International.
History
The Loyal Order of Moose was founded in
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, in the spring of 1888 by Dr.
John Henry Wilson John Wilson may refer to:
Academics
* John Wilson (mathematician) (1741–1793), English mathematician and judge
* John Wilson (historian) (1799–1870), author of ''Our Israelitish Origin'' (1840), a founding text of British Israelism
* John Wil ...
. Originally intended purely as a men's social club, lodges were soon founded in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, and
Crawfordsville and
Frankfort,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. The early order was not prosperous. Dr. Wilson himself was dissatisfied and left the order of the Moose before the turn of the century.
[Our History](_blank)
When
Albert C. Stevens was compiling his ''Cyclopedia of Fraternities'' in the late 1890s, he was unable to ascertain whether it was still in existence.
In the fall of 1906 the Order had only the two Indiana lodges remaining. On October 27 of that year
James J. Davis
James John Davis (October 27, 1873November 22, 1947) was a Wales, Welsh-born American businessman, author and Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as United States Secre ...
became the 247th member of the Order.
Davis was a
Welsh immigrant who had come to the US as a youth and worked as an
iron puddler An iron puddler (often merely puddler) was a worker in iron manufacturing who specialized in puddling, an improved process to convert pig iron into wrought iron with the use of a reverberatory furnace.
Working as a two-man crew, a puddler and he ...
in the steel mills of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and an active labor organizer (he later became
Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all ot ...
in the
Harding administration
Warren G. Harding's tenure as the 29th president of the United States lasted from March 4, 1921 until his death on August 2, 1923. Harding presided over the country in the aftermath of World War I. A Republican from Ohio, Harding held office du ...
). He saw the Order as a way to provide a
social safety net
The social safety net (SSN) consists of non-contributory assistance existing to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution. Examples of SSNs are previously-contributory social pensions, in-kind and fo ...
for a working class membership, using a low annual membership fee of $10–$15 (equivalent to $–$ in ).
After giving a rousing address to the seven delegates of the 1906 Moose national convention, he was appointed "Supreme Organizer" of the Order. Davis and a group of organizers set out to recruit members and establish lodges throughout the US and Canada. He was quite successful, and the Order grew to nearly half a million members in 1,000 lodges by 1912.
Racial discrimination
The National Moose Lodge bylaws restricted membership in this men's club to Caucasians.
In 1972,
K. Leroy Irvis, an African-American member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
, was invited to visit a lodge in Harrisburg by a member as a guest. The lodge dining room refused to serve Irvis on account of his race. Irvis sued the
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is an independent government agency that manages the beverage alcohol industry in Pennsylvania by administering the Pennsylvania Liquor Code. It is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, sto ...
in federal court, arguing that the issuance of a liquor license to an organization with racially discriminatory policies constituted an illegal
state action.
[Stays Liquor License Ruling]
. ''The Tribune'' (Scranton, Pennsylvania). p. 10. A Pennsylvania court ruled in Irvis' favor.
[ The case was ultimately appealed to the ]United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
, which ruled that Irvis lacked standing
Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
to sue based on membership and that state was not involved in the discriminatory guest practices to qualify as a state action prohibited by the Fourteenth Amendment.
In 1994, a Moose Lodge in Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland,
United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...
, denied membership based on race. Officials at Moose International took action and revoked the charter of the Moose Lodge.
Mooseheart and Moosehaven
At the 1911 convention in Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, Davis, the "Director General" of the Order, recommended that the LOOM (Loyal Order Of Moose) acquire property for an "Institute", "School" or "College" that would be a home, schooling, and vocational training for the orphans of LOOM members. For months offers came in and a number of meetings were held regarding the project. It was eventually agreed that the center should be located somewhere near the center of population
In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...
, adjacent to both rail and river transportation and within a day's travel to a major city. On December 14, 1912, the leaders of the organization decided to purchase the 750-acre Brookline Farm. Brookline was a dairy farm near Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. It was close to the Fox River, two railway lines and the (then dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
* Dust: a genera ...
) Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913 ...
. The leadership also wished to buy additional real estate to the west and north owned by two other families, for a total of 1,023 acres. Negotiations for the purchases were held in January and February 1913, and legal possession of the property was taken on March 1. The name "Mooseheart" had been adopted for the school at the suggestion of Ohio Congressman and Supreme Council member John Lentz by a unanimous joint meeting of the Supreme Council and Institute Trustees on Feb. 1. Mooseheart was dedicated on July 27, 1913. Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas Riley Marshall (March 14, 1854 – June 1, 1925) was an American politician who served as the 28th vice president of the United States from 1913 to 1921 under President Woodrow Wilson. A prominent lawyer in Indiana, he became an acti ...
gave a speech for the occasion.
While Mooseheart began as a school, it soon grew to become a small incorporated village and hub of the organization, housing the headquarters of the LOOM as well as the Women of the Moose. The population of Mooseheart would grow to 1,000 by 1920, reach a peak of 1,300 during the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, and go down to approximately 500, the campus' current maximum capacity, in 1979.[Schmidt pp.220, 222]
In addition to Mooseheart, the LOOM also runs a retirement center, Moosehaven, located in Orange Park, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. This project was inaugurated in the autumn of 1922 with 26 acres of property and 22 retired Moose residents. It has grown to a 63-acre community with over 400 residents.
Organization
Local units are called "Lodges", state groups are "State Associations" and the national authority is the "Supreme Lodge of the World", which meets annually.[Schmidt p.222] In 1923 there were 1,669 lodges "promulgated in every civilized country controlled by the Caucasian race".[Preuss, Arthur A '' Dictionary of Secret and other Societies'' St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co. 1924; p.258] In 1966 3,500 lodges were reported in every US state, Guam, Canada, Bermuda and England.[Whalen p.105] In 1979 the Order had 36 State Associations and over 4,000 Lodges. Today it has 1,600 Lodges in 49 states, four Canadian provinces, and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
The entire membership is sometimes referred to as the "Moose Domain".
Membership
Until at least the 1970s, membership was restricted to white men of "sound mind and body, in good standing in the community, engaged in lawful business who are able to speak and write the English language". In June 1972 the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
handed down a decision partially in the Order's favor, saying that a Moose Lodge in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
, need not have its state liquor license
A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages.
Canada
In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the legal authority ...
revoked because it refused to serve a black guest, but that the state could subsequently condition its license on nondiscriminatory practices.
In the early 1920s the LOOM reportedly had over half a million members, with 32,570 in the Mooseheart Legion and 5,178 in the Junior Order of Moose.
Rituals
An important ritual for the Moose is the "9 o'clock Ceremony". At nine o'clock, all Moose are directed to face toward Mooseheart with bowed heads and folded arms and repeat a silent prayer " Let the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of Heaven. God bless Mooseheart." At that same time the children of Mooseheart kneel at their bedside in prayers as well. There are also the ten "thou shalts". These begin with "Thou shalt believe in God and worship Him as thy conscience dictates. Thou shalt be tolerant to let others worship each in his own way". Other "thou shalts" pertain to patriotism, service to fellowmen, protection of the weak, avoidance of slander to a brother Moose, love of the LOM, faithfulness and humility
James Davis drew up the initiation ritual for the order. It is relatively short, usually taking 45 minutes. The governor of the lodge asks the Sergeant-at-Arms
A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
to administer the Moose obligation. After candidates are asked if they believe in a Supreme Being
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, and if they are willing to assume the obligation they take the oath with their left hand on their heart and their right hand raised. Among other things, this obligation pledges the candidate not to "communicate or disclose or give any information—concerning anything—I may hereafter hear, see or experience in this lodge or in any other Lodge". At this point the lodge performs the 9 o'clock ceremony, and then the lodge chaplain or prelate explains the ten "thou shalts". Next, the governor grasps the hands of the candidates while the members sing ''Blest Be the Tie that Binds Blest may refer to:
* Alberto Blest Gana (1830–1920), a Chilean novelist and diplomat
* Clotario Blest Riffo (1899–1990), a Chilean trade union leader and social activist
* Another form of the noun "blessed", more popular in old English.
* Wi ...
''. Finally, the governor administers the second part of the obligation, the candidates promise to support Mooseheart and Moosehaven, help fellow Moose, settle disputes within the order, and not join any unauthorized Moose organizations. The prelate offers another prayer at the altar, and all then join in singing '' Friendship We Now Extend''.
There are also death and graveside services, granted on request of the family of deceased Moose, as well as a Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
ceremony every first Sunday in May. The lodge altar is draped in black and white cloth, a Bible, a flower and drapes are placed on the lodge charter and the lodge prelate leads the members in prayers and the singing of ''Nearer, My God, to Thee
"Nearer, My God, to Thee" is a 19th-century Christian hymn by Sarah Flower Adams, which retells the story of Jacob's dream. Genesis 28:11–12 can be translated as follows: "So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because t ...
''.[Whalen p.108]
Gustin–Kenny incident
On July 24, 1913, two candidates for LOOM membership, Donald A. Kenny and Christopher Gustin, died during['']Southern Reporter
The ''Southern Reporter'', the ''Southern Reporter Second'', and the ''Southern Reporter Third'' are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B. West for the West Publishing Company.
T ...
'' vol. 80, p. 86 their initiation ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
. Kenny was the president of the local Chauffeurs Union, and Gustin was an iron moulder. Both men were made to look upon a red hot emblem of the Order, and then blindfolded and disrobed and have a chilled rubber version of the emblem applied to their chests while a magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
was attached to their legs and an electric current
An electric current is a stream of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. It is measured as the net rate of flow of electric charge through a surface or into a control volume. The moving pa ...
was applied to them by a wire to their shoulders. The aim was evidently to make them believe that they were being branded. Both men fainted, but, as it was thought that they were feigning, the lodge officers did not stop the initiation until it was evident that the two were dying and the lodge physician was unable to revive them.
Benefits and philanthropy
The LOOM has historically supported numerous charitable and civic activities. It has sponsored medical research for muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...
, cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...
, cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
and cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart d ...
, as well as the March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...
. It has also supported Boy Scout
A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...
and Girl Scout
Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
programs.
Moose distributed a recruiting video, filmed in 2000, called "Unbelievably Cool".
Independent, Benevolent and Protective Order of Moose
In 1925 the LOOM brought a suit against the Independent, Benevolent and Protective Order of Moose, an African American order. They attempted to obtain a legal injunction to keep them from using the Moose name, ritual, emblem and titles of its officers. The New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
found that the evidence presented by the Loyal Order of Moose was inadmissible, and it found in favor of the Independent, Benevolent and Protective Order of Moose.
In another lawsuit heard by a Maryland Circuit Court, the Loyal Order of Moose sued the Independent, Benevolent and Protective Order of Moose, saying they had infringed on its intellectual property by using the word moose in its name, by using the moose in its emblem, and by having similar rituals. The court found that the two organizations' emblems and part of their rituals were virtually identical, and the court estrained the African American order from using the word moose in its name. The court allowed the Independent, Benevolent and Protective Order of Moose to continue using the same fraternal titles and colors.
The IBPOOM was an unrelated all-African woman order.
Religious objections
By 1966, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...
and the Wisconsin Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...
forbade membership in the Loyal Order of Moose. The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, however, has never explicitly objected to the Moose,[Whalen p.108] despite having condemned similar organizations, such as the Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, for their oaths and other rituals. Papal Encyclicals, specifically Paragraph 9 of Pope Leo XIII's 1884 encyclical: Humanum Genus, condemn any and all Freemasonic organizations and sects and bans the laity from becoming members.
Notable Moose members
Presidents
* Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
– U.S. President—Marion, Ohio: Lodge 889
* Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
– U.S. President—New York City: Lodge 15
* Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
– U.S. President
* Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
– U.S. President
Other politicians
* Evan Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh III ( ; born December 26, 1955) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011 and the 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997.
Bayh w ...
– Former U.S. Senator/Governor of Indiana—Elkhart, Indiana Lodge: 599
* Robert C. Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...
– U.S. Senator—Beckley, West Virginia: Lodge 1606
* Tom Corbett
Thomas Wingett Corbett Jr. (born June 17, 1949) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 46th governor of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 1995 ...
– Governor of Pennsylvania—Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Lodge 2699
* Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...
– Mayor of Chicago 1955–1976—Greater Chicago, Illinois: Lodge 3
*Albert Dutton MacDade
Albert Dutton MacDade (September 23, 1871 – October 4, 1954) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as district attorney for Delaware County from 1906 to 1912, as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the ...
- Pennsylvania State Senator 1921-1929
* Joe Manchin III
Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor o ...
– US Senator, State of West Virginia—Charleston, West Virginia: Lodge 1444
* C.L. "Butch" Otter – Governor, State of Idaho 2007—Boise, Idaho: Lodge 337
* Tommy Thompson
Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...
– Former U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services—Juneau County, Wisconsin: Lodge 1913
* Earl Warren
Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitution ...
– Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court (Holder of the Pilgrim Degree of Merit) – Oakland, California: Lodge 324
Entertainers
* Jimmie Allen
James Edward Allen (born June 18, 1985) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Broken Bow Records imprint Stoney Creek, for which he has released the two singles "Best Shot" and " Make Me Want To" and the 2018 album ...
- 2022 Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nominee country music singer song writer.
* Bud Abbott
William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man half of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello.
Early life
Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New ...
& Lou Costello
Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?" ...
Radio, TV Movie Entertainers—Atlantic City, New Jersey: Lodge 216[Famous Moose Members](_blank)
''Famous Moose Members'' Moose International web site
* Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
– Oscar-Winning Actor—Junction City, Oregon: Lodge 2238
* Charles Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
– Motion Picture Actor/Director/Producer—Los Angeles, California: Lodge 134
* Harry Cording
Hector William "Harry" Cording (26 April 1891 – 1 September 1954) was an English-American actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in the films '' The Black Cat'' (1934) and ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938).
Life and career ...
– Motion Picture Actor-Van Nuys, California: Lodge 306
* Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor and police officer. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series ...
– Television Actor; National Spokesman, Safe Surfin' USA—Bedford, Virginia: Lodge 1897
* Ralph Stanley
Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...
– Bluegrass Recording Artist—Dinwiddie, Virginia: Lodge 1993
* James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
– Oscar-Winning Actor—Indiana, Pennsylvania: Lodge 174
* Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...
– Entertainer—Indianapolis, Indiana: Lodge 17
* Darryl Worley
Darryl Wade Worley (born October 31, 1964) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1999, Worley released four albums for the label: '' Hard Rain Don't Last'' (2000), ''I Miss My Friend'' (20 ...
– Country Music Artist—Savannah, Tennessee: Lodge 1918
Athletes
* Ed Beard – Middle Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers—South Norfolk, Virginia: Lodge 464
* Raymond Berry
Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. (born February 27, 1933) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967, and after several assist ...
– NFL Hall-of-famer, Baltimore Colts / Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
Coach, New England Patriots—Montgomery County, Virginia: Lodge 1470
* Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
– NBA Hall-of-famer—Orange County, Indiana: Lodge 2530
* Walter Blum
Walter Blum (born September 28, 1934, Brooklyn, New York) is a retired Hall of Fame jockey.
Riding career
A horse racing fan from boyhood, in his teens Blum began working as a racetrack hotwalker. Despite being blind in his right eye from th ...
– Hall of Fame Jockey with 4,382 wins—Lauderdale Lakes, Florida: Lodge 2267
* Manute Bol
Manute Bol (; October 16, 1962 – June 19, 2010) was a Sudanese-American professional basketball player and political activist. Listed at or tall, Bol was tied with Gheorghe Mureșan as the tallest player in the history of the National Bask ...
– NBA's tallest-ever player—Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts: Lodge 1849
* Ross Chastain
Ross Lee Chastain (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team. He is the older brother of NASCAR Ca ...
– NASCAR Driver—Alva, Florida: Lodge 1287[https://www.espn.com/racing/driver/_/id/4495/ross-chastain]
* Jason Couch
Jason Couch (born November 8, 1969) is a ten-pin bowler on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, and a member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame. A left-handed cranker, Couch graduated from Clermont High School in Clermont, Florida ...
– Hall of Fame Professional Bowler—South Lake County, Florida: Lodge 1615
* Jack Ham
Jack Raphael Ham Jr. (born December 23, 1948) is an American former professional football player who played as an outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1971 to 1982. He is considered one of th ...
– NFL Hall of Fame linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers—Indiana, Pennsylvania: Lodge 174
* Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow Hayes (February 14, 1913 – March 12, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University (1946–1948), Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1949–1950), and Ohio State University (1951 ...
– Ohio State University Football Coach—Columbus, Ohio: Lodge 11
* Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks (born November 1, 1947), nicknamed "the Mad Stork", is a former professional football player who played as an outside linebacker for 15 seasons with the Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, and the Oakland/Los Angeles ...
– NFL Hall of fame Linebacker—Hialeah, Florida: Lodge 1074
* Bob Huggins
Robert Edward Huggins (born September 21, 1953) is an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” he is currently the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coach ...
– Men's Basketball Coach, West Virginia—Charleston, West Virginia: Lodge 1444
* Pete Johnson (American football)
Pete Johnson (born Willie James Hammock on March 2, 1954 in Fort Valley, Georgia) is a former professional American football running back and played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He p ...
– Fullback, Ohio State & Cincinnati Bengals—Gahanna, Ohio: Lodge 2463
* Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State, and 1960 gold medal Olympian and international player before later starring as a p ...
– Basketball Hall of Fame; NBA Rookie of the Year 1964; Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" 1961; Only Three-Time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year—Bucyrus, Ohio: Lodge 669
* Rocky Marciano
Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969; ), better known as Rocky Marciano (, ), was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955, and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. He is the only ...
– Boxer
* Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
– All-Star Infielder, Manager—Oakland, California: Lodge 324
* Zach Miller Zach Miller may refer to:
*Zach Miller (tight end, born 1984), NFL tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears
*Zach Miller (tight end, born 1985)
Zachary Joseph Miller (born December 11, 1985) is a former ...
– NFL Tight End—Mooseheart, Illinois: Lodge 2655
* Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous ev ...
– Golfer—Greensburg, Pennsylvania: Lodge 1151
* Cal Ripken Sr.
Calvin Edwin Ripken Sr. (December 17, 1935 – March 25, 1999) was an American baseball player, scout, coach and manager. who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and ...
– Baseball Manager—Aberdeen, Maryland: Lodge 1450
* Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943September 23, 2020) was an American professional football player who was both a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). In a relatively brief but highly productive NFL career, Saye ...
– NFL Hall of Famer—Elkhart, Indiana: Lodge 599
* Billy Sims
Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s. Sims played college football for the Universi ...
– 1978 Heisman Trophy Winner; Running back, University of Oklahoma (1975–79) and Detroit Lions (1980–84); Member, College Football Hall of fame—Grand Rapids-Sparta, Michigan: Lodge 50
* Bill "Moose" Skowron – Major League Baseball Player (1954–1967) – River Park, Illinois: Lodge 2578
* Bill Stewart – Head Football Coach of West Virginia University—New Martinsville, West Virginia: Lodge 931
* Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
– NASCAR Driver—Columbus, Indiana: Lodge 398
* Gene Tunney
James Joseph Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1915 to 1928. He held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1923 ...
– Boxer—Cincinnati, Ohio: Lodge 2
* Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck Jr. ( ; February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was an American Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Br ...
– Major League Baseball Executive—Greater Chicago, Illinois: Lodge 3
* Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
– Baseball Hall-of-Famer—Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Lodge 46
* Donnell Woolford
Donnell Woolford (born January 6, 1966) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears in the firs ...
– Pro Bowl Cornerback, Chicago Bears—Batavia, Illinois: Lodge 682
Other
* Eugene Cernan
Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. During the Apollo 17 mission, Cernan became the eleventh human being to ...
– Astronaut; "the last man on the moon" in December 1972—Bellwood, Illinois: Lodge 777
* Henry Ford
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...
– Inventor of the mass-produced automobile—Detroit, Michigan: Lodge 160
* Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom – Astronaut—Newport News, Virginia: Lodge 1711
* Darell Hammond – Founder/CEO, KaBOOM! Inc.. Builder of playgrounds worldwide; Mooseheart High School Class of 1989—Batavia, Illinois: Lodge 682
* Edward A. Silk – Mooseheart Class of 1935; Recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II—Johnstown, Pennsylvania: Lodge 48
References
External links
Moose International in the United States
*
Yours Fraternally
' – a 1953 promotional film
{{Authority control
Kane County, Illinois
Service organizations based in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in Illinois
Organizations established in 1888
History of racial segregation in the United States
1888 establishments in Illinois