Famous Freemasons: Brother Mark Twain

Posted on 14 Jan 2019 by universalfreemasonry

This article is the first of a series on Famous Freemasons. To read about more famous Masons, visit Universal Co-Masonry’s collection here.

MARK TWAIN

Brother Samuel L. Clemens, aka “Mark Twain”

[November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910]

“He praised his Maker that he was as he was and went on enjoying his little life just the same as if he really had been deliberately designed and erected by the great Architect 1869-cover-of-the-innocents-abroad of the Universe.”

– Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad (1869)

Referred to as the “Father of American Literature,” Brother Samuel Clemens was a journalist, writer, and humorist, more commonly known under his pseudonym “Mark Twain.” Clemens first wrote under the alias as a newspaper reporter in 1863, referencing a Mississippi River term meaning “Mark #2” or the second mark line on a steamboat denoting safe passage depth on the river.

A self-made man who detested social snobbery and privilege, Brother Clemens took up arms with his pen rather than the sword, influencing both his contemporaries and future generations with his articles, essays, and books. Through investigative journalism, satire, and wit, he utilized the written word to dispel ignorance and re-balance the scales of justice.

Initiated into the Craft in 1861, he was reportedly an eager Masonic scholar and applied himself in earnest to the work of Freemasonry. “[Twain’s] application to Masonic studies could scarcely have been more diligent if he had nursed the ambition of becoming the Worshipful Master of Polar Star Lodge at the earliest possible date.”[1] Dedicated to the Masonic virtues of Equality and Liberty, Brother Clemens advocated for women’s rights and against the oppression of mankind, particularly the institution of slavery. He was a humanitarian and used his skills as a writer to further causes of social justice and shine marktwain2 light on the inequality, prejudice, and racism of his day.