Records of Leon M. Abbott, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States, 1908-1932

Collection

Identifier: A2021-074

Scope and Contents

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This collection documents the business of the Office of the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. It was created, organized, and maintained by Leon Martin Abbott and his long-time secretary, Ralph H. Sleeper.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence to and from Leon Martin Abbott during his years as Sovereign Grand Commander, 1921-1932. Correspondence usually includes both the original letter, as well as a carbon-paper copy of Abbott's reply. Other records include balustres, allocutions, speeches, publications, pamphlets, reports, newspaper clippings, travel arrangements and itineraries, invoices, budgets, investment and banking documents, meeting agendas and proceedings, event documentation, telegrams, obituaries, and photographs that relate to the business of the Scottish Rite and Freemasonry.

Almost all the correspondents were actively involved in Freemasonry, including members of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's Supreme Council, Deputies, Active Members and Committee Members. Other correspondents were affiliated with the Order of DeMolay, the Order of Builders, the Knights Templar, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, and the Masonic Service Association, and many more. There is correspondence from other Sovereign Grand Commanders, including Melvin M. Johnson (1933-1953) and Barton Smith (1910-1921) of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, John H. Cowles (1921-1952) of the Southern Jurisdiction, George W. Crawford (1949-1965) of the Northern Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, and Sovereign Grand Commanders from countries around the world including Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, and many more. The collection also includes letters from President Warren G. Harding, President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, Grace Coolidge, and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall.

Dates

Creation: 1908-1932
Creation: Majority of material found within 1921-1932

Creator

Scottish Rite (Masonic order). Supreme Council for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (Organization)
Abbott, Leon M., 1867-1932 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research except for any ritual material. See our Ritual Access Policy for more details.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials in this collection may be governed by copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Please contact the Archivist regarding permission to publish material.

Biographical / Historical

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Leon Martin Abbott (1867-1932) was a prominent and influential Freemason, lawyer, and philanthropist. He was born on August 28, 1867, to Joseph Brown Abbott (1835-1892) and Lydia Cole Martin (1838-1893). Educated in Keene, New Hampshire, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1891. Abbott practiced law in Boston at the law firm, Abbott, Dane, Buffum, & Howe, turning down offers of judgeships and political office to remain a private citizen. He was also a prominent Christian Scientist.

Abbott was raised a Master Mason in Columbian Lodge (Boston) in 1894, a Scottish Rite Mason in 1896, and received his 33° in 1906. He was chosen by Barton Smith to be Grand Lieutenant Commander and served from 1910 to 1921.

Abbott became Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, upon the retirement of Barton Smith in 1921 and held the position until 1932. He led the Scottish Rite through the grandiose building projects and rapid growth of the 1920s and the beginning of the Great Depression. Abbott created the scholarship fund, set aside for masons and relatives of masons' college education, in 1922.

Abbott married Florence May Tallman (1866-1949) in 1894. They had no children. At age sixty-five, he died suddenly from a heart attack on October 10, 1932. He was buried with his parents and his wife at Greenlawn Cemetery in Keene, New Hampshire. After his death, he willed much of his estate to the Supreme Council. He gave three gifts: $50,000 to a special Supreme Council and Education and Charity fund; another $50,000 for unspecified charitable purposes; and finally, the last gift was one-third of his estate. After his death, the scholarship fund was renamed in his honor.

Extent

7.92 Linear Feet (19 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Spanish; Castilian

French

Greek, Modern (1453-)

Italian

Additional Description

Abstract

Leon Martin Abbott (1867-1932) was a prominent and influential Freemason, lawyer, and philanthropist. He was born on August 28, 1867, to Joseph Brown Abbott (1835-1892) and Lydia Cole Martin (1838-1893). Educated in Keene, New Hampshire, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1891. Abbott practiced law in Boston, turning down offers of judgeships and political office to remain a private citizen. He became Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, upon the retirement of Barton Smith in 1921 and held the position until 1932.

Abbott married Florence May Tallman (1866-1949) in 1894. They had no children. At age sixty-five, Abbott died suddenly from a heart attack on October 10, 1932. He was buried with his parents and his wife at Greenlawn Cemetery in Keene, New Hampshire. After his death, he willed much of his estate to the Supreme Council.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence to and from Leon Martin Abbott during his years as Sovereign Grand Commander, 1921-1932. Almost all the correspondents were actively involved in Freemasonry, including members of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s Supreme Council, Deputies, Active Members, and Committee Members. Other correspondents were affiliated with the Order of DeMolay, the Order of Builders, the Knights Templar, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, the Masonic Service Association, and many more. There is correspondence from other Sovereign Grand Commanders, including Melvin M. Johnson (1933-1953) and Barton Smith (1910-1921) of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, John H. Cowles (1921-1952) of the Southern Jurisdiction, George W. Crawford (1949-1965) of the Northern Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, and Sovereign Grand Commanders from countries around the world including Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, and more. The collection also includes letters from President Warren G. Harding, President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, Grace Coolidge, and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into two series. Original order was maintained as much as possible in Series I, the Carriage House Records. Series II contains only one item that was separated and reunited with this collection in 2021. Please see Archivist for a complete container list.

Series I: Carriage House Records, 1908-1932 Series II: Mixed Media, 1922

Researcher Note: When searching the collection, subjects may be filed in multiple places within the same series. Correspondence may be filed alphabetically by correspondent’s last name, by state name, by business name, and/or by Lodge name.