Distinguished Service Medals

a.k.a Medals of Honor

(Awarded from 1920 to 2023)

Grand Master Charles Larkin Bass, in 1920, requested Robert Jesse Travis, PGM, to make five honorary presentations on behalf of the Grand Lodge. Brother Travis then addressed the Grand Lodge.

Every Mason must labor without weariness and hope of any reward. This is his obligation and his duty.  However, we all like to know that our labors have been appreciated, and when the appreciation is expressed, it serves as an encouragement to labor on.

The Grand Lodge intends to present yearly, Medals of Honor to its faithful servants and workers, and this year we have selected the following five brethren to receive these medals (see 1920).

Special recognition had been given to outstanding members, usually for long and faithful service. Some were cited in Grand Lodge for extraordinary Masonic works; now Brother Bass was initiating a program to present visual evidence of appreciation, the Medal of Honor. (The Medal of Honor was later called the Distinguished Service Medal.)

The medals were limited to five recipients each year. For several years no medals were presented, and in some years, less than five. 1926 only one was given; it went to Brother William Clarke, author of Early and Historic Freemasonry in Georgia. The Grand Master felt that Brother Clarke should be the sole recipient that year due to his outstanding achievement of compiling and writing the history.  (About 1978, the awards were limited to two each year.)

Recipients

1920

Dr. J. W. Taylor, Luthersville Lodge No. 236, Luthersville.
R. L. Cox, Generous Warren Lodge No. 20, Monroe.
George H. Fields, Orion Lodge No. 8, Bainbridge.
J. A. McDonald, Furlow Lodge No. 124, Plains.
Joseph C. Greenfield, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.

1921

Dr. Michael Hoke, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.

1922

Reverend James M. Rushin, Rushton Lodge No. 281, Plains.
A. Simmons, Kingston Lodge No. 394, Kingston.
T. McCutchen, Chattahoochee Lodge No. 61, Franklin.

1923

Thomas J. Carling, Mabel Lodge No. 255, Macon.
James B. Clements, Irwinville Lodge No. 315, Irwinville.

1925

E. H. McHan, Fairburn Lodge No. 180, Fairburn.

1926

William B. Clarke, Solomon’s Lodge No. 1, Savannah.

1929

Joseph K. Orr, Mt. Hermon Lodge No. 304, Columbus.
John Travis, Landrum Lodge No. 48, Savannah.

A. Johnson, Oostanaula Lodge No. 113, Rome.
E. V. Thrash, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.

1936

Kendrick Lamb, Atlantic Lodge No. 82, Brunswick.
Raymund Daniel, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.
Don R. Roberts, Ocean Lodge No. 214, Brunswick.
Isadore Heiman, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta.

1937

Reverend Firley Baum, Capitol View Lodge No. 640, Atlanta.
Frank F. Baker, Macon Lodge No. 5, Macon.

1941

George Starr Peck, Palestine Lodge No. 486, Atlanta.
(awarded Bar in 1944 and 1947).

1949

Cary W. Anderson, Clinton Lodge No. 54, Savannah.
John C. Kaufman, Ocean Lodge No. 214, Brunswick.
Daniel W. Locklin. Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 22, Athens.

1953

Virlyn B. Smith, Fairburn Lodge No. 180, Fairburn.

1954

H. Sol Clark, Zerubbabel Lodge No. 15, Savannah.

1955

Dr. Thomas W. Sewell, Coweta Lodge No. 60, Newnan.

1959

Oscar D. White, Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Atlanta.

1962

Harry E. Tice, Atlanta Lodge No. 59, Atlanta.

1963

Sidney Parks, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta.

1966

James Wolling Davis, Sardis Lodge No. 107, Atlanta.

1969

Dewey Harold Wollstein, Cherokee Lodge No. 66, Rome.
John A. Dunaway, Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Atlanta.

NOTE: The awards in 1969 to Brothers Wollstein and Dunaway were Citations of Merit presented by Grand Master Durward B. Mercer for their years of devoted service to the fraternity.

1970

Robert S. Dennis, Grant Park Lodge No. 604, Atlanta.

1971

Dr. Hudnall G. Weaver, Macon Lodge No. 5, Macon.

1972

Preston Y. Luther, Macon Lodge No. 5, Macon.

1973

Walter M. Callaway, Jr., Oakland City Lodge No. 373, Atlanta.

1974

John W. Outler, Rutland Lodge No. 298, Macon.

1975

Carl F. Lester, Jr., Battle Hill Lodge No. 523, Atlanta.
Willard Register, Columbian Lodge No. 7, Columbus.
Joseph H. Kite, Piedmont Lodge No. 447, Atlanta.

1976

John H. Williamson, Ft. Hawkins Lodge No. 418, Macon.
Hugh L. Smith, Dougherty Lodge No. 491, Albany.
John W. Zuber, Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Atlanta.

1977

William M. Drinnon, Mabel Lodge No. 255, Macon.
James E. Moseley, Meridian Sun Lodge No. 26, Griffin.
James R. Belflower, Tifton Lodge No. 47, Tifton.

1978

Hoyt B. Smith, East Point Lodge No. 288, East Point.
Wood L. Lovell, Morningside Lodge No. 295, Atlanta.

1979

James T. Stanley, Panthersville Lodge No. 543, Decatur.
Carl J. Woeltjen, Solomon’s Lodge No. 1, Savannah.

1980

William W. Daniel, Grant Park Lodge No. 604, Atlanta.
Lamar Fain, Battle Hill Lodge No. 523, Lithia Springs.

1981

Fred Mealer, Oothacaloga Lodge No. 154, Calhoun.
Woodrow Houston, Magnolia Lodge No. 86, Blakely.

1982

Thomas Shean Perry, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.
William H. Rosier, Hinesville Lodge No. 271, Hinesville.

1983

Thomas Telford Irvin, Mt. Airy Lodge No. 141, Mt. Airy.
Robert Mark Henderson, Tucker Lodge No. 42, Tucker.

1984

J. Theodore Phillips, Coosa Lodge No. 622, Coosa.
Walter Thomas Moody, Jr., Mabel Lodge No. 255, Macon.

1985

Fred Lamar Pearson, Jr., St. John The Baptist Lodge No. 184, Valdosta.
Samuel Bennet Owens, Blackshear Lodge No. 270, Blackshear.

1986

Thomas Raymond Gaines, Tyrian Lodge No. 111, Warner Robins.
Thomas Lancelot Reese, II, Benevolent Lodge No. 3, Milledgeville.

1987

Grady E. McCannon, Tucker Lodge No. 42, Tucker.
Willie Pershin Hammond, College Park Lodge No. 454, College Park.

1988

William D. English, III, Samuel S. Lawrence Lodge No. 721, Marietta.
Joseph E. Johnson, Swainsboro Lodge No. 244, Swainsboro.

1989

Charles Brantley Morgan, Lavonia Lodge No. 241, Lavonia.
Henry Ernest Yarbrough, Rising Star Lodge No. 4, Eatonton.

1990

Oliver F. Grantham, Jr., Grant Park Lodge No. 604, Atlanta.
Robert E. Moore, Tyrian Lodge No. 111, Warner Robins.

1991

Bobby Blackman Simmons, Tyrian Lodge No. 111, Bonaire.
John Slayden Perry, Forest Park Lodge No. 399, Forest Park.

1992

James E. Sledge, Samuel S. Lawrence Lodge No. 721, Marietta.
John E. Jones, Samuel S. Lawrence Lodge No. 721, Marietta.

1993

Kenneth White, Rex Lodge No. 251, Ellenwood.
David L. Canaday, Fairburn Lodge No. 180, Fairburn.

1994

J. Benny Allen, Etowah Lodge No. 222, Dawsonville.
John Rha McCleskey, Jr., Pinehurst Lodge No. 473, Pinehurst.

1995

Larry M. Griggers, Hampton Lodge No. 70, Hampton.
Bobby Joe Townsend, Leland Lodge No. 686, Mableton.

1996

Sheldon Little, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta.
Joseph William Powell, II, Fort Benning Lodge No. 579, Columbus.

1997

Charles A. Wofford, Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta.
Phillip Harold Floyd, Buford Lodge No. 292, Buford.

1998

Charles A. Burroughs, Amity Lodge No. 731, Colbert.
Marcus V. Hall, Primrose Lodge No. 79, Bowman.

1999

William Ray Carver, Jr., Dougherty Lodge No. 591, Albany.
Charles C. White, Jr., Stephen’s Lodge No. 586, Manchester.

2000

Roy Callaway, Benevolent Lodge No. 3, Milledgeville.
Ted C. Collins, Millwood Lodge No. 198, Unadilla.

2001

Earl Densmore, Jr., Sonora Lodge No. 221, Sonoraville.
James B. Phillips, Oothcaloga Lodge No. 154, Calhoun.

2002

Merrill L. Clark, Walton Lodge No. 200, Shady Dale.
Ted H. Hendon, Bartlett Lodge No. 139, Dallas.

2003

Harry A. Bruno, Cochran Lodge No. 217, Cochran.
Harry Cuppett, Jr., Jeffersonville Lodge No. 133, Jeffersonville.

2004

George W. Campbell, Cartersville Lodge No. 63, Cartersville.
Howard M. Howell, Cartersville Lodge No. 63, Cartersville.

2005

Ralph H. Chandler, Clarkston Lodge No. 492, Clarkston.
Robert (Bobby) L. Jones, Clarkston Lodge No. 492, Clarkston.

2006

Carlton T. Ethridge, Riverdale Lodge No. 709, Riverdale.
Gary H. Leazer, Clarkston Lodge No. 492, Clarkston.

2007

Jack L. Hepner, Zerubbabel Lodge No. 15, Savannah.
Ernest A. McCorkle, Richard T. Turner Lodge No. 116, Pooler.

2008

Donald I. Dekalb, Tyrian Lodge No. 111, Warner Robins.
J. Lynn Turner, Travelers Rest Lodge No. 65, Montezuma.

2009

William T. Economy, Dalton Lodge No. 105, Dalton.
Wilford M. Hall, Dalton Lodge No. 105, Dalton.

2010

Storey A. Tate, Unity Lodge No. 36, Jefferson.
Jeremy C. Conlon, Clarkston Lodge No. 492, Clarkston.

2011

John E. Kierbow, Stephens Lodge No. 586, Manchester.
Harold D. Culpepper, Kimbrough Lodge No. 118, Cataula.

2012 

Dan Boyles Jr., Mountain Park Lodge No. 729, Stone Mountain.
Thomas Richard Conn, Grayson Lodge No. 549, Grayson.

2013 

Charles E. Long, Morning Star Lodge No. 349, Fairmont.
Mark A. Bradley, Unity Lodge No. 36, Jefferson.

2014

J. Timothy Ingram, Pickens Star Lodge No. 220, Ellijay.
Thomas E. Gurley, Dallas Lodge No. 182, Dallas.

2015

Joseph W. Watson, Rutland Lodge No. 298, Macon.
Michael A. Kessler, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta.

2016

James C. Newsome, Jr., Caledonia Lodge No. 121, Rome.
S. Joe Colvard, Philomathea Lodge No. 25, Elberton.

2017 

Wiley Q. Forrester, III, Buford Lodge No. 292, Buford.
Donald C. Combs, Frank F. Baker Lodge No. 46, Garden City.

2018 

Tom D. Bruce, Tucker Lodge No. 42, Tucker.
Raymond C. Gray, Sr., Tucker Lodge No. 42, Tucker.

2019

M. Gary Monk, Roswell Lodge No. 165, Roswell.
T. Ray Sikes, Mansfield Lodge No. 489, Mansfield.

2020

F. Keith Hales, Pickens Star Lodge No. 220, Jasper.
James Robert Harris, Hickory Flat Lodge No. 205, Canton.

2021

R. Russell (Rusty) Cordle, Mableton Lodge No. 171, Mableton.
James A. Childress, James W. Akin No. 537, Taylorsville.

2022

Jeffery L. Smith, Lawrenceville Lodge No. 131, Lawrenceville.
Van S. (Mac) McGee, Meridian Sun No. 26, Griffin.

2023
Paul H. Carter, Meridian Sun Lodge No. 26, Griffin.
Dennis W. Hewatt, Roswell Lodge No. 165, Roswell.

2024
Jeffrey L. Anderson, Golden Fleece Lodge No. 6, Conyers.
W. Michael Jones, Golden Fleece Lodge No. 6, Conyers.