Most Worshipful Brother Dana Tyrrell Smith

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1927.

For one the writer of these lines is glad that Dick the Butcher's suggestion (in Henry VI) has not found general acceptance. In his own words Dick's proposition was: "The first thing we do, let's kill the lawyers."

Such action would have deprived the Grand Lodge of Utah of the services of several very efficient and mighty fine Grand Masters,

and would have left our present Grand Master-who is of the legal fraternity-without the opportunity of taking his place alongside the best of these.

For the second time in the history of the Grand Lodge of Utah, the Grand Master is a native son. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 31st, 1877. His father, Dr. K. Amos . Smith-of New York stock-who was a surgeon in the army during the Civil War, was mustered out at Ft. Douglas, and practiced his profession in Salt Lake for forty-five years.

Our Grand Master, Dana Tyrrell Smith, appears to have come from a long line of professional men in which lawyers seem to have predominated. He did his school work in St. Mark's Episcopal school and in the public schools of Salt Lake, and graduated from the University of Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1899, with the degree of L.L.B. In the same year he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Utah, and later before the U. S. District Court for Utah, and U. S. Court of Appeals, 8th and 9th Circuits. He has specialized in railroad work; was General Attorney for the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, for Utah, and while the railroads were under Federal control, he was General Attorney for that road for the State of California, with headquarters at Los Angeles. After the Government relinquished control of the railroads he became one of the attorneys of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, and he is Assistant General Attorney for that Company at the present time.

The Grand Master is married and has one child, Dana T. Smith, Jr., who is about thirteen years of age.

That our Grand Master is of gregarious instincts-and a lover of his kind-is evidenced by his numerous club and other connections, among which are the Delta Tau Delta, University Club, Masonic Club, Utah Society of Sons of the American Revolution, and of course, the Utah Bar Association. He is keenly interested in politics, admits being a Republican, and was lately reelected a member of the Salt Lake City School Board.

Grand Master Smith was initiated in Mt. Moriah Lodge No.2 F. & A. M., Salt Lake, March 19th, Passed March 26th, and Raised April 2nd, 1906. At the annual meeting of his Lodge, December 1910, he was elected Worshipful Master. When the matter of organizing Kaibab Lodge came up late in 1920, Brother Smith was named in the dispensation as Worshipful Master U. D., and later he affiliated with that Lodge. At the 52nd Annual Communication of Grand Lodge, Grand Master McGee appointed him Grand Lecturer, and at the next Annual Communication of Grand Lodge he was elected Junior Grand Warden and thereafter regularly advanced.

The Grand Master has been active in the work of Scottish Rite, he having taken the degrees at the Spring Reunion, 1911. His interest and services in this branch of Masonry were recognized by the Supreme Council at its regular Session, October 20th, 1925, when he was elected to the rank and decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honour.

Grand Master Smith is likeable, energetic, a man of ideas and convictions, and his administration promises to be one of the best.

Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1927.

PGM, Dana Tyrrell Smith died on January 27, 1955 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1956, page 88.