Most Worshipful Brother Jack Herman Thomas

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1979

Jack Herman Thomas was born January 13, 1924 in Salt Lake City, Utah. In July 24, he moved to Antimony where his schooling began and in 1934 moved to Ogden. Jack finished his schooling and in 1942 graduated from Ogden High School.

After one quarter at Weber College, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943.

Three years later, he was discharged and returned to Ogden with his wife, the former Carolyn Lockhart of Denver, Colorado. They have two children, a daughter, Carol Anne, and a son, Jack Charles. All are members of the First Baptist Church in Ogden.

Upon his return from the Service, he worked at Brown Ice Cream Company until 1948. For the next 12 years until 1960, he was in the Railway Mail Service at the Mail Terminal, except for a one-year interval - August, 1950 to August 1951, when he was recalled to active duty at March A.F.B. in California.

During this period, he also attended night classes at Weber State College, majoring in Business. Then having taken the Federal Service Entrance Exam, he was transferred to Hill Air Force Base as a GS-5, Personnel Assistant. He has worked in all fields of Civilian Personnel and is now a Section Chief in Position Classification.

With a record of 261/2 years duty in the Army Reserve, he retired in July, 1971.

His Masonic career started in 1960 when he was appointed to the line as Chaplain by Sam Harris, Worshipful Master of Unity Lodge No. 18. He progressed in the line through the chairs until 1968, when he served as Worshipful Master of the Unity Lodge No. 18.

He was appointed to the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Utah in 1970 as W. Senior Grand Steward by the M.W. Grand Master Hugh E. Riley. He was subsequently appointed each year, serving as W. Jr. Grand Deacon in 1971, W. Grand Standard Bearer in 1972, W. Grand Chaplain in 1973, W. Grand Marshal in 1974, and W. Grand Lecturer in 1976.

At the 104th Annual Communication on February I, 1976 he was elected R.W. Junior Grand Warden. He served in that office during 1976, as R.W. Senior Grand Warden in 1977, and as R.W. Deputy Grand Master in 1978. During the 107th Annual Communication in January, 1979, he was elected M.W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Utah.

The 32nd Degree in the A. & A. S. Rite was conferred on him in the 215th Class in 1960, and the Degree Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1975. He is now serving as Preceptor in the Utah Consistory.

He joined El Kalah Shrine Temple in Salt Lake City in 1968 and was elected to the Royal Order of Jesters in 1976. He is also a member of the Ogden Scottish Rite Club and the Ogden Shrine Club.

Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1979.

PGM, Jack Herman Thomas Died on December 29, 2003 in Ogden, Utah. Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 2004, page 92.

Electronically Transcribed as written without corrections to grammar or spelling by Aaron E. Saathoff, P.M., March, 2005.