Most Worshipful Brother James Leroy Cattron

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1920.

Brother James LeRoy Cattron was born at Kingsbury, Indiana, May 29th, 1877. He received his early education in the public schools of his home town, and graduated from the high school at La Porte. During his spare time, while attending high school, he took up the study of telegraphy, and by the time his high school course was finished, he had become proficient as an operator. He then took up railroad work, and for about a year was employed as agent and operator for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, at La Porte, Indiana. He went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1895, working as train dispatcher and later as auditor for the Pere Marquet railroad. It had been Brother Cattron's desire for some time previous to take up the study of medicine as a profession, and from 1896 to 1899 he attended Old Michigan Medical College at Detroit, during which time he worked part time of each day and evening as telegraph operator in order that he might continue his studies without interruption. Three years of this strenuous work somewhat impaired his health, and he was advised to seek another climate, and came to Utah in 1902.

He accepted a position with the auditing department of the Oregon Short Line Railroad at Salt Lake City, and was acting traveling auditor for that company for about a year.

In 1906 he went to Mexico, returning the following year to assist in promoting the Beaver Irrigation Land & Power Company, of which he was made secretary. This venture did not prove successful, and in 1911 he accepted the position as manager of St. Marks Hospital at Salt Lake City, which he held until the fall of 1917, when he was compelled to resign because of failing health. During the period of the war he was Draft Board Inspector for the District Medical Draft Board No. 2, at Salt Lake City. In 1919 he was appointed Chief Deputy in the Internal Revenue Collector's office, which position he now holds.

Brother Cattron was married March 2nd, 1904, to Miss Elizabeth Peacock Sprunt of Salt Lake City.

Masonic Record

Brother Cattron was initiated in Wasatch Lodge No. 1, at Salt Lake City, May 13th, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft May 27th, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason September25th, 1908. He dimitted during 1911 to assist in the formation of Acacia Lodge No. 17, of which he was Junior Warden while his Lodge was under dispensation.

When the Lodge was constituted in 1912, he was elected Senior Warden, and Worshipful Master in 1913. He received the Royal Arch Chapter Degrees in Salt Lake Chapter No. 5, in 1914; created a Knight Templar in Utah Commandery No. 1 at Salt Lake City in 1915.

Received the Scottish Rite degrees from the 4th to the 32nd April 25, 26, 27 and 28, 1910, in the four co-ordinate bodies of the Rite in the Valley of Salt Lake, of which he is a member.

In the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Mason of Utah, he was appointed Grand Standard Bearer in 1914; Grand Marshal in 1815, 1916 and 1917; elected Junior Grand Warden in 1918, Deputy Grand Master in 1919, and at the Forty-ninth Annual Communication held at Salt Lake City, January 20th and 21st, 1920, was elected and installed Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Utah. F. A. M.

Ref: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Utah, 1921, facing pages.

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

Brother Cattron was removed from the rolls of Acacia Lodge No. 17 for non-payment of dues on May 2, 1925, (no further record of Brother Cattron has been found) (Ref: Grand Lodge Files)