Most Worshipful Brother Richard Wood Lottridge

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1978

Richard Wood Lottridge was installed the 103rd Most Worshipful Grand Master of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Utah on 31 January 1978 at the 106th annual communication.

Brother Lottridge was born in Stillwater, a small community in upstate New York the son of Dr. Stephen S. and Kate Wood Lottridge. Instead of following in his father's profession, he decided to become an engineer and graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York in 1924. After graduation, he joined the General Electric Company and was stationed in Schenectady; Erie, Pennsylvania and New York City. His principal responsibilities were the design, development and application of electric and diesel electric locomotives.

Mining and the minerals industry captured his interest while in the West in the early thirties and it has been his career ever since, a period of approximately 45 years. He says he never had any further desire to live in the East after living in this part of the country.

Training as a mining engineer began under the tutelage of John A. Fulton, Director of the Mackey School of Mines of the University of Nevada. Experience was gained in various capacities with a number of mining companies. Two important engagements in his career were when the General Electric Company rehired him as Resident Manager of its tungsten operations at Germania, Washington and when American Smelting and Refining Company placed him in charge of its Northwest Mining operations with headquarters at Wallace, Idaho.

Fulfilling a long held desire, he organized an engineering firm, Richard W. Lottridge and Associates in Salt Lake City during the nineteen fifties. This was a very successful venture serving all phases of the minerals industry both in the United States and in other parts of the world. Among the clients were many major mining and petroleum companies.

He is now retired doing occasional consulting work under the firm name from his home.

He is a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Salt Lake Rotary Club.

Masonically, he was raised in Montgomery Lodge No. 504, Stillwater, New York. After coming to Salt Lake City, he affiliated with Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2 of which he is a Past Master. He is a member of the Salt Lake York Rite Bodies, is a 33rd degree Mason of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, is past Venerable Master of the Jordan Lodge of Perfection, Past Commander of the Salt Lake Council of Kadosh, and has been Chairman of the Membership Committee of that Rite for a number of years. He is also a noble of EI Kalah Temple A.A.O.N.M.S., belongs to the Royal Order of Jesters, National Order of Sojourners, is a past Master of Research Lodge and a member of the Order of Eastern Star.

His wife Josephine, known among their friends as Jo, has been a great inspiration to him and has encouraged him in his various activities. Together they have six married children and several grandchildren living in other parts of the country from Alaska to New York.

Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1978.

Died March 15, 1983, S.L.C., Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1984, Page 74.

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