Dr. Paul Rich Named Blue Friar #114

[My Freemasonry]

​

by Christopher Hodapp




I have been incredibly remiss in not reporting this story from Masonic Week 2026. My friend and Brother Paul J. Rich has been named this year as Friar #114 in the Society of Blue Friars at Masonic Week 2026 in Alexandria, Virginia.

​

The Society of Blue Friars was founded in 1932 for the express purpose of recognizing outstanding Masonic authors throughout the world. Traditionally, the Society convenes each year during Masonic Week in the Washington, D.C. vicinity to induct a new Friar, and its gatherings are open to the public, unless the presenter specifies otherwise.

Authors like Arthur E. Waite, Harold V.B. Voorhis, Dwight L. Smith, Brent Morris, Allen Roberts, Thomas Jackson, Yasha Beresiner, Alain Bernheim, Robert G. Davis, Alton Roundtree, Mark Tabbert, Shawn Eyer, Michael R. Poll, Robert D. B. Cooper, Josef Wäges, Piers Vaughan, Adam Kendall and Rick Berman are just a few prior Blue Friar honorees. In a rare moment of weakness, they even let a Dummy in. (After all - their prior Abbott is an Idiot, so I was in good company.) Sadly, I was unable to attend this year, and I truly wish I'd been there to congratulate Paul in person.

Paul's presentation was such a great idea that I'm ashamed that none of the current lineup of my fellow Friars have ever thought to do this over the last 20 years, at least (and possibly never before): he has researched the English origins of the first organization of Blue Friars that likely influenced Masonic Week's founders (largely the North Carolina Lodge of Research guys led by J. Raymond Shute back in the 1930s) to create the current Society.

Never heard of Paul Rich?

Dr. Paul J. Rich may be the most intellectually accomplished modern Freemason you've never heard of, and he has an incredible life story and astonishing list of accomplishments, beyond his Masonic writings. Let me put it this way: there's no possible way to make a comprehensive listing of all of Paul's accomplishments, honors, titles, memberships, diplomas, or even mailing addresses.

He's currently a Harvard professor, businessman, publisher, philanthropist, and much more, and his interests and travels span the globe. He's lived in Mexico, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, worked with universities in Australia and Canada. His resumé lists more accomplishments than any five people I know: He established the International Policy Studies Institute and is its president. He's been the US representative for the Dali Llama. Member of Government House Foundation. Served on the board directors of the Roosevelt Institute. Written for the Hoover Institution. Fellow in the Royal Society of West Australia, Royal Society Arts, Royal Microscopical Society (history section), Royal Numismatic Society, Royal Society Antiquaries, Royal Anthropological Institute, Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong branch), Royal Geography Society, Royal Meteorological Society.

He's a compulsive fraternalism enthusiast, belonging to scores of clubs, societies, orders, and every other kind of voluntary associative body you've never heard of. Most recently, he organizes International Masonic symposia in the US and France, called the World Congress on Fraternalism, Social Capital, and Civil Society.

Whenever I've visited him in Washington, it's always a dilemma as to which private club he wants to dine at - he belongs to most of them in the city. In addition, he has what is probably the largest collection of memorabilia of President (and Mason) James Garfield, and even lives in Garfield's former home in D.C.

And finally, his publishing company, Westphalia Press, has an enormous catalogue on a wide range of topics, and that includes a growing list of Masonic related titles.

Allow me to quote WB Shawn Eyer's introduction at the Blue Friars meeting at Masonic Week this year:

"Paul Rich was born in Buffalo, New York, where his family has been connected with the food business and philanthropy for over 100 years. He entered Harvard from the Tonbridge School in England and got his AB kumlaude at Harvard where he was chair of the junior common room and secretary of the liberal union and he also got a Harvard master's degree in educational administration at Harvard. He worked for the Adlai Stevenson campaign and has been active in the Democratic Party for many years. He was a research professor at the University of Western Australia in Perth where he obtained his PhD and was on the university council for 13 years. He was head of supervisory programs at the Emirate of Qatar and adviser to the royal family. He was then a fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and senior professor of the University of the Americas in Mexico, developing the country's largest postwar sculpture park. He's president of the policy studies organization and its Westfailia press in Washington which includes governments, think tanks and political science departments and is an advisory organization to the United Nations. It publishes well-known titles such as world affairs and world medical. Westfallia now publishes the entire Masonic Library collection, keeping all the titles since its inception in print. He is a life member of St. John's Lodge in Boston, both the Northern and Southern Scottish Rites, and numerous research lodges and collateral bodies. He's active in Harvard alumni activities. He is the author or editor of three dozen books, including several involving Freemasonry. Paul is life governor of Harris College in the University of Oxford. Past president of five Beta Delta International, recipient of the Cameron Medal Medal for Scholarship, Chancellor of Pi Alpha Alpha, fellow of the Royal Historical Society and fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries."

Let's just say, his being named to the Society of Blue Friars is LONG overdue.

Congratulations, my friend and Brother. Next time, dinner's on me for a change.

Continue reading...