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James E. Forrest, On November 18, 2008, the Brethren of Highland Park Lodge honored: Past Master James E. Forrest.
I must say that PM Forrest by far
has been the most written about and active Mason found in the Morning News'
Archives.
It made research both easy and
hard, easy in the fact that he was written up in the Dallas Morning News between
1904 to 1943, easily 100 times or more; hard because with so much data that it
was not easy as to what to leave in and what to take out.
I estimate that Forrest
was born in 1881, but could not find where he was born.
He went to the University of
Michigan and studied law. Also he was on the Varsity track team.. There was no
information as to where he spent his formative years.
In 1904, Bro. James took his bar
examination in Dallas and scored a 92 on his finals.
1906, Bro. James was inducted
into office as Assistant Post Master of Dallas, Texas. This particular article
indicated that he had been in Dallas for several years. That year the Post
Office took in for the month of July, about $2100.00 in postage sales.
1908, James was a field judge for
a State track meet at the State Fair Grounds
1911, James was elected as
Captain General in the Knights Templar.
On
April 9, 1912, Bro James was
married to Miss Marguerite Walker of
Dallas. They presided at 3507 Lexington, in Highland Park. Later they had two
daughters, Lynette and Marguerite.
PM Forrest was very active in the
Scottish Rite and especially the Shrine. 1912. He was referred to as the boy
potentate, he was the youngest ever to be the Illustrious Potentate at the ripe
old age of 30. At some point in his Masonic years, he was honored as a 33rd.degree
KCCH Scottish Rite.
Between the
years of 1908 and 1940, James served in many rolls. As example: A field
and track judge; An interlocutor, that’s
the main announcer of a Shrine
Minstrel Show; Ceremonial director,
Hella Temple ceremony; President of
the Shrine Directors Association of North America.; President
of Highland Park Celebration Association; Chairman
of the WRR Radio Commission of Dallas, the first such commission; Part
of the team that helped raise $800,000, to build the YWCA 5 story building in
down town Dallas; Secretary of the
Fat men of Dallas club, another name
in that club that you will
recognize, was John De Grazier, treasure; Bro.
James was a member of the Dallas Boneheads Club, it was said that he was a
“Hard Boiled Bone Head”. Highland
Park Society of Arts, chose Forrest as their Parade
Marshal; Broken into four divisions, with four Majors presiding over the
divisions, PM Forrest,
a major, was instrumental in raising $55, 000. to finance the “Circle 10 Boy
Scouts of America”; Elected Forman
of the new Grand Jury on “Murder and Robbery”; Honored
Guest at the Post Office banquet, Bro. James was the principal speaker;
In Rotary, he was a Chairman of
the Rotarian barbecue,; He was very active in the Dallas Community Chest fund
raisers; Installed as Senior General of the Red Cross Knights;
A member of the executive committee of Highland Park Parent League; Michigan
University Alumni in Dallas, Forest
was the entertainment chairman.
In 1919 James became the vice
president of Steiner Oil Company, a Dallas based company.
!922, Highland Park Masonic Lodge
moved into new quarters at Knox and Travis St. James
was Junior Warden that year...interesting, the article mentions that the lodge
would spend about $6,000 on lodge furniture, there would be leather-cushioned
seats and settees and quartered oak was to be used in all woodwork. This
indicates new furniture, not used from Tennahill Lodge as has been speculated.
That same year, PM Forrest went
on to become president of Central Bitulithic Company, which won many street
paving contracts: such as Junius
St., College St., Fitzhugh Avenue to name a few.
Also later that year, as past
potentate, James and other Shriners’ went to San Francisco to the Shriners’
national convention, of which about 285,000 Shiner’s converged on the city. It
was said that every one knew about Dallas Shrines’ by the time the 4 day
convention was over.
Yes! Brother James E. Forrest was
quite a philanthropic Mason. 1943, at age 62, Brother James E. Forrest, was laid to rest.
Tonight, we honor you Brother
Forrest, may you continue to rest in eternal peace. Thank you, J. Darrell Kirkley |
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