MAGLNDavison

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NORMAN B. DAVISON 1913-2004

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  • MM 1947, WM 1955, Sojourners
  • District Grand Master (Canal Zone) 1966-1968

NOTES

From The New Age, March 1969, Page 33:

Norman B. Davison, 33° Appointed Deputy

Sovereign Grand Commander Luther A. Smith 33° has appointed Ill. Bro. Norman B. Davison, 33°, of Balboa, as Deputy of the Supreme Council in the Orient of the Canal Zone, effective January 1, 1969, to succeed Ill. Bro. Earl Oscar Dailey, 33°, who resigned.

Deputy Davison was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on July 28, 1913. He is a graduate of Harvard College, magna cum laude in political science; LaSalle Extension University in accounting, and he also attended American University in public administration.

A member of the Panama Canal Chapter, Federal Government Accountants Association, and associate member of the American Accounting Association, Brother Davison is also a member of Balboa Union Church at Balboa, and presently is serving as treasurer, General Council, Union Church of the Canal Zone. He is married to the former R. Alvera Lord, and they have two children, Capt. Barry L. and Mrs. Frank C. Townsend.

Illustrious Davison is a Past Master of Sojourners Lodge, Cristobal, Canal Zone, and District Grand Master since 1966. He holds the Joseph Warren Distinguished Service Medal and Henry Price Medal, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

A member of the Balboa Scottish Rite Bodies, he had the distinction of serving as Venerable Master of Panama Canal Lodge and Master of Kadosh, Panama Canal Consistory. He was honored with the rank and decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1959 and Coroneted an Inspector General Honorary of the Thirty-third Degree in 1966. In the York Rite, his affiliations include: Cristobal Chapter No. 2 (R. A. M.), High Priest 1955; Canal Zone Council No. 1 (R. & S. M.), Illustrious Master 1959; and Canal Zone Commandery No. 1 (K. T.), Eminent Commander 1965. Brother Davison is also a member of several allied organizations, including: San Lorenzo Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine, Sovereign 1966; Abou Saad Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; Panama Canal Court No. 18, Royal Order of Jesters; Honorary Member, Panama Chapter No. 35, National Sojourners; Charter President, Isthmian Square and Compass Foundation, and Active Member at Large, International Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay (Executive Officer in the Canal Zone, 1958-1965).

From a newspaper article provided by Bro. Davison's family, July 2019:

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Colon: – An announcement has been received from Washington, D. C., that the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Southern jurisdiction, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, has appointed Illustrious Norman B. Davison, 33°, as Deputy of the Supreme Council in the Canal Zone to succeed Illustrious Earl O. Dailey, 33°, who resigned from that position because of his forthcoming retirement from the Federal service.

Davison is superintendent, Marketing Branch of the Panama Canal Company in charge of retail stores, restaurants, theaters, bowling alleys, laundry, milk and ice cream plant and the bakery, serving employees of the U. S. Government in the Canal Zone. He has been a member of the Panama Canal organization since August 1942.

He was born July 28, 1913, in Malden, Mass., and was educated in the public schools of Melrose, Mass. He received his A. B. degree magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1935 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is a graduate of La Salle Extension University in Accounting in 1947, and in 1954 attended American University and the Civil Service Commission's Third Career Development Program in Washington, D. C.

Davison served as District Grand Master for the Canal Zone from 1966 through 1968 and has been presented the Joseph Warren Distinguished Service Medal and the Henry Price Medal by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for his distinguished and outstanding service to Freemasonry. He was invested with the rank and decoration of the Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1959 and received the Thirty-third Degree in 1966.

He served as Worshipful Master of Sojourners Lodge in 1955 and is very active in both the York Rite and Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry in the Canal Zone. He is Past High Priest of Cristobal Chapter No. 2, R. A. M.; Past Illustrious Master of Canal Zone Council No. 1, R. & S. M.; Past Eminent Commander of Canal Zone Commandery No. 1, K. T.; Past Sovereign San Lorenzo Conclave, Order of the Red Cross of Constantine; Past Venerable Master, Panama Canal Lodge of Perfection; and the present Master of Kadosh of the Panama Canal Consistory.

Davison is also a member of Massachusetts Priory No. 52, K. Y. C. H.; Abou Saad Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; Court No. 18, Royal Order of Jesters; Honorary Member of Panama Chapter No. 35, National Sojourners. He served as Executive Officer, Order of DeMolay in the Canal Zone, from 1958 to 1965 and holds the Honorary Legion of Honor for DeMolay. He has been an active Member at Large of the International Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay, since 1965.

He is married to the former Alvera Lord. They have two children: Barry on active duty with the U. S. Army Medical Service corps, and Mrs. Frank (Marvel) Townsend, an instructor in Mathematics at OSU.

News of his appointment was received with pleasure by his many friends and fellow Masons in the Canal Zone. At the same time, the Masonic community pays tribute to Dailey for the many outstanding services rendered to all branches of the Masonic orders in the Canal Zone, particularly the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, for which he served as Deputy through 1968.

MEMORIAL

From Proceedings, Page 2016-218:

Norman Davison, a Past District Grand Master of the Panama Canal Zone under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, died in Florida in May 2004. The following memorial is provided as a supplement to the 2016 Proceedings of the Grand Lodge.

Our Panama District has been in existence for more than a century, and our Grand Masters have selected a long series of capable Masons to serve in the capacity of District Grand Master on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. These men come from many places in the English-speaking world, and it is unusual for one to actually be from Massachusetts. Rt. Wor. Norman B. Davison was such a man.

Brother Davison was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on July 28, 1913, and was educated in the Melrose public schools. He graduated with an A. B. in Political Science and International Law and Foreign Relations from Harvard in 1935, and went to work for Montgomery Ward. In August 1942 he arrived in the Panama Canal Zone to work in the supply division, where he made his career with the Canal Company, retiring in 1973 with 31 years’ service. During his career he obtained further degrees from La Salle Extension University in Accounting, and the Third Career Development Program of the Civil Service Commission.

It was in the Panama Canal Zone that Brother Davison was brought to light in Masonry. He was raised a Master Mason in Sojourners’ Lodge, the oldest Massachusetts Constitution lodge, in 1947; he served as Worshipful Master of that Lodge in 1955. He was active in many of the District’s Masonic and affiliate organizations, including Cristobal Chapter #2, R. A. M., (Past High Priest); Canal Zone Council #1, R. & S. M. (Past Illustrious Master); Canal Zone Commandery #1, K. T. (Past Eminent Commander); San Lorenzo Conclave, Order of the Red Cross of Constantine (Past Sovereign); Panama Canal Lodge of Perfection (Past Venerable Master); and Panama Canal Consistory (Past Master of Kadosh); Massachusetts Priory #52, K. Y. C. H.; Abou Saad Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; Court #18, Royal Order of Jesters; and Panama Chapter #35, National Sojourners. He was Coroneted an Inspector General Honorary of the 33° in 1966 (Southern Jurisdiction, A. A. S. R.)

Brother Davison also served as an advisor to the Order of DeMolay, and was Executive Officer in Panama from 1958 to 1965, following which he was named an active Member at Large for the International Supreme Council.

From 1966 to 1968, Brother Davison was the appointed District Grand Master, working closely with Grand Master Thomas A. Booth as his deputed representative in the District, which at the end of his term contained seven lodges and just over 3,900 Masons. District Grand Master Davison hosted the visit of Grand Master Booth in January 1967, when M. W. Brother Booth toured the District, visiting each of the lodges, including two 50-year lodge anniversaries.

Following his term as District Grand Master, Brother Davison was appointed Deputy of the Supreme Council in the Orient of the Canal Zone, in which position he served several years.

Brother Davison retired to Florida after his retirement, where he became affiliated with Lehigh Acres Lodge #344, F. & A. M., and with the Scottish Rite bodies of Fort Myers as well as the Araba Temple Shriners, where he served as Choir Director of the Chanters, participating in many parades throughout Florida.

He was awarded the Joseph Warren Distinguished Service Medal in 1959, the Henry Price Medal in 1967, and the 50-Year Veterans’ Medal in 1997.

Brother Davison entered the Celestial Lodge on May 23, 2004, a few months short of 91 years of age. He was survived by Vera, his wife of 67 years, a brother, a daughter, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His son, Barry L. Davison, preceded him in death.

His great contributions to the Masonic Fraternity is a powerful illustration of a life well spent, and an indication of a glorious immortality.

OBITUARY

Provided by a family member in June 2019.

Norman B. Davison, 90, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, passed away suddenly in his home on May 23, 2004. Norman was born July 28, 1913, in Malden, MA and attended public schools at Melrose, MA. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard University, Class of 1935, magna cum laude, where he earned a degree in Political Science, International Law & Foreign Relations. He worked for Montgomery Ward prior to arriving at the Panama Canal Zone in August 1942. There he worked in the supply division, initially on the Atlantic side and later as marketing superintendent at Balboa, a position he held for 13 years prior to retiring in 1973 with 31 years service.

Norman was an active 33-degree Mason, and was Past District Grand Master of the Panama Canal Zone. He was also a member of the Lehigh Acres Lodge No. 344, F. and A.M., the York Rite bodies and the Scottish Rite Bodies of Ft. Myers. He held the Joseph Warren Medal, Henry Prince Medal, and the 50-year Medal from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. He also was the choir director of the Araba Temple Chanters, which participated in numerous Shrine parades throughout Florida.

Norman is survived by his lovely wife of 67 years, R. Alvera "Vera", his brother, Robert Davison, a daughter, Marvel Davison Townsend of Gainesville, Fl, six grandchildren; Edward, Mike, and Matthew Davison, Jennifer Davison Parker, Joyce Townsend Siegele, and Chad Townsend;and four great-grandchildren; Emily, Ashley, and Caroline Davison, and Erik Siegele.

His son, Barry L. Davison, preceded him in death. Vera is currently living with Frank and Marvel Townsend, Gainesville, FL.


Distinguished Brothers