Frank S. Land

Frank S. Land

Frank Sherman Land Born:June 21, 1890 in Kansas City, Missouri
Died:November 8, 1959
The great founder of DeMolay

Facts:

Was called “The boy Preacher” in St. Louis
Went to Sunday school at Fountain Park Congregational Church Sunday School
At 21 he was president of the Municipal Art Club in Kansas
He became a member of the Ivanhoe Lodge on June 29, 1912 in Kansas City. His position was the Secretary of the Social Service Bureau of the Scottish Rite Bodies
Married Miss Nell M. Swiezewski on September 15, 1913 at Budd Park Christian Church, his best man was Sumner N. Blossom
He met Louis G. Lower in 1919 a sixteen year old boy who had recently lost his father
The Boy’s Club met at the Scottish Rite Temple on March 1919 and which the Order of DeMolay was founded
Frank S. Land gave up his social service job with the Scottish Rite and became full time Grand Scribe in the headquarters of the DeMolay organization in 1922
He became a KCCH of the Scottish Rite and coroneted a 33° on 1925
He received the first International Gold Service Medal of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in 1951 for work in HumanitiesHe received the Grand Cross of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council 33° in 1955
He was the president of the Kansas City School Board, a Director of the Columbia National Bank, and a trustee of the Harry S. Truman Library during the time of his death.
He founded the order of DeMolay in the year 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri. The main event that lead to the founding of the DeMolay movement was World War I. a community leader who, at the age of 28, already had a successful business career as a restaurateur behind him.He was selected to act as the director of the Masonic Relief and Employment Bureau of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. This charity would come to help hundreds and hundreds of families. Near the end of the war, Land became concerned with the problems of boys who had lost their fathers. He thought "how lonely it must be for a boy not to have a man to talk with, or a man to provide some type of inspiration and direction." Frank decided there was a need for an organization where boys would have the opportunity to associate with other boys, a place they could share common interests, learn responsibility and other skills that would benefit them throughout their lives.