History of Knights of Pythias Supreme Jurisdiction North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia State of New Jersey
Nashville: A.M.E. Sunday School Union, [ca. 1913]. 183pp., including numerous photographic portraits. Original blue cloth, gilt titles on front cover. Moderate edge wear and soiling to boards, corners worn. Bookplate removed from front pastedown, otherwise internally clean. Very good. Item #3631
An uncommon state history of an important African-American fraternal order known as the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia (KPNASAEAAA). This version of the Knights of Pythias was formed after a group of African American men were denied a charter for their own chapter of the larger fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias in Richmond, Virginia in 1869. The present work was compiled by Sir Joseph H. Morgan, the grand historian of the Phoenix Lodge of the Knights in Bordentown, New Jersey. The text includes a history of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, annual membership lists of the Grand Lodge as well as the New Jersey regional lodges (Atlantic City, Trenton, Yorktown, Princeton, etc.) from 1897 to 1912, reports and extracts of addresses, meeting minutes, the records of the Grand Attorney, officer listings, a roster of subordinate lodges, and more.
The work is profusely illustrated with dozens of portrait photographs of both national and statewide male group members beginning with Morgan himself and picturing Supreme Chancellor S.W. Green, Supreme Vice-Chancellor Sir Joseph L. Jones, and Past Grand Chancellor Sir J.H. Mason of Orange, New Jersey, as well as female members of the organization such as Mildred Davidson (Grand Worthy Orator in Atlantic City), Georgiana Berry of the Vineland Golden Circle, Mary E. Milow of the Bordentown Southwestern Star Court, the seven members of Queen Esther Court, No. 1 in Atlantic City, the dozen members of Silver Leaf Company, No. 2 in Newark, and others. A rare work, with only three copies reported in OCLC, at New York Public, Emory, and Rutgers.
Price: $950.00