Thornton A. Jackson, the Most
Puissant Sovereign Grand Comman-
der of the Southern Jurisdiction of
the Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite and James A. Handy 33 ° organ-
ized the United Supreme Council,
Southern Jurisdiction, over fifty years
ago.
Thornton A. Jackson was closely
associated with Albert Pike, one of
the best authorities on Scottish Rite
Masonry who ever lived. Notwith-
standing, Brother Albert Pike is re-
ported to have made the statement,
"I took my obligation to white men
and not to Negroes," he was a good
friend to Thornton A. Jackson and
aided him in carrying on the work of
Scottish Rite MasoMy with the col-
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ored people of the Southern Jurisdic-
tion. He turned over to Thornton A.
Jackson the original rituals used by
the white Masons together with other
volumes. All this was done out of
the respect he had for Thornton A.
Jackson, who was his barber.
The Supreme Council, Southem
Jurisdiction, has had four Supreme
Commanders: Thornton A. Jackson,
the first; Joseph L. H. Smith, of Balti-
more; Robert L. Pendleton, of Wash-
ington, D. C., and Willard W. Alien,
of Baltimore. All these men were 33°.
There have been two Secretary
Generals of the Southem Jurisdic-
tion, James O. Bampfield and James
T. Season.
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