Today in Masonic History

Today in Masonic History John Wayne passes away in 1979.

John Wayne was an American actor.

John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on May 26th, 1907. According to a news article in the Winterset Madisonian Wayne was 13 pounds at birth. In 1916 the family moved to Glendale, California. After moving to Glendale Wayne attended the Wilson Middle School. Everyday on his way to school he passed the local firehouse with his pet terrier, Duke. One of the local firemen started calling Wayne, “Little Duke”. Wayne preferred just “Duke” and the name stuck for the rest of his life. In High School Wayne played for the Glendale High School championship team.

Through the 1940’s, 1950’s and into the 1960’s Wayne worked with director John Ford on more than 20 films. One of the more notable films was The Man who shot Liberty Valance in 1962. In the film, Wayne for the first time calls another character “Pilgrim”.

In 1969, Wayne won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in True Grit. It was his second time being nominated, the first came 17 years earlier.

In 1976, Wayne appeared in his final film, The Shootist. In the film, Wayne portrayed J.B. Brooks a man dying of cancer, the disease Wayne himself passed away from three years later.

Wayne passed away from stomach cancer at the UCLA Medical Center on June 11, 1979.

Wayne was a member of Marion McDaniel Lodge No. 56 in Tuscon, Arizona. He become a 32° Scottish Rite Mason, a member of York Rite and joined Al Malaikah Shrine Temple in Los Angeles.

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