Facts on New York Masonry

Many famous celebrities have been New York Masons, including Harry Houdini, Irving Berlin, and Al Jolson, among the countless other notables.

The Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York at the present time (2012-2014) is Most Worshipful James E. Sullivan of New York. The Deputy Grand Master is Right Worshipful Bill Thomas also of New York.

The New York Grand Lodge Headquarters, also know as Masonic Hall, is located at 71 West 23rd Street(at Avenue of the Americas) in the historic Chelsea district of Manhattan. Masonic Hall is open for free public tours weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment.

Masonic Hall is home of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge, which houses one of the most complete collections of Masonic literature and artifacts in the world.

The New York Masons began the Child ID Program, in response to the number of children missing nationwide. In 2006 over 50,000 children participated - and more than 275,000 have taken part since the program began in 1991. The N.Y. Masonic Child Identification Program imprints a child's digital image, fingerprints and records personal information on a Mini CD-ROM. The parents, only, retain this important information. In the event of an emergency the Mini CD-ROM can be given to a law enforcement officer and the information can be uploaded into the Amber Alert System.

The New york Masons own and operate the Masonic Care Community, a state-of-the-art retirement community in Utica, New york. It began operation in 1894 to provide care for the indigent Masons, their widows and orphans. Today, the New York Masons provide a continuum of health care encompassing a range of facilities from an award-winning independent living campus tp assisted living to skilled nursing and rehabilitation for Masons and non-Masons alike.

The Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (MMRL), founded by the Masons of New York State in 1958, is world renowned for its study of the electrical activity of the heart, especially as it applies to abnormal heart rythms, known as cardiac arrhythmias. The MMRL is leading the way in genetic screening of cardiac disease as well as in the development of innovative and effective pharmacologic treatment for artial fibrillation, one of the greatest unmet medical needs in our society today. Artial fibrillation afflicts nearly one in five individuals as they approach 80 years in age and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. The MMRL's cutting-edge cardiac research has attracted 10 international awards in recent years and its scientific achievements are published in the finest medical journals worldwide.