Written for the Lodge's 80th Anniversary in 2000.
Richard C. Maclaurin Lodge is unique as the first of the few college lodges in the United States, drawing its membership from members of the MIT community. The "Masons at MIT", a club founded at Tech in 1919, fostered the concept of a Tech Lodge and caused a petition to be drawn up with eighty-one signatures for presentation to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The founding of the Lodge in 1920 was shepherded by Prof. Frank Vogel. There being nothing in the Grand Lodge Constitution regarding college lodges at that time, approval of the other lodges comprising the Cambridge Second Masonic District was required since at that time each Lodge had an area of geographical jurisdiction. Approval was readily given.
It followed naturally that the Lodge should be named for Richard C. Maclaurin during whose regime as seventh president of MIT the new campus was established in Cambridge. He had just passed away previous to the founding of the Lodge from overwork and exhaustion resulting from his efforts leading the building campaign which moved MIT from Boston to Cambridge. Bro. Maclaurin was a Past Master of Aorangi Lodge in Wellington, New Zealand.
The petition received the approval of the Grand Master and the Lodge was instituted on December 15, 1920. The Lodge started out auspiciously and attracted many students and members of the teaching staff, to which at that time the membership was limited. Forty-eight new members were initiated during the first year. Prof. Vogel, as the first Master of the Lodge, had the rare and unusual experience of raising his son as the first candidate in Richard C. Maclaurin Lodge.
In the 80 years the Lodge has been in existence, 826 men have become members. Many illustrious names in the history of MIT are on the Lodge's roster. The second Master was Vannevar Bush, Science Advisor to President Roosevelt during WWII, and author of "As We May Think" -- widely regarded as the earliest prediction of the Internet. The list of Masters include other MIT notables such as William Timbie, Bernard Proctor, W. A. Hokanson, Lyman Dawes and Samuel Goldblith. Harold "Doc" Edgerton, inventor of the strobe flash, was also a member.
Following the lead of Richard C.Maclaurin Lodge, college lodges were subsequently constituted at Harvard University and Boston University.