C. Fred Kleinknecht is
the former Sovereign Grand
Commander of the Scottish Rite Masons. He served in that position from 1985 until
2003 when he retired after decades of service to one of the
nation’s most influential and historic organizations.
Many of the nation’s founding fathers and presidents
were Masons, including General George Washington.
A leading
advocate for Masonic Unity, Fred broke new ground in fraternal
relations by officially presenting a copy of the revised standard
Pike ritual to the Supreme Councils of Prince Hall Scottish
Rite Freemasonry. (Prince
Hall and his son, Primus, served as soldiers in the American
Revolution. Just months before seeing duty in the Battle
of Bunker Hill, Prince Hall was initiated into the Masonic
order. Later, he founded the Prince Hall Masons.)
Fred initiated
profound innovations in every area of Scottish Rite endeavor
and brought an Ancient and Accepted Order into the new millennium.
Fred knew that building strength for tomorrow's Rite meant
growing financial support today. With drive and determination,
he rebuilt the Rite's endowment infrastructure and helped
generate 47 state and local Scottish Rite Foundations.
Fred's commitment
to securing a sound financial future benefited the House of
the Temple itself. He established the House of the Temple
Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., and in just 12 years,
its endowment enabled innovations such as creating the Pillars
of Charity Alcove and the Scottish Rite Hall of Honor to recognize
major donors to the Rite.
The annual
Scottish Rite Calendar Program, an effort Fred began 14 years
ago, has enabled much-needed improvements, including reconstruction
of the Temple's damaged grand entrance steps and completion
of the Cornerstone of Freedom Hall, the Hall of Scottish Rite
Regalia, the George Washington Memorial Banquet Hall, the
Burl Ives Room, the Americanism Museum, the just-dedicated
Albert Pike Museum, and, most of all, the total renovation
of the Rite's most valuable scholarly resource, the Supreme
Council Library. Inspired by Fred's leadership, Brethren rallied
to support the House of the Temple, the finest architectural
masterpiece of the Scottish Rite in America and the modern
headquarters for our Order.
Similarly,
Fred, as Editor-in-Chief of the Council's publications, set
new records:
·
publishing 18 major books;
·
distributing more brochures
and booklets than any previous Grand Commander;
·
founding the Scottish Rite
Research Society with its 10 volumes, to date, of scholarly
articles;
·
modernizing and renaming the
Scottish Rite Journal, now reaching nearly half a million
readers monthly;
·
producing four major videotapes;
·
creating an influential Internet
site; and
·
and streamlining the Pike
Degrees for modern audiences around the world.
In an era
of declining membership, Fred created dynamic programs bringing
new Brethren to the ranks.
