Friendship Lodge No. 83, F&AM Alabama -- Past Masters

Under the ancient landmarks and usages of Freemasonry, and the Constitution, Resolutions and Edicts of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Alabama, each subordinate Lodge is governed by a Worshipful Master, assisted by the Senior and Junior Wardens. In Alabama, the Worshipful Master and Wardens are elected, along with the other leading officers, at each Lodge's Annual Communication in June; usually installed in July, they serve a term of one year. (Officers normally rotate upwards in their positions, but a Lodge can retain a previous year's Worshipful Master at desire or need.) Upon leaving office, the brother is awarded the dignity of Past Master, with the right to use appropriate insignia, and to install incoming officers of the Lodge. They may also preside over a communication as Worshipful Master at the courtesy of the immediate Worshipful Master or Wardens (when at least one of said officers are present and invites them to the East), or by dispensation of the Most Worshipful Grand Master in the absence of the first three officers.

The table below lists the Past Masters of Friendship Lodge No. 83 from its inception in 1847.

L. P. Ramsey	July 12-14, 1847 *
John W. Hayes	1847-48
B. S. Defreese	1848-49
J. W. Crawford	1849-57, 1864-70, 1871-83 (26 years total)
E. H. Moren	1857-60, 1861-62 (4 years total)
J. L. Davidson	1860-61
W. W. C. Cleveland	1862-64, 1870-71 (3 years total)
J. P. Harris	1883-86 (3 years total)
J. N. C. Brown	1886-95, 1896-1903, 1906-07 (17 years total)
M. C. Schooler	1895-96
J. F. Thompson	1903-05, 1913-15, 1920-22 (6 years total)
J. L. Granbery	1905-06
C. L. Cleveland	1907-11, 1912-13, 1919-20 (6 years total)
J. A. Fair	1911-12
J. C. Hicks	1915-17, 1933-34 (3 years total)
W. T. Walker	1917-19
R. W. McKinley	1922-23, 1930-31, 1945-46 (3 years total)
O. C. Oakley	1923-24
H. F. Crider	1924-25
J. S. Tucker	1925-26, 1928-29, 1931-32 (3 years total)
A. L. Whitner	1926-27
H. B. Thompson	1927-28
O. C. Bottoms	1929-30
Paul Edelman	1932-33
Dewey Kornegay	1934-35
Otis Thompson	1935-37
H. F. McCord	1937-38
J. B. Mitchell	1938-39
John Foshee	1939-40
Hudson B. Arnold	1940-41
William P. Wilkes	1941-43
R. O. Goodson	1943-44
Geddes Self	1944-45
D. S. Cottingham	1946-47, 1950-51 (2 years total)
F. E. Murphy	1947-48
Grady P. Chism	1948-50
Terry McGill	1951-52
F. H. Barkalow	1952-53, 1955-56 (2 years total)
Virgil Peak	1953-54
R. M. Taylor	1954-55, 1964-65, 1975-76 (3 years total)
George Sewell, Jr.	1956-57
Harold Dailey	1957-60
Jack Crouch	1960-61, 1966-67 (2 years total)
John Krout	1961-62
Irby Foster	1962-63, 1972-73, 1980-81, 1997-98 (4 years total)
Ganus Robinson	1963-64, 1965-66 (2 years total)
Joe Crocker	1967-68
Wallace Murphy	1968-69, 1984-85 (2 years total)
Edwin Elam	1969-70
Joe Owings	1970-71, 1977-78 (2 years total)
Glenn Peak	1971-72, 1986-87 (2 years total)
Tom Owings	1973-74
Leon Elam	1974-75
Gene Clowdus	1976-77
Stancil Kornegay	1978-79, 1988-89 (2 years total)
Allen McKinney	1979-80
Charles McCormick	1981-82, 1989-90 (2 years total)
O. D. Payne	1982-83
Brantley Burt	1983-84
Tommy Brown	1985-86, 1991-93 (3 years total)
Joe B. Martin	1987-88
Carlton Posey	1990-91
Swanson Duncan	1993-95 (2 years total)
David Galloway	1995-97, 1998-99 (3 years total)
Richmond Hershel Steele	1999-2000
Charles Miller	2000-2001
Allen Cristwell	2001-2002
Bruce Alen Klaiss	2002-2003
James Glenn Shuttlesworth	2003-2005 (2 years total)

Footnote: Bro. Ramsey served as Worshipful Master for the inauguration of the Lodge, to call the Lodge to order, after which he deferred to the current Deputy Grand Master. During this opening meeting, the first slate of officers was elected, and Bro. John Hayes was called to the Oriental Chair for 1847-48.