Harold Van Buren Voorhis (January 3, 1894 - May 23, 1983) was a chemist, noted Masonic author, and executive at Macoy Publishers and Masonic Supply Company.

Education and career

Voorhis was born January 3, 1894 to Thomas Voorhis and Mary Peck Bates Voorhis at Rector Place, Red Bank, New Jersey. Voorhis attended Red Bank High School, graduating in 1912. He attended Cooper Union

Cooper Union

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...

 College from 1912-1913 and Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

 Teachers Extension from 1913-1916.

He worked as a chemist at Bull & Roberts, in New York, NY from 1912-1920, and returned there later for a succession of positions starting in 1943: Secretary-Treasurer (1943-1959); Assistant to the President (1962); and Consultant (1963-67). He served in the U.S. Navy during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 from January 1, 1917 to February 13, 1919. He later became Vice President of Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co. from 1946-1970.

He was an early Amateur Radio

Amateur radio

Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...

 hobbyist, joining the Radio League of America  in its first year, 1915 and American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...

in 1922, eight years after its founding.

He married first Lucille Maria Hottendorf on July 2, 1932 in Elkton, Maryland and second Ethel Rita Landau on October 20, 1953 in New York, NY.

Masonic career

He was Worshipful Master of Mystic Brotherhood Lodge 21, F. & A. M. of Red Bank, NJ in 1937, and served in many other capacities in many other Masonic groups.

Selected writings

• A History of Organized Masonic Rosicrucianism - (1935); reprinted 1983
• The Eastern Star - The Evolution From a Rite to an Order (1938); reprinted 1976
• [Negro Masonry in the United States] - (1940) reprinted 2003
• History of Knight Templary in New Jersey (1944)
• Facts for Freemasons (1951)
• 100 Year Celebration of Mystic Brotherhood Lodge No. 21, Free and Accepted Masons (1952)
• Masonic Organizations and Degrees - (1952)
• Masonic Rosicrucian Societies (1958)
• Masonic Rosicrucian Societies in England, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Canada and the U.S.A (1958);
• Our Colored Brethren (1960)
• The Royal Order of Scotland (1960)
• The Red Cross of Constantine (1963)
• The Story of the Scottish Rite (1965)
• The History of the Scottish Rite in New Jersey (1970)