Cornerstones in duplicate

O

n August 25, 1935,

The Oklahoman

carried a story about Col. Philip S. Donnell, state public works administration director, who had received a letter from a PWA official in Washington, D.C., wanting to know why he had permitted the Masons to lay the cornerstone of the new Chickasha high school.

“Everyone knows that nearly every public building in the state has A.F. & A.M. (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons) cornerstones. But just to be careful, I received the permission of Washington to lay Masonic cornerstones on earlier PWA buildings so I know that it will be all right in this case,” Donnell said.

Eleven years earlier, there were no objections when Masons laid identical cornerstones for two Oklahoma City school buildings. On June 24, 1924, The

Oklahoman reported:

“The stone is square, level and plumb.”

Master Masons finished the laying of the cornerstones at the Roosevelt and Harding junior high school with these words Monday afternoon, witnessed by only a scant handful of patrons at both ceremonies.

Leslie H. Swan, past grand master, laid the stone at the Roosevelt school and Mose Anderson, also a past grand master, officiated at the laying of the stone at Harding school. Henry S. Johnson, of Perry, grand master of the grand lodge, did not arrive in he city in time to officiate at the services as scheduled, although he was rushed out to the Harding school in time to see the closing part of the ceremony.

A.C. Parsons, superintendent of schools; Ed F. Loughmiller, president of the board of education; Grant Landon and L. O. Brooks, member, represented the schools in the services, and made brief talks after the laying of each stone.

Less than a half dozen people besides workmen on the buildings and those who participated in the ceremonies, were on hand to witness the laying of the stones. School board members attributed the small crowd to the lack of publicity given to the event.

Ninety three years later, Roosevelt, 900 N Klein Ave., is now the Oklahoma City Public Schools Administration building and Harding, 3333 N Shartel Ave., is now the home of the Harding Charter Preparatory High School and the Harding Fine Arts Academy. The cornerstones laid so long ago still support the buildings in their new pursuits.

The cornerstone, bearing the Masonic square and compass with the letter G in the center, the can be seen at the Harding school building, 3333 N Shartel Ave., on the southeast corner. It is identical to the cornerstone at the former Roosevelt school...

This cornerstone is to the right of the entrance to the Oklahoma City Public Schools Administration building, formerly the Roosevelt school building, at 900 N Klein Ave. The other stone lists the Board of Education members and the architects for the...