The Harry Yetter Masonic Research Library at the Valley of Oakland has many, many valuable books and documents. It’s always a pleasure when you open one up and it has the author’s autograph or an interesting bookplate. It’s even more exciting when the book was owned by a Masonic legend!

In this case, the book’s author, Charles Scott, PGM of Mississippi (1848) has autographed the book for Masonic scholar and Scottish Rite titan, Albert G. Mackey, MD, who also affixed a personal bookplate with a coat of arms and motto.

Mackey, in addition to many accomplishments to numerous to name here, was the one who conferred the degrees of the Scottish Rite upon Albert Pike, who subsequently set to reform the organization in the United States–setting in motion what we have today.