History

The founder of the Order of the Eastern Star was Dr. Robert Morris. Dr. Morris was a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts, who was a Master Mason and Past Grand Master of Kentucky. Thanks to his dear wife, Charlotte, who encouraged Dr. Morris that Masonry should be for the entire family.

Unfortunately, the Laws of the Ancient Order stated that women were not eligible for degrees or membership. Dr. Morris could not change these Ancient Landmarks without a fight. He sought other means in which women could share the Masonic Brothers, the same inspiration that prompts men to be noble. Women had to wait until 1805, when Dr. Morris was confined to bed due to an accident, where he developed the Eastern Star Degrees, which we have today.

During his recovery, he also developed the symbolic significance of the floor plan, which the officers needed. Where better to start but at his home, so he conferred the degrees upon his wife and daughters, giving them the signs and passes.

These signs were called Mysteries of the Order and were communicated freely to all Master Masons and their relatives. Dr. Morris and other prominent Master Masons gave many lectures and conferred the degrees on many white women throughout the country.

Dr. Morris became associated with Robert Macoy, who wrote and published a ritual based on Morris Rosary into our present-day ritual. The Order of the Eastern Star was established in Boston in 1850 as an auxiliary organization for wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters of Freemasons.

Grand Master Myers, in 1874, was placed in an awkward situation, whether to grant or deny permission for the establishment of the Adoptive Rite for women of color.

As always, there was opposition to granting permission for women of color in Washington, D.C. Finally, permission was granted to Sir Thornton A. Jackson, 33°, and his colleagues to establish the first Chapter of the Adoptive Rite Order of the Eastern Star among women of color in the United States.

Sir Thornton Andrew Jackson, 33°, like Robert Morris, felt that women of color should be able to join a sister organization to the brothers. On August 10, 1874, Sir Thornton Andrew Jackson, 33°, received the several degrees of the Rite of Adoption of the Order of the Eastern Star from Brother C.B. Case, who was the Deputy and agent of Illustrious Robert Macoy 33°, Supreme Patron of the Rite of Adoption of the World. Also, Sir Thornton A. Jackson received a letter from Brother C. B. Case giving him authority to establish chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star among women of color.