Wallace McCamant
Was born at Hollidaysburg, Blair, Pennsylvania on September 22, 1867, “he is descended on his father’s side in the fifth generation from Alexander McCamant who emigrated from County Down Ireland about 1725 and who lived the last two years of his life in Salisbury Township Lancaster County Pennsylvania. On his mother’s side he is descended in the eighth generation from James Rollins (sometimes spelled Rawlins) who emigrated from Cornwall England in 1632 and located in New Hampshire. He is the son of Thomas McCamant who was Auditor General of Pennsylvania from 1888 to 1892.”[1] Wallace McCamant was the president of the Portland chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1909 claiming his heritage in 1892 through his great-great grandfather James Graham, whose daughter Abigail married James McCamant. James Graham served in Col. Irwin’s Pennsylvania Regiment. He also claimed membership through his mother Delia Rollins’ grandfather Eliphalet Rollins.[2] Eliphalet was born in 1758 and enlisted in the island town of New Castle, New Hampshire. New Castle is the home of Fort William and Mary which “was the site of one of the first acts of the American Revolution. On the afternoon of December 14, 1774, colonists arrived aboard gundalows (sailing barges) and raided the fort. Severely outnumbered, Captain John Cochran and the fort’s five soldiers surrendered, whereupon the rebels loaded onto a boat 100 barrels of gunpowder. The boat was floated up the Piscataqua River and the powder offloaded for transport to inland towns, including Durham, where the ammunition was stored in the cellar of the Congregational Church. The next day, the colonists returned to the fort and removed 16 of the lighter cannon and all small arms. The gunpowder was used at the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill.”[3] In addition to being president of his local chapter, Bro. McCamant was President of the Chapter for the state of Oregon and also served as the National President General from 1921 until 1922.
“He received his early education at the public schools of Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the Harrisburg High School in 1884 and spent one year at the Harrisburg Academy at the same place. He entered Lafayette College in 1885 and graduated in 1888 with the degree of Ph. B,”[4] he was valedictorian of his class.
“He read law at Lancaster Pennsylvania with Messrs Brown and Hensel. Mr. Hensel has since been Attorney General of the State of Pennsylvania and Mr. Brown is now one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Brother McCamant first came to Portland on the 30th of September 1890 and located in Portland for the practice of Law on the 14th of November 1890, he was employed as a law clerk by the firm of Gilbert and Snow; the junior member of the firm was appointed United States Circuit Judge on the 1st of April 1892 and on the first of September 1892 our brother became the law partner of Zera Snow and the partnership relationship continues to the present time.” [5] (1912)
He married Katherine S. Davis, April 25, 1893 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and had two sons; Davis born on July 24, 1896, and Thomas born Dec. 7, 1901, both in Portland. Katherine was born in Easton, Pennsylvania on September 5, 1867. In 1899 Wallace built the McCamant family home at 236 King Street in which he resided until his death.
During the construction period of the Columbia Southern Railway and the Pacific Railway and Navigation Company lines he was general attorney for these companies. He has also been attorney for Wells Fargo Company on its express business in the States of Oregon and Washington for fifteen years last past. He is Attorney for the International Mortgage Bank of Appledorn Holland[6] During his private legal career McCamant appeared before the United States Supreme Court in Ross v. State of Oregon, 227 US 150 (1913).
He is by political conviction a republican and has been exceedingly active in work for the republican party. He took the Stump for Benjamin Harrison in the campaign of 1888 and has Stumped for every republican candidate for President from that date to the present time. He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention for Oregon in 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898 and 1900. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1896 and 1900. “On January 8, 1917, McCamant was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Robert Eakin by Oregon Governor James Withycombe. Eighteen months later, McCamant resigned on June 4, 1918 and was replaced by Charles A. Johns.
In May 1925, President Coolidge appointed McCamant to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals while the Senate was in recess. However, when the Senate reconvened he was not confirmed and his time on the federal bench ended in May 1926. The lack of confirmation is partly due to McCamant’s support for Coolidge over Senator Hiram Johnson at the 1920 Republican Convention to select the Vice-Presidential nominee from the party. McCamant had been the delegate who first moved for the nomination of Coolidge after the Republican leadership had moved for and seconded Senator Irvine Lenroot of Wisconsin, which resulted in Coolidge’s ascension to the Presidency upon Warren G. Harding’s death. (McCamant was given credit for nominating Coolidge having read the nominating speech written by the Chairman of the Oregon Delegation John L. Rand, who had a sore throat.[7]) With the Senate not confirming McCamant, he became the first recess appointment to a United States Court of Appeals not to be confirmed by the United States Senate.”[8] He served as a justice of the State Supreme Court, on the federal circuit bench, and was master in Chancery of the U.S. District Court for 23 years.[9] He was a member of the Federal Commission and Chairman of the Oregon Commission for the celebration of the Washington Bi-Centennial.[10] In 1922, he dedicated the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider statue in Portland’s South Park Blocks.
He was a member of the Arlington University and Waverly Golf clubs. He was also a member of the Oregon Commandry of the Loyal Legion, also of the National Scotch Irish Society, the American Bar Association and the Oregon Bar Association. He has done considerable occasional Speaking and one of his addresses has been published in “Shurler’s American Oratory”.[11] He was also widely known as an author and historian.[12]
On Sept 17, 1936 Wallace and Katherine McCamant travelled across the Atlantic. They returned from Southampton, England on Nov. 27, 1936 on the S.S. “New York” arriving in New York City on Dec. 4, 1936.[13]
Masonic Service
Brother McCamant was Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Willamette Lodge No. 2, between January and May of 1902. Brother McCamant was appointed Junior Deacon in 1903. He did not serve as an officer in Willamette Lodge between 1904 and 1920, after that it is unclear since the member rosters were no longer included in the Proceedings. As it is required that the Master of a Lodge serve at least one year as a Warden, he may have served as such between 1921 and 1931.
Much of his Masonic attention was directed towards the Scottish Rite. He attended the Scottish Rite Reunion in June of 1903 and was a member of the 1st Cathedral Class to receive their Degrees in the new Scottish Rite Temple at Lownsdale (15th) and Morrison. By the end of the year 1903 Brother McCamant became the Wise Master of Ainsworth Chapter Rose Croix No. 1, also playing that role in the 18th° at the Reunions. He continued in that position until 1936. He was the 39th Inspector General of Oregon, being made a 33° Honorary on January 24, 1912.[14] For his many years of faithful service Illustrious Brother McCamant was awarded the Scottish Rite Grand Cross of the Court of Honor on October 17, 1933.
He served as Grand Orator in 1926 under the Grand Master Edgar H. Sensenich. He was a Charter Member and the first Master of Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198, in 1932. Brother McCamant was made Master of the Lodge in January of 1932 serving half his term while under Dispensation, and the other half after receiving the Charter in June of the same year. He did not hold office again in Research Lodge.[15]
On December 17, 1944, Wallace McCamant died and was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland.[16]
The “Oregon Mason” reported the following:
Oregon Mason JANUARY 1945 Vol. XXIII – No. 1 page 44.
PORTLAND lost one of its most distinguished Masons with the death Dec. 17 of Wallace McCamant, 33° and Grand Cross of the Court of Honor. Brother McCamant served 33 years as Wise Master of Ainsworth Chapter, Knight Rose Croix; a service unequalled in the history of the Portland Scottish Rite Bodies. He was one of three Oregon Masons ever to receive the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor, one of the highest honors in the Scottish Rite and one infrequently bestowed, The others in Oregon to be Similarly honored were Philip Schuyler Malcolm and Louis Gaylord Clarke, each of whom served as Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Oregon, It is believed that in no other state has more than one person been similarly honored. Brother McCamant, member of Willamette Lodge, was charter Master of Research Lodge of Oregon. He was a member of Sunnyside Chapter, RAM, and Washington Council, R&SM, also a Noble of Al Kader Shrine Temple.
Brother McCamant for many years took an active interest in politics. He was a friend of Governor Calvin Coolidge and by his unexpected nomination of Mr. Coolidge for the vice presidency probably was responsible for Mr. Coolidge’s later succession to the presidency.
President Coolidge showed his gratitude by appointing Brother McCamant to the U.S. circuit court in this district but the recess appointment was later refused confirmation by the senate because of objection by Senator Johnson of California, who was offended by Brother McCamant’s forthrightness, Brother McCamant served as associate justice of the Oregon supreme court in 1917 -1918. Funeral services were held in the Scottish Rite Temple. Dr. Paul S. Wright of the First Presbyterian, and Franklin C, Howell, 33° and past WM of Ainsworth Chapter Rose Croix, officiated. Part of the Scripture reading was from a book which Brother McCamant had always with him. Brother Howell had been a close legal and Masonic friend over a long period of years.
[1] Masonic Records of the Scottish Rite of Oregon, 39th Inspector General Wallace McCamant. By Braydon Nicoll SR Historian recorded Dec. 20, 1912.
[2] U.S. Society of the Sons of the American Revolution membership applications Ancestry.com
[3] Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 594–596
[4] Arthur F. Benson’s Original Biography Document State of Oregon Law Library
http://www.oregon.gov/SOLL/Pages/ojd_historyjustice_biographies/w_mccamant_bio.aspx
[5] Masonic Records of the Scottish Rite of Oregon, 39th Inspector General Wallace McCamant. Dec. 20th 1912 B.H. Nicoll Historian
[6] Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands (Holland)
[7] Captial Journal Dec. 18, 1960
[8] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia Wallace McCamant
[9] Captial Journal Dec. 18, 1960
[10] Arthur F. Benson’s Original Biography Document State of Oregon Law Library
[11] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia Wallace McCamant
[12] Captial Journal Dec. 18, 1960
[13] New York Passenger Lists 1820-1957.
[14] Masonic Records of the Scottish Rite of Oregon Dec. 20th 1912 B.H. Nicoll Historian
[15] Masonic Papers Vol. I, Research Lodge No. 198 of Oregon pub. 1935
[16] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia Wallace McCamant
About the author of this essay:
Michael D. Robinson 32° KSA, was the second Master Mason Raised in Esoterika Lodge #227, and the first member Raised in that Lodge to serve as Worshipful Master. He was elected Master in 2013 and 2014, and currently serves as Chaplin for that Lodge. Brother Robinson was appointed Historian for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Orient of Oregon in December of 2014, and Secretary of the Eugene Valley in March of 2015. He also serves as Historian for Research Lodge #198 and Eugene Lodge #11. He is the recipient of the “Novus Astorum” from the Scottish Rite in 2010, and the Hiram Award from Esoterika Lodge in 2012.
Brother Robinson has a degree in History from Colorado State University, class of 1982, and is a Historian, Genealogist, Certified Vertebrologist, Artist, Craftsman and Bishop Emeritus of the Essene Church.
