Parade To Glory

PARADE TO GLORY The Story of The Shriners and Their Hospitals for Crippled Children By: Fred Van Deventer Crescent Temple Published by William Morrow and Company New York 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 59-5505 TABLE OF CONTENTS: Preface – Es Selamu Aleikum – iii I. Apostles of Good Cheer – 1 II. From All of These – 9 III. “Better Than They Knew” – 21 IV. The Legend of Araby – 32 V. In Death a Mystery – 53 VI. Hard Times – and Growth – 63 VII. Fleming Says Farewell – 71 VIII. The Wells of Zemzem – 83 IX. The Power of The Throne – 91 X. End of an Era – 112 XI. Presidential Approval – 120 XII. With Charity for All – 129 XIII. The New Century – 136 XIV. To Faraway Places – 152 XV. “Our Lives, Our Fortunes” – 164 XVI. The Wells of Zemzem Run Dry – 172 XVII. The “Bubbles” Speech – 178 XVIII. Temples of Baby Smiles – 191 XIX. Unto the Least of These – 204 XX. Guests at The White House – 209 XXI. Dreams of Grandeur – 217 XXII. International Goodwill – 224 XXIII. The Great Depression – 231 XXIV. The Second World War – 247 XXV. The Right to go to Lodge – 256 APPENDIX: • Rank of Temples According to Dates of Charters – 277 • Derivation and Significance of Temple Names – 282 • Cities with Temples – 285 • Past Imperial Potentates – 288 • Past Imperial Treasurers – 292 • Past Imperial Recorders – 293 • Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled Children, Directory – 293 INDEX: 297 – 304 CONDITION: EXTERIOR: The protective cover is in good condition with some wear. The outer cover of this volume is Maroon with gold letters on the spine cover. An embossed Shrine Emblem can be found on the outside front cover. Overall, the exterior is in Very Good Condition. This volume measures 10 .25” X 7.25” X 1.25”. This book is 67 years young. INTERIOR: The interior is in Very Good Condition. All writing is clear and easy to read. No dog-eared pages, No notes or underlining. 70 Black & White photos and illustrations throughout the book, with 8full color phots as well. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: FRED VAN DEVENTER December 5, 1903 – December 2, 1971 The author of Parade to Glory was himself a Shriner and served as the Imperial Historian of that Organization. At the time, he was known in almost every American home as a news commentator and as a star of the radio and television program “Twenty Questions.” In Parade to Glory, he combines a proud delight in Shrine history with a reporter’s instinct for a good story – which is, indeed, the ultimate recommendation for this unique and highly entertaining volume. NOTE: Fred Van Deventer was a radio newsman and columnist for the Mutual Broadcasting System and originated the game “Twenty Questions” for radio and, later, television. It began on Mutual on February 2, 1946 and later came to the DuMont Television Network, finally ending when DuMont itself was fading, in May, 1955. There was a time in the 20th century when the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, otherwise known as The Shriners, were the premier order of America. In Parade to Glory Fred Van Deventer chronicles the founding and rise of the order. Van Deventer begins with an account of the origins of The Shriners. The Founding member, physician William Florence, was inspired to found a new fraternity based on a secret ritual he wrote himself. After the Civil War, he held a meeting in New York City with thirteen other men to draw up plans to get started. It was a club open only to the elitist of the most elite Freemasons in the country. After gathering enough support, Mecca Temple was consecrated in New York with Damascus Temple being the second to open in Rochester. Their popularity blossomed readily from there. Other books by Fred Van Deventer • Cruising New Jersey Tidewater (1964).…