Charlotte and Canton:
A story of Masonic heroism and brotherhood of historic dimensions
What happened when the US Senate challenged Masonry was larger than the people involved.

The largest fraternity in the world was confronted by the largest country in the world when Judge David Bryan Sentelle was nominated by President Reagan to fill the vacancy on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He would replace Antonin Scalia who was moving up to the US Supreme Court.

It was the spring of 1987. Everyone was caught by surprise when Senator Patrick Leahy, committee head of hearings to approve Sentelle, asked him, “Do you belong to any organizations that discriminate against members of minority groups?” Answer: “Not to my knowledge.” Leahy: “I note you are a Mason. According to my information, Masons must be male, white and believe in a supreme being.”

Sentelle: “There are black Masons.” Leahy: “Do you feel that a judge should be allowed to hold membership in an organization that discriminates on the basis of race?” Sentelle: “No. The code of judicial conduct prohibits invidious discrimination which proscribes fraternal groups that discriminate by race.” Leahy: “If your nomination is confirmed, do you plan to maintain your membership in these Masonic organizations?”

Sentelle: “Yes.”

Agitated, SC Senator Strom Thurmond rose to ask, “Judge Sentelle, do you know of a Mason who has been accused of discrimination just because he joined the Masons?” Sentelle: “Not to my knowledge, not before today, Senator.” Thurmond: “I have been a Mason since 1925.” Sentelle: “Yes, Sir.” Thurmond: “I am proud to be a Mason.” Sentelle: “I am, too, Senator.”

All this was reported in The Wall Street Journal and in a piece written by Brother Sentelle. He wrote, “If I had told the senator that I did not intend to maintain my membership in Excelsior 261, in the bodies of the Scottish Rite, and the Oasis Temple of the Shrine, not only would I have been saying that I had been doing something wrong to have held two judgeships for four years as a man and as a Mason, but I would have been repudiating the principles that led my father and my grandfathers and my uncles and my brother into this fraternity. I would have been reflecting on the judicial character of the late Judge Warlick and dozens, even hundreds of other judges who are our brothers and whom I admire. It was then that I stated my intention to remain a Mason.”

Leahy then blocked the Senate vote on Sentelle’s confirmation for weeks.
Sentelle noted that Leahy’s committee approved a Knight of Columbus and a non-white Mason without holdup or question during the same weeks.

The nomination cleared Leahy’s committee and ran right into more trouble on the Senate floor when Senator Paul Simon of Illinois put a hold on the matter to check the American Bar Association to see if Sentelle’s Masonry “offended the ABA’s standards for judicial nominees.” The ABA replied, “As you know, the ABA has already approved Judge Sentelle as Well Qualified for the Federal Judiciary, first on August 5, 1985, in connection with his nomination to the United States District Court and most recently on February 3, 1987, in connection with his nomination to the United States Court of Appeals. Our Committee is not in a position, nor would it wish, to comment further on his qualifications.”

Simon held onto his hold as brethren from North Carolina to Colorado spoke up to support him. When the Senate reconvened in September, “a rollcall vote was taken to confirm my nomination by a vote of 87 to 0. Senator Byrd stood up and declared that it had been his intention to have a rollcall vote on that nomination ever since he first heard it was held up because of my membership in the Masonic Lodge. He said it was his intent to put that question to an end in the U. S. Senate. Then Senators Helms, Thurmond and Allan Simpson all spoke on their membership in the Masonic Lodge and how much it meant to them.

“As it happened, I was in Washington that day and Senator Helms’ staff had called me into the gallery to see the last of the rollcall. When I came down to the cloakroom to call my wife and tell her it was over, Senator Helms brought Senators Byrd and Dole, all our Brothers, in to congratulate me and all did with warm and fraternal and, I think, sincere enthusiasm. And indeed, it was over.

“Now let me say that throughout this whole process I have not viewed myself as either a hostage or martyr. But whether or not I was confirmed for the higher office, I can still get up every morning and when I shave I don’t have to look away from the mirror because I know I can look in the eye of the same man and the same Mason that I was before I ever met Senator Leahy or Senator Simon.

“And I would rather be able to do that and meet on the level with my Brethren than to hold court in any courthouse in this land.”

Is David Sentelle a hero among Masons? You be the judge.

Produced by the public relations committee of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Masons in North Carolina,
2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27628 MMVIII
Author/editor: Walter J. Klein wklein(at)carolina.rr.com