Chester Howard McDaniel

Chester Howard McDaniel was born at Port Arthur, Texas, on August 25, 1918, the son of Charles Hanson and Emily U. McDaniel. He graduated from Beaumont High School in 1937, attended Texas A&M for two years, and served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. He and his wife, Genevieve Babcock McDaniel, had three children: Charles Warren, Carol Lee and Genevieve. A Baptist, he loved hunting, fishing and woodworking. He spent 30 years as a construction cost estimator for engineering contractors and later owned a store on Bolivar Point serving sportsmen and vacationers. He was first president of the Port Bolivar Lions Club, an assistant Scoutmaster, an honorary sheriff of Galveston County, and a member of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce and several sportsmen’s organizations.

He received his degrees in Park Place Lodge No. 1172 in 1952: the Entered Apprentice on April 3, the Fellowcraft on June 2, and the Master Mason degree on July 31. He was a charter member of Walter M. Pierson Lodge No. 1339 in 1953 and its Treasurer from 1955 to 1958, and he affiliated with Gray Lodge on February 20, 1963. Appointed Junior Steward for 1963–1964, he was Senior Deacon when the new building was dedicated in July 1964, and he crafted the two engraved gavels used in the dedication and kept by the lodge. He was installed as the 95th Master on June 27, 1966, by Past Master and Secretary Roy S. Hall, with Past Master Fred W. Lackner, Jr., as Marshal.

During his year Past Master George M. Tidwell was appointed to lead the planning for the lodge’s centennial, soon becoming permanent chairman of a Centennial Committee that included the five elected officers. A committee revised the lodge by-laws, adopted February 15, 1967, requiring bonds for the Master, Treasurer and Secretary and bringing life memberships in line with Grand Lodge law. Speakers included H. C. Davidson, District Deputy Grand Master Carroll V. Wilson, Jr., and Past Master Jack Levine of Temple Lodge No. 4 on the symbolism of the apron; in June, L. L. Walker, Jr., Master of Anson Jones Lodge, spoke on “What Do Masons Do?” Fifty-Year Awards went to Robert Adams, Sam E. Tanner, Walter Rehrauer, Maurice K. Rosenberg, received by his brother Louis, and Richard A. Newsome. The lodge also aided brethren and a widow in need in Austin, Florida and Houston.

In the York Rite, Brother McDaniel became a Royal Arch Mason in Park Place Chapter No. 458 on February 20, 1953, received the Council degrees in Park Place Council No. 373, and was made a Knight Templar in Park Place Commandery No. 106 on April 5, 1954; he served as Treasurer of Park Place Chapter. He later moved his York Rite membership to Galveston and his Shrine membership from Arabia Temple to El Mina Temple at Galveston.