Leon Magill Armer

Leon Magill Armer was born in San Antonio on July 5, 1905, the son of Leon and Augusta Barnitz Armer. After high school he attended the University of Houston and the American Institute of Banking, and he spent his career in banking, becoming Assistant Vice President of the Texas National Bank of Commerce. During World War II he managed the banking facility at Ellington Field from 1944 to 1946. He was president of the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Banking, president of the West University Civic Club, a West University Place city councilman, president of the Exchange Club of Houston, Scoutmaster of Troop 5, and for 20 years director of the Bill Williams Charity Capon Dinner. He married Francine Ferguson on March 17, 1934, and they had three children: William M., Ronald K. and Sharon L. At West University Methodist Church he served on the Board of Stewards and as Treasurer.

He received his degrees in Gray Lodge: the Entered Apprentice on November 30, 1927, the Fellowcraft on January 11, 1928, and the Master Mason degree on February 13, 1928. More than thirty years later he was elected Junior Warden for 1959–1960, then Senior Warden, and was installed as the 90th Master on July 1, 1961, at a joint installation with Temple Lodge No. 4 conducted by Past Grand Master Randall E. Briscoe, with Past Master Alfred C. Finn, Jr., as Marshal.

That year Houston was chosen as the home of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center and became “Space City, U.S.A.” The lodge voted to air-condition the lodge room at a cost of about $5,000, found a new ground-floor tenant at $750 a month, approved concurrent jurisdiction for Deer Park and Tomball Lodges, and granted the school district an easement across the Hillcroft site for a sewer line serving the new Robert E. Lee High School. The brethren stood in silent memory of Past Grand Master Marcus Weatherred. On October 4, John Henry Padon spoke on the Scottish Rite and a team from Galena Park Lodge conferred a Master Mason degree; Family Night on October 25 featured music and a film about life at the Masonic Home and School.

George Doer of a lodge in Glasgow, Scotland, spoke on Masonry abroad, and Brother E. C. George received a new lambskin apron and 25-Year Pin to replace those lost when Hurricane Carla destroyed his Galveston home. Past Grand Master John H. Crooker was the principal speaker at the Annual Reunion and Awards Day on April 28, 1962, and Fred S. Kramer of Concordia Lodge No. 952 in Pretoria, South Africa, visited in May.

Brother Armer became a Royal Arch Mason in Washington Chapter No. 2 on May 10, 1950, was a member of Houston Council No. 1, Royal and Select Masters, and was created a Knight Templar in Ruthven Commandery No. 2 on August 4, 1950. A Shriner of Arabia Temple, he chaired the Cashier’s Division of the Arabia Temple Circus for 16 years and served as membership chairman and president of the Artisan’s Unit.