Calvin Howard Phifer

Calvin Howard Phifer was born at Kosse, Texas, on September 1, 1906, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Doke Phifer; his father was a Mason. After completing high school he studied business administration and tax accounting, and he made his career in banking and in public accounting for oil and gas concerns. He married LaNelle Beason on December 21, 1937, and they had a daughter, Marsha, and a son, Calvin Howard Phifer, Jr. A member of Rice Temple Baptist Church, he served on its Building Committee and other committees.

He received his degrees in Gray Lodge: the Entered Apprentice on September 29, 1941, the Fellowcraft on March 9, 1942, and the Master Mason degree on April 22, 1942. Appointed Senior Steward for 1943–1944, he served as Junior and Senior Deacon and was then elected Senior Warden. He was installed as the 76th Master in 1947 by Past Master K. E. Gaugler, with Past Master Roe E. Brewer as Marshal.

Early in his year the $1,813 the lodge had raised for Texas City relief came back, with word from Texas City Lodge No. 1118 that it had enough to care for all relief, and Gray Lodge returned the money to the individual donors. The officers’ chairs were reupholstered and a new adding machine was bought. The lodge welcomed two of its seafaring members, Captains Leo Welsh and T. G. Weston, who had commanded ships on the high seas through the war, and it approved the formation of Memorial Lodge and of Garden Oaks Lodge in northwest Houston. In April 1948 the District Deputy Grand Master brought the Grand Master’s slogan, “Masons, Not Members,” and the Chanters of Arabia Temple gave a musical program.

Past Master Oscar Hild died on April 29, 1948. On June 16, 1948, the Treasurer reported the final payment from Temple Lodge No. 4 through the Gray-Temple Masonic Corporation: Gray and Temple Lodges now owned the lodge properties on an equal basis.

Brother Phifer became a Royal Arch Mason in Washington Chapter No. 2 on November 15, 1944, then joined Houston Council No. 1, Royal and Select Masters, and was made a Knight Templar in Ruthven Commandery in 1945. He received the Scottish Rite degrees and joined Arabia Temple in 1942. At Arabia Temple he was Circus Auditor from 1943 to 1954, Treasurer in 1948, chairman of the Crippled Children’s Clinic in 1956, chairman of the Circus in 1957, and Potentate in 1958.