Manly Palmer Hall is Born

Today in Masonic History Manly Palmer Hall is born in 1901.

Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian-born author, mystic and philosopher.

Hall was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. His mother was a Rosicrucian which may have influenced Hall.

In 1919 Hall moved from Canada with his maternal grandmother to California to reunite with his mother who was already living in Santa Monica. Once in California, Hall was immediately drawn into the arcane. Within a year he was giving lectures on all things spiritual. His first lecture was on reincarnation.

In 1919, Hall became the preacher at the Church of the People. He was ordained a minister in the church in 1923, shortly after he was elected to be the permanent pastor of the church.

In 1920 Hall began publishing books. One of those books was The Lost Keys of Freemasonry. It was followed in 1928 with An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy: Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings concealed within the Rituals, Allegories and Mysteries of all Ages, which is generally referred to as The Secret Teachings of All Ages. In 1937 he published Freemasonry of the Ancient Egyptians and in 1950 Masonic Orders of Fraternity. He also published non-masonic related books as well.

Hall became a well known lecturer and traveled the World, with the support of donors and his congregation, giving lectures and gathering research for his books.

Not too much is known about Hall's personal live. His friends and parishioners helped him conceal it. He was married twice. His first marriage which by many accounts was very unhappy, ended in his wife's suicide. When she died Hall removed all mentions of her from all of his research material and notes. His second marriage which began in 1950 lasted the rest of his life.

Hall passed away August 29th 1990.

Hall was a knight patron of the Masonic Research Group of San Francisco prior to becoming a mason. On November 22nd 1954, Hall was raised as a member of Jewel Lodge No. 374 in San Francisco. On December 8, 1973 Hall was coronated a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.