Carl Thomas Curtis Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Carl Thomas Curtis passes away in 1905.

Carl Thomas Curtis was an American politician.

Curtis was born on March 15th, 1905 on the family farm in Kearney County, Nebraska. He attended local public schools before going on to Nebraska Wesleyan University. He studied law on his own before passing the bar. He served as the county attorney in Kearney from 1931 to 1934.

In 1938, Curtis was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican. He was elected on an anti-Franklin D. Roosevelt platform. This consisted largely in opposing Roosevelt's New Deal. He was reelected seven times to the House of Representatives. In 1954 he was elected to the United States Senate. When his predecessor resigned, Curtis was appointed to fill the remaining two days left in the term, gaining Curtis a two day seniority advantage over other newly elected Senators. He was reelected in the Senate three times serving until 1979.

During his time in the United States Senate Curtis voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was also a loyal Republican. He supported the Republican party on anti-communist stances, fiscal conservatism, which included opposing the New Deal and President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society. He was also a close ally of Barry Goldwater and President Richard Nixon. He supported Nixon up to and through the Watergate scandal and Nixon's resignation. He also supported Nixon's escalation policy for the Vietnam War.

During bribery charges against one of President Johnson's advisers, Robert Baker, it is alleged Curtis leaked a secret memorandum to advance his own positions.

After retiring, Curtis returned to Nebraska where he practiced law. He also was active with the conservative lobby American Freedom Coalition.

Curtis passed away on January 24th, 2000.

Curtis was a member of Minden Lodge No. 127 in Minden, Nebraska. He was also a member of Tehama Shrine Temple, the Royal Order of Jesters and he was a 32° member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction. In the Scottish Rite he also received the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor (KCCH).

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.