reading the post yesterday about SLU and Billikens reminded me that St. Louis has their very own Masonic branch called the Moolah Shriners. Their original temple, the Moolah Temple of the Mystic Shrine (3821 Lindell Blvd, built in 1912), is just a block away from two other large and impressive masonic temples built NEXT DOOR to one another, the Scottish Rite Cathedral (3633 Lindell Blvd, 1924) and the New Masonic Temple (3681 Lindell Blvd, 1926)--all three of which are in smack dab in the middle of the SLU's campus. now why would a "Catholic" (Jesuit) University allow 3 Masonic temples to be built on its campus?

while not much is written about the Scottish Rite Cathedral (at least, on wikipedia), the page about the New Masonic Temple offers this little nugget: "The Temple’s history includes many prominent guests. It houses the former office of then-Senator and Freemason Grand Master Harry S. Truman prior to his being President of the United States. Charles A. Lindbergh was initiated and participated as a mason at the Temple prior to his renowned 1927 flight. In 1980, Escape from New York with Ernest Borgnine filmed a scene on the Temple’s steps. Borgnine, a Mason, attended Masonic meetings in the building.

perhaps we could also look into the past of the HIGHLY controversial former SLU president Lawrence Biondi who, towards the end of his 25-year presidency, had at least 6 no-confidence measures levied against him by either student or faculty governance bodies.