Page 228 - PGM Compendium

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Of
M⸫W⸫ Thomas E. Skaggs

1919-1920

Thomas Edward Skaggs was born in Chandlerville, Illinois on
th
January 29 1876, the son of Thomas Andrew and Amanda
(Montgomery) Skaggs. In 1889, the family moved to the town
of Snohomish, Washington. Here, young Thomas completed his
education in the public schools and went on to study law with a
local attorney.

He was admitted to the bar in 1897 and quickly discovered that
the studious and analytical side of legal work appealed to him
more than the litigious and controversial aspects. Consequently,
he became an expert in land titles and devoted much of his
career to that area of law. He became Deputy County Treasurer of Snohomish County and then his
interest in the law of legal titles led to his association with the title abstract business in Everett.

In 1913, he became a member of the State Tax Commission and later a member of the State Board
of Control. Following his government service, he returned to the title business in Everett and was
appointed Postmaster in 1934. He held this position until the time of his death.

Most Worshipful Brother Skaggs was raised a Master Mason in Centennial Lodge #25 in 1900 and
served two terms as its Worshipful Master in 1908 and 1909. His Grand Lodge service began that
same year when he was appointed Junior Grand Steward. Following this, he served on several Grand
Lodge Committees for the next five years. He was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1916 and served
as Grand Master for the 1919-1920 Masonic year.
M W Brother Skaggs term as Grand Master was a period of much growth for the Grand Lodge.
He granted dispensations for six new lodges and the jurisdiction experienced a gain of over 3000
members. At his 1920 Grand Lodge session, the jurisdiction appropriated
$2500 for the construction of the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Also, following a
detailed analysis by M⸫W⸫ Brother Skaggs, the Grand Lodge voted to withdraw from the
Masonic Service Association of the United States which had been formed the prior year in 1919.
It was feared that this group would require the Grand Lodge to surrender too many of its otherwise
sovereign powers and that its cost would be prohibitive to the membership.
Most Worshipful Brother Skaggs passed to the celestial Lodge on May 31, 1943.