Past Most Worshipful GrandMaster – Solomon L. Henry

Solomon L. Henry was born September 9, 1933, and was raised in Georgetown, DE, the son of the late John J. and Mary A. Henry, along with six brothers and one sister. He was educated at Richard Allen School in Georgetown. Richard Allen School consisted of grades one through eleven. His educational journey began in 1939 during the period of segregation, when black students had to travel to Delaware State College, currently Delaware State University, Dover, DE or Howard High School in Wilmington, DE to complete the twelfth grade. Solomon chose to attend and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School for Boys in Philadelphia, PA.

After graduation he returned to Georgetown and was employed J. G. Townsend, Jr. & Co., processor of frozen vegetables. In 1997, he was appointed Plant Manager of J.G. Townsend & Co. In 2000 he was honored for 50 years with the company. He gives credit to all the people who worked with him to make it possible. Today he thanks God for giving him the perseverance to work hard, to be dependable, and to be dedicated to the organization that he represented as an employee.

In 2002, he had the pleasure of a visit from U.S. Senator Tom Carper, who dropped in to see the Townsend Operations. The Senator said he wanted to shake the hand of the man that had given his services to a company for over 50 years. He said that J.G. Townsend was a very lucky to have someone so dedicated and it was a pleasure to meet him. Two weeks later, Mr. Henry received a letter of thanks and an expression of gratitude from the Senator.

Bro. Henry became a Mason in 1958 when he was accepted as a member of Prince Hall Lodge #14 in Frankford, DE. He was Worshipful Master of that Lodge from 1965 to 1971. Appointed District Grand Lecturer, in 1967, he continued to advance and in 2000 was elected the Most Worshipful Grand master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State and Jurisdiction of Delaware. He served a one-year term as Chairman of the North East Regional Conference of Grand Masters. The Region includes DE, PA, NJ, NY, RI, CT, MA and Canada. His other Masonic affiliations include: Honorary Past Master of Morning Star Lodge #10, Past Patron of Lily of the Valley #14, OES – PHA; member of G. Oscar Carrington Consistory #93, Honorary Illustrious Potentate of Suakim Temple #60; Grand Inspector General of the Thirty Third and last degree of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry, PHA, Northern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc.; Honorary Past Grand High Priest of the Most Excellent Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons, PHA; Honorary Grand Joshua of Queen of Sheba Most Ancient Grand Court, Heroines of Jericho, PHA; and member of African Lodge #459, F&AM, Boston, MA (oldest Black Lodge in the world).

Bro. Henry is a member of Prospect A.M.E. Church, Georgetown, DE; a member of the NAACP and belongs to the Delaware Safety Association. He is married to Delores Beasley Henry; with two daughters from his first marriage, four stepchildren and nine grandchildren. The family enjoys playing games, talking and hanging out together.

Bro. Henry’s Mother and Father taught him to be respectful and nice to people and people in turn will be respectful and nice. His favorite quote is: “It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.”