May 4, 2023

Episode 133 - Brotherhood and Benevolence: Exploring the Knights of Pythias and their Legacy

Join Jennie and Dianne as they dive into the origins of the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization founded on the values of Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence. Discover how the story of Damon and Pythias inspired Justus H. Rathbone to create this organization and how it became the first fraternal organization in the United States to be chartered through an Act of Congress. Tune in to hear about the Ordinary Extraordinary history of this organization and the impact it has had on communities across America in the decades after the Civil War.

Show Notes

Resources used to research this episode include:
Newell, Aimee. "Justus H. Rathbone ." https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com. 12 Dec. 2013. nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/justus-h-rathbone/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

Kennedy , William D. "Justus H. Rathbone ." https://en-academic.com. en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/8896932. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

Van Druen, Hans. "Knights of Pythias." http://www.stichtingargus.nl. 6 Jan. 2023. www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/pythias_en.html. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

Of American History , National Museum . "Knights of Pythias ." https://americanhistory.si.edu. americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_324730. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

Nerney, Sarah. "A Knight Unlike Any Other: John Mitchell Jr. & The Knights Of Pythias ." https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com. 16 Dec. 2015. uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2015/12/16/a-knight-unlike-any-other/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

"Knights of Pythias ." https://en.m.wikipedia.org. 6 Apr. 2023. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Pythias. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

Gilbert, William S. "Damon Vs. Pythias ." https://www.poemhunter.com. www.poemhunter.com/poem/damon-vs-pythias/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

The following images are in the Public Domin in the U.S.: Still from the American film Damon and Pythias (1914), Photo of Justus H. Rathbone, Knights of Pythias Membership Certificate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/public_domain)