Making Waco Men Better Since 1852

George Belew

Belew(far left) pictured with Harry Truman

George Haggard Belew was born August 31, 1893 in Midlothian. He graduated from Baylor in 1914 and taught school in Hillsboro TX for 2 years.


On May 8, 1917, he was accepted into the first officers training camp at Leon Springs TX and served in the WWI as a Captain while attached to the Finance Department of the Quartermaster Corps.

In 1915, Mr. Belew became a Mason in Midlothian and later joined Waco Lodge No. 92 after his move to our town. In 1926, he and several other members of Waco Lodge branched out and organized Baylor Lodge No. 1235. He was a member of Waco Royal Arch bodies, Waco Commandery, Austin Consistory #4, Scottish Rite, and Karem Shrine Temple.

George represented Baylor on the Texas Cotton Bowl Association Board, and was a leader of Baylor ex-student program. He worked on building up the university’s athletic program so he would be comparable to Southwest Conference. He was secretary of the Baylor University Board of Trustees, and simultaneously served as the Grand Secretary of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas AF&AM. From 1925 to 1931, he worked as Baylor’s Business Manager. In that capacity, he was a primary catalyst for the construction of Waco Hall. On January 22, 1927, he and fellow Waco Lodge member Samuel Brooks traveled together to Round Rock where they had the unfortunate job of managing the tragic aftermath following the death of ten Baylor students who were killed when a train hit their bus.

On Dec 16, 1945 he became Knight Commander Court of Honor and in 1948 became a thirty-third Degree Mason. He served as the representative of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee to the Grand Lodge of Texas since 1934.