O n May 6, 2023, at 8:00 am PST, the members of the Public Relations Department were afforded the privilege to spend time talking to Sovereign Grand Inspector General George Blue, a legend in our Order with over 50 years as a Scottish Rite Mason. SGIG Blue blessed the Order by discussing his story—his background, career, critical aspects of his personal and professional life, and his masonic journey. The dis- cussion below is an abbreviated version of the interview of SGIG Blue.
SGIG Matthews : All right sir, good afternoon. SGIG Blue: Good afternoon.
SGIG Matthews : It is indeed an honor to be able to sit here and talk with you, especially as we've talked about before. How you had such a fascinating journey as a man but significantly as a Mason and how you've contributed to our communities, our society. And of course, I thank you for your service in the mil- itary as well. If you could, let's start with some basic information about who you are, where you grew up
and so forth. Please state your full name and your age. SGIG Blue: I am George Blue, and I am 87 years old. SGIG Matthews : And where are you from?
SGIG Blue: I was born in 1936 at McKeesport Hospital and raised in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. SGIG Matthews : So, when you say you were raised there, I assume you spent all your formative years there in school and everything as well. SGIG Blue: Yes. SGIG Matthews : What's your earliest memory from your childhood? SGIG Blue : It goes back beyond age 6. I had vivid memory from age 6 and beyond. Only periodic flash- backs of anything earlier. SGIG Matthews : I ask that because you mentioned the year 1936 and for me as an Army guy, I always associate the early 1940s with World War II. Do you have any recollection of time or the people from that period? SGIG Blue : Yes, I remember a few things from that period, I was around 6 years old. I can remember playing with my older who passed away in 1943. Back then we lived in a steel mill town, which was about 13 miles outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA). Duquesne is the name of the town where I was raised. I remember my family moving to one of the brand - new projects that was opened by the government. In my hometown area, there were three of them. We moved in ‘42 to housing area called West Mifflin, which I recently visited in 2018 with my children. The projects are still a viable place in the community, and it was basically a suburb of Duquesne. We moved from what was called “ below the tracks. ” Below the tracks was an area beyond the steel mill owned by Carnegie at the time and later it was bought out by U.S. Steel. We had to move because Carnegie bought all the property below the tracks that consisted of mostly family apartments. We lived in public housing for a short time, but my father had to move closer to the steel mill where he worked because he walked their daily. And from the housing projects the walk was horrendous in the winter. He moved us to an apartment next to his brother and rent was $20 for several years. I remember the $20 twenty dollars because I was sent the pay the rent once. While on the way to pay the rent, I stopped at Mrs. Benson ’ s grocery store and bought some candy. I then went the landlord ’ s house to pay him, I didn't have the $20. So, I backtracked to the store, and I checked the paper that I had unwrapped the candy from and had thrown in the trash. The candy paper was there and so was the $20. Luckily, I hadn ’ t opened the stove and put the paper inside. I was more afraid of what was going to hap- pen to me if I couldn't find that $20, I was very fortunate to have found it. We lived in that place for all my formative years.
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