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Scottish Rite Freemasonry - Welcome to the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA
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 Back to March-April 2007 Issue
Investing in the Future: Donor Profile of Ill. Hans R. Wilhelmsen, 33°, SGIG in Maryland
written by Barbara G. Golden, Esq., OES, Director of Planned Giving
 This article profiles eminent plastic surgeon Dr. Hans R. Wilhelmsen, 33°, SGIG, who recently made a significant pledge to the Maryland Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, Inc. and the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.
Hans Wilhelmsen, M.D., D.D.S., was born in Tjome, Norway. As a teenager, he went to sea as his family before him had done for 300 years. At age seventeen, as a sailor who got very seasick, he decided that there must be a better way of life, and he jumped ship in Delaware Bay and migrated to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. From Delaware, Dr. Wilhelmsen made his way to Baltimore; there, he became an office boy for a large insurance company. He worked there for eighteen months until he gained admittance to Loyola College, having never received a high school diploma. After graduating from Loyola College, he attended the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1955.
When he was at Dental School, he heard lectures by Dr. Milton Edgerton, a professor of Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. These lectures inspired Bro. Wilhelmsen to become a Plastic Surgeon. After obtaining his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1959, Bro. Wilhelmsen completed four years of general surgery training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. This training was followed by two years of plastic surgery training at the University of Pittsburgh. During his residency, Dr. Wilhelmsen and his mentor, Dr. Ross Musgrave, authored their classic work on complications of cleft lip and palate surgery.
In July 1965, Dr. Wilhelmsen began his practice in Baltimore, Maryland. Within a few years, he became a founding member of the Maryland Plastic Surgery Society. He later served as its fourth president. In 1969, he founded the Kernan’s Cleft Palate Diagnostic Program, a regional comprehensive cleft palate program in which Dr. Wilhelmsen utilized his dental and plastic surgery training to perform reconstructive procedures for children with cleft lips and cleft palates. He was an early pioneer in surgical treatment of severe congenital facial deformities.
His medical and personal philosophy emphasizes treating all people with respect and dignity. He is a tireless worker for his patients, whose lives have been enriched by his professional manner and surgical ability. In recognition of his many contributions to Maryland’s healthcare system during his distinguished career in the medical profession, Dr. Wilhelmsen received the Governor’s citation. The Senate of Maryland also recognized Dr. Wilhelmsen with a certificate of merit for his dedication to the medical profession. In 1984, the United States Congressional Advisory Board awarded Dr. Wilhelmsen with a Congressional Certificate of Merit for his outstanding services as the Chairman’s Advisor. Dr. Wilhelmsen retired from private practice in January 2006, but is currently an Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at both Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.
As for his Masonic history, Dr. Wilhelmsen was raised as a Master Mason in 1982 in Pythagoras Lodge No. 123, Maryland, and became a 32° Scottish Rite Mason in 1983. In 1991, he became an Honorary Past Master of Pythagoras Lodge, and he received the Knight Commander Court of Honor in 1995. In 1997, Dr. Wilhelmsen was coroneted an Inspector General Honorary, 33°.
During the early years of his Masonic journey, Dr. Wilhelmsen’s time was devoted mainly to plastic and reconstructive surgery, operating six days per week with little time to devote to Masonry. Later, as he had more time, he became more active in the fraternity. In 1995, Dr. Wilhelmsen was appointed to the Scottish Rite Holding Company in Baltimore. In that position, he performed special projects relating to the building. Eventually, he progressed to assisting the SGIG, Dr. Bernard E. Rothman, 33°, who became a grandfather-mentor to him.
At the 2001 Bicentennial Session in Charleston, S.C., Dr. Wilhelmsen was appointed Deputy of the Supreme Council for the Orient of Maryland. He was coroneted Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Maryland and an Active Member of the Supreme Council in 2003. Upon receiving this honor, Dr. Wilhelmsen stated, “It was a distinction that I never thought I would deserve. My gratitude for my Masonic journey is due to the mentoring of the late Dr. Rothman, 33°, and the Past Grand Commander, C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, to whom I am deeply indebted.” In 2006, Dr. Wilhelmsen received the Thomas J. Shryock Medal, the highest honor that is given by the Grand Lodge of Maryland for his contribution to Masonry in the State of Maryland.
When Dr. Wilhelmsen is not lecturing, teaching, or engaging in Masonic activities, he spends time on his farm and fishing. Thirty years ago, he bought a farm about five miles from his home, restored it, and started to raise buffalo. Dr. Wilhelmsen used the farm for relaxation after a hard day in the operating room, spending his free time watching horses and about ten to twenty buffalo that he treats as his pets. In his leisure time, he also enjoys fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, Alaska, and Central America.
For twenty-two years, he has hosted a Low Vale for his Blue Lodge at the farm where a Master Mason is raised. Each year, over one hundred Masons attend this event. The farm is also the site of the Scottish Rite Family Picnic that includes children from the Baltimore Scottish Rite’s Hilgenberg Speech and Language Clinic and Scottish Rite families.
Proud of and grateful for his Masonic heritage, Dr. Wilhelmsen recently made significant bequests to the Maryland Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, Inc. and to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. and signed a pledge to be satisfied by those bequests. His portrait is now mounted in the Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C.
Barbara G. Golden, Esq., is the Director of Planned Giving and member of Silver Spring No. 66, OES. Barbara is an attorney with experience in tax, corporate, and commercial real estate law. She managed a non-profit legal services organization for several years and has extensive experience in fund-raising, grant writing, and program operations. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-GIVESRF (448-3773) Toll Free; bgolden@scottishrite.org. The Scottish Rite Journal (ISSN 1076-8572) is published bimonthly by the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction, United States of America, 1733 Sixteenth St., NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103. |
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