Barbara G. Golden
Director of Planned Giving
1733 Sixteenth St., Washington, DC 20009–3103
Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-387-1843; Or call 866-448-3773
bgolden@srmason-sj.org

This article profiles two donors who have made a big difference for America's children with their $2,000,000 Charitable Gift Annuity to benefit the RiteCare Childhood Language Program.

Ill. Harold L. Gwatney, 33°, G.C.
Hall of Honor Portrait

Born on August 17, 1929, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Ill. Harold Lloyd Gwatney, 33°, G.C., currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife, Syble Everee Whitworth Gwatney. Impressed by the work of the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA, Inc., Ill. Gwatney and his wife decided they wanted to make a difference for children who have language disorders. Initially, Ill. Dwane F. Treat, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Arkansas, contacted Ill. Gwatney about making a donation to our Order's flagship philanthropy on a national level. Subsequently, Ill. Gwatney attended the Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, at which Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, Director of Development for the Supreme Council, spoke about planned giving opportunities. Impressed by the presentation, and with Ill. Treat's inquiry in his mind, Ill. Gwatney contacted Barbara Golden, the Director of Planned Giving at the Supreme Council, to obtain more detailed information on the types of gifts that could be made. After getting the information, the Gwatneys decided to contribute $2,000,000 for a Charitable Gift Annuity that would benefit the Scottish Rite Foundation's RiteCare Childhood Language Program.

To honor these donors, an original oil portrait of Ill. Gwatney has been received into the Supreme Temple Architects Hall of Honor in the House of the Temple. His portrait joins the portraits of such notables as Ill. Bros. President Harry S. Truman, Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, Generals James H. Doolittle and Douglas MacArthur, American hero Audie Murphy, and former U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole, G.C. For her part in the making of this wonderful gift, Syble Everee Gwatney has been honored by having her original oil portrait mounted in the new Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery. Images of these two portraits illustrate this article and are presented on the front and inside-front covers of this issue. Each painting features the Little Rock Scottish Rite Temple in its background. Ill. Gwatney is a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Little Rock, Arkansas, and his beloved wife joins him in wishing to pay tribute to this great Masonic edifice.

How wonderful of these two individuals to make this gift to help children with language disorders! When one learns about the lives of these individuals, however, it is not surprising that they want to share their personal successes by helping others.

Always an entrepreneur, Ill. Gwatney got his start at the ripe age of 11, working for his uncle who ran a garage. He began by sweeping floors and biking to pick up automotive parts. Then, at 14, he started working at the local Chevrolet dealership, doing odd jobs and studying to become a certified mechanic. He was so young that they called him "Junior." He became a certified mechanic before graduating from North Little Rock High School. He then attended Draughon Business School, Arkansas State University, and the University of Detroit.

By this time, Brother Harold had met his soon-to-be wife, Syble, then 18, and they decided to get married. Initially, she went into nurses' training, but eventually decided to focus her life on being a full-time wife and mother to her growing family. The Gwatneys have two sons, John Russell, Sr., President of the Gwatney Companies in Memphis, and William Alan Gwatney, an Arkansas State Senator and President of Harold Gwatney Chevrolet in Jacksonville, Arkansas. The Gwatneys also have five grandchildren, two boys and three girls.

Syble Everee Gwatney Pillars of Charity Portrait

To support his new family, Brother Harold started to sell car parts for the Chevrolet dealer. He always had wanted to go to law school, but as an auto parts salesman, he made more money than most attorneys were earning at the time. As a newlywed, he decided it made more sense for him to stay in business. However, because of his youth, the Chevrolet dealership would not allow him to sell cars. Brother Harold, wanting to advance his sales career, left the dealership and went into the insurance business. As in the car business, Ill. Gwatney proved quite successful in this new area, and his company began to prosper.

Chevrolet soon realized what an asset they had had in the young Gwatney, and they wanted him back. So, his mentor, John Critz, offered him the chance to buy a Chevrolet dealership, with the financial backing of Mr. Critz and two investors. They put up the funds necessary to help Ill. Gwatney open a dealership in Jacksonville, Arkansas. Recognizing a great opportunity, Bro. Harold signed a promissory note and bought land in Jacksonville for the dealership, with the investors as his financial partners. A natural entrepreneur, Brother Harold then decided to enter the real estate market to make enough money to buy the dealership from the investors. He eventually did so and continued to work at the dealership until the war years, when he started his second career, 41 years of service in the military, both active and reserves. Simultaneously, he stayed in the automobile, insurance, and real estate businesses.

In 1948, he enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard and, in January 1952, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, the Indus-trial College of Armed Forces, the Command and General Staff College, U.S. Army War College, and various military schools. He commanded a platoon, company, battalion, and brigade before being appointed the Adjutant General of Arkansas in June 1981. He was promoted to Major General on September 25, 1981, and retired with many honors on August 17, 1989.

Among his decorations and badges, Ill. Gwatney earned the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two 10-year devices, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Arkansas Distinguished Service Medal, the Arkansas Com-mendation Medal, and the Arkansas Service Ribbon with five devices. He remains a member of the Retired Officers Association, the Reserve Officers Association, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the National Guard Association of Arkansas.

Never one to resist a business opportunity, Ill. Gwatney realized that the insurance, automobile dealership, and real estate businesses all needed one thing-financing. So, in 1964, Ill. Gwatney and a former classmate, Pat Baker, then second- ranking legal counsel member of the House Ways and Means Committee, obtained an application from the Treasury Department to operate a bank. For 25 years, they operated the First National Bank of Jacksonville before selling to Union National Bank of Little Rock in 1989. Following the merger of the banks in 1990, Ill. Gwatney came to Memphis to help his son, Russell, with their second Chevrolet dealership, purchased in 1988. Shortly after he moved to Memphis, Bro. Gwatney bought a third dealership and broke ground on one of the first Saturn dealerships in the nation. In 1993, he purchased the Ford dealership in Millington, Tennessee; in 1994, he built his second Saturn dealership, Saturn of German-town, Tennessee; and in 1998, he built Saturn of Jackson, in Jackson, Tennessee. He currently is Chairman of The Gwatney Companies, a group of businesses that include his dealerships, Harold Gwatney Realty Co., Jacksonville Properties, Dalco Enter-prises, Inc., Consolidated Insurance Co., and Financial Properties Insurance Co. Not bad for a man who started as an 11-year-old floor sweeper!

In addition to the honors he earned in the military, Ill. Gwatney also is a distinguished member of the business and local communities of Tennessee and Arkansas. He is a former Alderman in North Little Rock, Arkansas, being elected at age 26. He resigned when he moved to Jacksonville, Arkansas, in 1958. He is a Past President of Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Past President of Jacksonville Rotary Club, Past President of Rebsamen Regional Medical Center, Past President of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, and a member of the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bro. Gwatney's Masonic career includes being a member of Big Rock Lodge No. 633 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Scimitar Shrine Temple, and the Little Rock Consistory. He became a 32° Scottish Rite Mason in 1953, was invested with the K.C.C.H. in 1995, coroneted a 33° in 1999, and unanimously elected by the Supreme Council to the Scottish Rite's highest honor, the Grand Cross, in 2001. He is also a member of the Royal Order of Jesters. He and his wife belong to Christ United Methodist Church.

Our Order is very grateful to have so accomplished and generous a couple contributing to the RiteCare Childhood Language Program. Due to their generosity, generations of our nation's children, who might otherwise have been disadvantaged for their entire lives, will learn to speak, to hear, and to understand. Ill. Harold Lloyd Gwatney, 33°, G.C., you and your beloved wife, Syble, are truly Pillars of Charity, dedicated supporters of the Scottish Rite, and great Americans!

Congratulations and thank you so much!

Barbara Golden is the Director of Planned Giving for the Development Office of the Supreme Council. 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 fundraising, grant writing, and program operations.

Ill. Thomas M. Boles, 33°, G.C. (left in photo) has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. For more information on planned giving, call Bro. Tom at 562–691–4227 (Fax 562–691–5327) or the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., at 202–232–3579, ext. 143. Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is our development team's Director of Major Gifts. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 25 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, No. 111, Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a member of Boumi Shrine Temple in Baltimore, the York Rite, and a dual member of the Scottish Rite Valleys of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. You can reach Bro. Ihle toll free at 1–800–486–3331, ext. 143.