Boyd Patterson of Texas was installed as Grand Master of DeMolay International on June 23, 2018 at the 98th Annual Session in Alexandria, VA.

Boyd Patterson is a ninth generation Texan, his great, great, great, great grandfather having died as one of the defenders of the Alamo during the War for Texas Independence.  The family remained in the state during the following generations and he continues that legacy to this day, having graduated from public school in Richardson in 1969 then receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southern Methodist University in 1972 and his Juris Doctor from SMU in 1975.  Professionally he spent the next eight years in private practice in the north Texas area until being appointed to the bench for life in 1983.  Dad Patterson served as a judge for the next twenty-nine years, the last twenty-five of which as Chief Magistrate Judge for the Criminal District Courts (felony courts) in Dallas County.  After his retirement in 2011 he was retained by Cisco Systems, Inc. as Senior Judicial Advisor for worldwide operations, which position he held until a second and final retirement in February of 2016.

His professional activities have included more than a dozen organizations including the Texas Youth Council, Dallas County Drug Treatment Task Force, Texas Criminal Justice Forum and Dallas County Criminal Justice Management Committee.  In the community, he is a member of St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church and has served as an adult leader for the Boy Scouts of America at both the Cub and Boy Scout levels.  He was President of the Diamond M Club (SMU Alumni), and active in Phi Alpha Theta (history honors society).  Other activities have included the Dallas Opera Society, Dallas Museum of Art and Dallas Zoological Association among others.

Dad Patterson’s DeMolay history began in 1966 when he was initiated into Richardson Chapter.  As an active DeMolay he earned the RD Award, PMC-MSA, PIKC-MSA and Chevalier.  In addition to presiding at the Chapter and Priory level he was State Master Councilor of Texas in 1970-71.  As an adult he has served as Chapter Chairman, Priory Advisor and Priory Chairman, District Governor, State Director of Adult Leadership, Conclave Director and State Registrar.  As an Active Member of the Supreme Council he is most known for his tenure on the Jurisprudence and Legislation Committee of which he is currently Chairman.  He is also a Past President of the DeMolay Foundation, Inc.  In recognition of these works he has been presented with the Cross of Honor, Legion of Honor, three Eagle Awards and the Grand Cross.

In Freemasonry his career is a lengthy one.  Among his accomplishments, he is a Past Master of his Lodge, Past High Priest in the Royal Arch Chapter, Past Master in the Council, Past Venerable Master in Scottish Rite, Past President of the Masters, Wardens and Secretaries Association, Past Governor in the York Rite College and Past Sovereign in the Red Cross of Constantine among many other offices.  In 2003 he became the first Past State Master Councilor of Texas to serve as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas and in that same year was the first Texan to be elected as Chairman of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America.  During these years he has been awarded memorials and medals from the Grand Lodges of Washington, Oklahoma, Sao Paulo in Brazil and the Kingdom of Morocco.  In the United States he has been honored with the Order of the Purple Cross in York Rite, Knight Commander of the Temple in the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, Thirty-Third Degree Honorary in Scottish Rite, Royal Order of Scotland, National Sojourners, and the IXth Grade in Masonic Rosicrucians.

Both he and his wife of 42 years – Susan – enjoy retirement time with their children and grandchildren, all of whom continue the family tradition of residing in the Lone Star State.