Committee
About the Committee
The Committee on the Academy of Masonic Knowledge is appointed by the Right Worshipful Grand Master of Masons of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and serves at his pleasure. Appointments are generally made for a two-year term, coinciding with the Grand Master’s term, though changes may occur based on the commitments of individual members. Care is taken to ensure representation from Lodges throughout the Commonwealth, as well as a diverse range of research interests and backgrounds among the Committee’s members.
The Right Worshipful Liaison
Bro. Lynn B. “Bud” Baker, R.W.S.G.W.
Middleburg Lodge No. 619
Middleburg, PA
Each Committee of Grand Lodge is assigned a liaison with the elected Grand Lodge Officers. Bro. Baker has served in this capacity since entering the elected Grand Lodge line. Prior to this role, he served as a member of the Committee on the Academy of Masonic Knowledge while also serving as the District Deputy Grand Master of the 46th Masonic District. He is a Past Master of Middleburg Lodge No. 619 and a plural member of Mifflinburg Lodge No. 370. He also holds membership in the Pennsylvania Lodge of Research.
The Chairman
Bro. Seth C. Anthony, P.M.
Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682
Elizabethtown, PA
Seth has served as Chairman of the Academy since 2023. He was first appointed to the Committee in 2016 and previously served as its Secretary. He has also held the position of Secretary of the Pennsylvania Lodge of Research. An historian at heart, his primary research interests lie at the intersection of notable Masonic personalities and the organizations they led, particularly during the Golden Age of Fraternalism. His research on the expansion of the irregular Freemasonry in Pennsylvania during the late 1800’s earned him recognition as part of the first class of Hautes Grades Academy (HGA) awards from the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.
The Vice Chairman
Brian T. Mattocks, P.M.
Cassia Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 273
Ardmore, PA
Brian T. Mattocks has served as Vice-Chairman of the Academy of Masonic Knowledge since 2026. A Past Master of Cassia Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 273, his interests center on the practical application of Masonic symbolism as a tool for personal development, ethical reflection, and disciplined action beyond the lodge room. He is the founder of A Mason’s Work, an initiative focused on reconnecting Masonic symbols and teachings to lived practice through education, media, and reflective tools. Brian has appeared on The Masonic Lite Podcast, Whence Came You, and Craftsmen Online, discussing symbolic literacy, modern Masonic practice, and the responsibility of Masons to translate insight into action.
The Secretary to the Committee
W. Scott Muller, P.D.D.G.M.
Harford-Warren Lodge No. 445
Hop Bottom, PA
Scott was first appointed to the Committee in 2019 and has served on the subcommittee for Symposiums for several years. Starting in 2026, he serves as Secretary to the Committee, providing administrative and logistical support for all functions and programs of the Academy. The Grand Lodge recognized Scott as a Past District Deputy Grand Master after an outstanding term of service to the 15th Masonic District. He is always looking to expand his Masonic knowledge, whether it be through history, philosophy or ritual. Jurisdiction.
The Committeemen
Erastus Z. Allen, P.M.
Duquesne-Mckeesport No. 731
Duquesne, PA
Erastus is committed to the observance and renewal of Masonic practice in a time shaped by digital technology and artificial intelligence. With a background in the History and Philosophy of Science, he approaches the Craft as a living tradition that continually interprets contemporary challenges while remaining anchored to its essential forms. He has served as Worshipful Master of two Pennsylvania lodges and as Treasurer of The Philalethes Society (2009–2014). He currently chairs the Communications Sub Committee of The Academy.
William Britton, P.M.
Cumberland Valley Lodge No. 315
Shippensburg, PA
Brother William Britton is a Pennsylvania Master Masonic Scholar and a Hauts Grades Academy (HGA) Scholar. Appointed to the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge in 2018, he is currently serving on the Scholars Committee, and as a mentor to aspiring scholars. He also serves as an officer of the Pennsylvania Lodge of Research and sits on the Pennsylvania Region 2 Education Committee. His published work and research explore Masonic philosophy, symbolism, and the enduring moral relevance of the Craft in the modern age.
Scranton, PA
Michael C. Sachs
Hamilton Day Lodge No. 814
Stroudsburg, PA
Michael C. Sachs has served as the chair of the Masonic Scholars Program since 2024. He holds a bachelor’s and a doctorate from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree from Michigan State University, and is A.B.D. in a second doctoral program at West Chester University. Michael’s research interests include Freemasonry and the Boy Scouts, Freemasons in the Civil War, and Freemasonry and philanthropy. Outside of Masonry, he is also President of Rotary of Smithfields and a Distinguished Toastmaster.
Austin Shifrin, P.M.
Duquesne-Mckeesport No. 731
Duquesne, PA
Austin is best known as a Masonic author and writer. He first joined the Committee in 2022. He has penned articles for RiteNow, the magazine of the Scottish Rite Valley of Pittsburgh, that have resonated with readers and inspired thoughtful conversation across the Commonwealth. Those articles encouraged Austin to pursue longer-form writing, and he has since published three books of essays on a range of Masonic topics.
James M. Stephens, P.M.
Lodge 43
Lancaster, PA
Jim joined the committee in 2026. Jim has a deep commitment to Masonic scholarship, having completed similar courses including the Hautes Grade Academic from the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, where he served as a mentor, and the Capitular Academy of Research and Education from the Grand Holy Royal Arch of Pennsylvania. He will be completing a Doctoral program focusing on ethics and morality.
Nicolas Vettese, P.M.
St. John’s Lodge No. 115
Philadelphia, PA
Nick joined the Committee in 2022 and has been instrumental in supporting its technical needs, including livestreaming events and managing event registration processes. His research interests focus primarily on the esoteric and philosophical dimensions of Freemasonry, particularly where it intersects with the Western Esoteric Tradition. Nick also brings a distinctive perspective to the Committee as a Pennsylvania Mason who is actively involved in several appendant bodies in New Jersey.
Kristopher Yoder
Greenleaf Lodge No. 561
Allentown, PA
Kristopher Yoder is the Library Director and curator of the Trexler Masonic Library in Allentown, PA. He is a Level 2 Masonic Scholar. He has pursued additional light in Freemasonry as a member of Catasauqua Royal Arch Chapter No. 278, and Lux ex Tenebris Council No. 176, Allied Masonic Degrees.
Past Leadership
Chairmen Emeritii
Thomas W. Jackson, R.W.P.G.S.
Cumberland Valley Lodge No. 315
2001-2013
Theodore W. Schick, Jr., P.M.
Jordan Martin Lodge No. 673
2014-2018
George R. Haynes, P.M.
Columbia Lodge No. 91
2018-2022
Yasser Al-Khatib, D.D.G.M.
Fritz Lodge No. 308
2022-2024
Past Secretaries
James F. Standish, P.M.
George Bartram Paul Sands Lodge No. 298
2003-2012
George R. Haynes, P.M.
Columbia Lodge No. 91
2012-2018
Seth C. Anthony
Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682
2018-2022
Peter M. Kraus, R.W.G.S.
Oasis Lodge No. 416
2022-2024
