Walter Benesch has been a Mason for over to 50 years,
active in both York and Scottish Rites. Walter
continues to be an active member of various Masonic
bodies in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia.
He obtained the 33o in 2019, is a holder of Order of the
Purple Cross of the York Rite and is active in SCRICF
College in the District of Columbia.
Currently he is the Dean of the Andrea Solomon
College of Philosophy in the DC Scottish Rite. He is a
trustee of various other Masonic bodies. Brother
Benesch is a Past President of the Maryland Masonic
Research Society and holder of their Exceptional
Service Award. Walter was president of the George
Washington Masonic Stamp Club and has published
numerous Masonic articles. Has given over 60 side
presentations and additional talks. Has been a speaker
for major Masonic research bodies both locally and
internationally. He the holder of two of the highly regarded Distinguished Toastmaster Award from
Toastmasters International. He is also the author of several books which can be found on his web
page: walterpbenesch.com.
With a master's degree in anthropology he has maintained interests in archeology,
paleoanthropology and esoteric sciences as found around the world. His MSSS (MS in Social
Services) triggered his interest in psychology, thanatology, and society. He has taken many
additional non-credit undergraduate courses on a huge variety of subjects and supplements his
studies with constant reading of non-fiction books and periodicals. Walter has studied Kabbalah,
originally with Dr. Michael Hattwick back in the 1990's then with Kirk MacNulty. Over the past
decade or more with Maggy Whitehouse.
Professionally he started out as a youth worker in NYC then as a social worker in the District of
Columbia, Department of Human Services. He moved as a civilian in the Pentagon on various
projects in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the transferred and retired from the Department of
Homeland Security as a senior program manager and program professional instructor. He has two
daughters, one an emergency room MD in California, the other is a fashion designer in Australia. He
is currently retired and living with the love of his life, his second wife, Charlene Gatewood in
Mitchellville, Maryland.
