Walter S. Wheeler, Michigan ‘04

When we think of our Founding Fathers, we think of men larger than life. Men who had the foresight to begin our fraternity, to write our ritual, to develop our symbols, and create our brotherhood. Whether we know a little or a lot, we feel that these are great men.

The text above comes from the Acacia Fraternity website page on the Lives of the Founding Fathers and, previously, other than a few listed facts, was all that we had to describe one of the original fourteen Founding Fathers. How could this be? Brother Wheeler was a founder. Surely, there must be some record, some story worth telling about a founding father of a great fraternity like Acacia!  

What appeared as an obstacle to many revealed an opportunity for Foundation Director Rick Williams though and began a hunt for information to tell the story of one of the original fourteen. And what he found out was a story worthy of a founder and what we previously could only imagine.

Born in 1875, Wheeler grew up in Massachusetts before studying at Tufts College and the University of Maine. He then transferred to the University of Michigan Law School. A student by day, he worked his way through college at a hamburger stand in the evenings. 

In Ann Arbor, he became friends with fellow Masonic Club members that shared his values of virtue, knowledge, and truth. When the group formalized as the first chapter of Acacia Fraternity, Wheeler emerged as a natural leader.

As one of the original fourteen Founding Fathers, Brother Wheeler had a hand in creating the traditions we cherish nearly 120 years later. He was one of the strongest supporters of a new Masonic fraternity, as indicated by this quote from the Acacia Journal:

“By constant association with men imbued with Masonic principles and ideas, as well as by practicing the fraternalism taught in Masonry, its members may derive a substantial benefit. In a sense it will be exclusive even among Masons.”

After graduating law school, he spent a year practicing in California but soon returned to Michigan.

From 1907 to 1912, Wheeler ran a successful Detroit law practice.  He became an active figure in the city’s legal and Masonic circles. But another adventure was on the horizon.  

Drawn by prospects in the mining industry, Wheeler began acquiring interests in Arizona silver and iron ore mines. Specifically, Brother Wheeler purchased the Gunsight Mine as well as the Bluebird Mine. His financial gamble paid off, allowing him to build a comfortable life with his wife and two sons. 

Tragically, while on a business trip to Muncie, Indiana in 1941, Wheeler suffered a fatal heart attack at age 66. We can only assume that the news devastated the Acacia and Masonic brothers whom he had associated with over the years. He was returned to Detroit for his funeral, and one can imagine that badges on black suit coats bore silent witness to the many lives Wheeler had touched through his work, wisdom, and fraternal bonds.  

Wheeler’s was a life that shaped a legacy. His part in Acacia’s story lives on at the University of Michigan and beyond — a call to purpose, growth, and understanding built to last.

Though details may fade, Wheeler’s spirit endures in the heart of our brotherhood. His is a timeless example of how we can each embark upon life’s grand adventure, build beauty from uncertainty, and make our lives matter through service and care for others.  Generation after generation, Acacians follow in Wheeler’s footsteps. Our journey is yet unfolding but the path before us is clear. We have but to live with eyes, hearts, and hands as open as the brother who showed us the way and first gave us this place to call home.