R. A. Blount

Richard Anderson Blount (born December 5, 1866 in Montgomery, Montgomery County; died August 4, 1937 in Birmingham) was Grand Chancellor of the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias of Alabama.

Blount was the son of Richard and Elizabeth McKinney Blount of Montgomery. He attended the Swayne School there and also learned to lay carpets. He moved to Birmingham in 1887 and worked for the Laweson Carpet Company, and later for Ben M. Jacobs & Brothers.

Blount married the former Lucy Massey and had one daughter. Lucy died in 1911 and after several years he was remarried, to Mary Lue Crawford.

He joined the Knights of Pythias and was elected Grand Keeper of Records and Seal in 1898 and quickly promoted to Grand Chancellor of the statewide organization, which then had 1,600 members in 65 lodges. Over the next two decades he helped grow the membership to over 10,000 in 345 lodges. He traveled widely representing the order, and guided it through the purchase of the former Alabama Penny Savings Bank building, which was renamed the Pythian Temple. He was challenged for the position by Oscar Adams Sr in the early 1930s.

In addition to the Knights, Blount was as active member of the Shriners, the International Order of Odd Fellows, and Jones Valley Lodge No. 14 of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World. He was also a longtime member of 16th Street Baptist Church.

Blount died in bed at his home on 7th Avenue North from apparent heart failure in August 1937. He was buried at Enon Ridge Cemetery.

References

• Richardson, Clement, ed. (1919) The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. National Publishing Co., p. 24
• "Blount Is Dead In Birmingham" (August 14, 1937) New Pittsburgh Courier, p. 1