Methodist Episcopal Church, was born of slave parents near
Houma, La., March 27, 1859. In 1857, two years before young
Mason was born, his father purchased his own freedom, paying
$1,350. The papers were never legally made out and his
father had to wait with other members of the family for the
Emancipation Proclamation to secure their freedom.

Young Mason was twelve years of age before he had ever seen
a school-house, having entered school in July, 1871, and
mastered the alphabet the first day. Subsequently he
attended a school of higher grade and in 1888 graduated from
the New Orleans University from the regular classical
course. Two years afterward he entered the Gammon
Theological Seminary at Atlanta. Ga., graduating therefrom
in 1891. Immediately after his graduation he matriculated in
the Syracuse University, at Syracuse, N. Y., taking the
"non-resident course" leading to the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy.

In July of the same year he was elected Field Agent of the
Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
being the first colored man ever called to such a position.
So successfully did he prosecute his work that at the
General Committee meeting, which met in New York in 1893, he
was elected Assistant Corresponding Secretary, and in May,
1896, at the General Conference in Cleveland, composed of
537 representatives, only 69 of whom were colored, he was
elected Corresponding Secretary, with a majority of 104
votes against 11 competitors, all of whom were white. Four
years later at the General Conference which assembled in