▁on ▁January ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 5 3 ▁in ▁U . S . ▁V eter ans ' ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Cor al ▁G ables , ▁Florida . ▁ ▁Imperial ▁W izard ▁Imperial ▁W izard ▁Hir am ▁Wes ley ▁Evans ▁res igned ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁and ▁Col esc ott ▁became ▁the ▁Ku ▁Kl ux ▁K lan ' s ▁new ▁leader . ▁He ▁had ▁previously ▁served ▁as ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁under ▁Evans . ▁Hir am ▁Evans ▁was ▁effectively ▁forced ▁to ▁quit , ▁as ▁his ▁ren oun cement ▁of ▁Anti - C atholic ism ▁had ▁proven ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁" rank - and - file ▁Kl ans men ". ▁He ▁res igned ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Col esc ott , ▁who ▁was ▁soon ▁officially ▁initi ated ▁as ▁the ▁Imperial ▁W izard . ▁The ▁init iation ▁ceremony ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁D ix ie ▁Ball ▁Room ▁of ▁the ▁Henry ▁Gr ady ▁Hotel ▁in ▁Atlanta , ▁Georgia . ▁There ▁were ▁rum ors ▁that ▁Evans ▁sold ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁K lan ▁to ▁Col esc ott ▁in ▁a ▁regular ▁buy out . ▁The ▁alleg ed ▁transaction ▁of ▁$ 2 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁remains ▁un conf ir med . ▁Col esc ott ▁and ▁Samuel ▁Green ▁did ▁however ▁purchase ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁K lan ' s ▁headquarters ▁in ▁Atlanta , ▁which ▁they ▁renamed ▁to ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Palace . ▁ ▁Pre - war ▁re organ ization ▁efforts ▁In