List of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks members

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, also known as The Elks, is an American fraternal order founded New York City in 1868. Following is a list of some of its notable members.

Art

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Harry Hershfield New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Cartoonist known for Abie the Agent.
Charles Marion Russell Greater Falls MT Lodge No. 214 Artist of the American Old West

Business

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Joseph E. Grosberg Founder and the president of Central Markets, a grocery store chain in upstate New York
John Flint Kidder Grass Valley Elks Club Owner of the Northern California's Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Howard Kohn Businessman and owner of T4 Cattle Company,

Entertainment

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Gene Autry Burbank CA Lodge No. 1497 Actor, musician, singer, and composer
Ed Begley New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Actor who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Jack Benny Comedic entertainer on radio and television [1]
Irving Berlin New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Songwriter
Leonard Bernstein New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Conductor, composer, and winner of seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and 16 Grammy Awards
Lew Bloom Vaudeville performer and stage actor who popularized the comical tramp character
Wilner Burke Band director known for leading the Lumberjack Band
Bruce Campbell Ashland OR Lodge No. 944 Actor
Jim Cramer Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Host of Mad Money on CNBC
Walter Cronkite Broadcast journalist and anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years
Andy Devine San Fernando CA Elks Lodge No. 1539 Actor
Jack Elam Ashland OR Lodge No. 944 Actor
Rich Hall Livingston MT Lodge No. 246 Comedian, writer, documentary maker, and musician
Bill Hughes Jazz trombonist and bandleader
Al Jolson New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Singer, actor, and vaudevillian
Martha MacCallum Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Journalist and news anchor for Fox News
Paul Petersen Gardena CA Lodge No. 1919 Actor known for The Donna Reed Show.
Arthur Pryor Asbury Park Lodge No. 128 Bandleader, composer, and virtuoso trombonist in the Sousa Band
John Philip Sousa New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Composer and conductor known for American military marches
Danny Thomas Toledo OH Lodge No. 53 Actor and comedian known for The Danny Thomas Show
Rudy Vallée Portland ME Lodge No. 188 Singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer
Robert Wagner New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Actor known for shows It Takes a Thief and Hart to Hart
Casey Webb Red Bank Lodge No. 233 Television series Man v. Food.
Lawrence Welk Bandleader and television impresario who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show [1]
Charles "Charlie" White Blackface minstrel entertainer [2]
Tex Williams Santa Clarita CA Lodge No. 2379 Western swing musician

Law

Name Lodge Notability Reference
James R. Armstrong Judge who served on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
James T. Hallinan New York Supreme Court [3]
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Chester Ralph Hovey Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Sherman Minton New Albany Indiana Lodge No. 270 Associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and United States Senate
Silas Wright Porter Kansas City, Kansas Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court

Military

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Frederick Funston New York Elks Lodge No. 1 United States Army general in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American Warl
George W. Gibbs Jr. United States Navy and first African-American in Antarctica
Henry Nash Sergeant in Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War
John J. Pershing New York Elks Lodge No. 1 General of the Armies and commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I
Eddie Rickenbacker Most decorated flying ace in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient

Politicians

Presidents and Vice Presidents

Name Lodge Notability References
Alben W. Barkley Vice President of the United States [1]
Dwight D. Eisenhower President of the United States [citation needed]
Gerald Ford Grand Rapids, Michigan Lodge No. 48 President of the United States [citation needed]
Warren G. Harding Marion, Ohio Lodge No. 32 President of the United States [citation needed]
John F. Kennedy Boston, Massachusetts Lodge No. 10 President of the United States [4]
Franklin D. Roosevelt Poughkeepsie, New York No. 275 President of the United States
Harry S. Truman Kansas City, Missouri Lodge No. 26 President of the United States

Governors

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Fred P. Cone Governor of Florida and Florida Senate [5]
Bob Ehrlich Towson MD Lodge No. 469 Governor of Maryland, United States House of Representatives, and Maryland House of Delegates
John Christoph Blucher Ehringhaus Governor of North Carolina and North Carolina House of Representatives
Joseph Flores Governor of Guam and founder of the Guam Daily News
William S. Flynn Governor of Rhode Island
David Sholtz Governor of Florida [6]
Al Smith New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Governor of New York and New York State Assembly
William M. Tuck Danville, Virginia, Lodge No. 227 Governor of Virginia, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, United States House of Representatives, Virginia Senate, and Virginia House of Delegates [citation needed]

United States Congress

Name Lodge Notability Reference
William Clay Cole United States House of Representatives and Missouri House of Representatives
Richard E. Connell New York Elks Lodge No. 1 United States House of Representatives [7]
Everett Dirksen United States Senator and United States House of Representatives [4]
Barry Goldwater United States Senate and Major General in the Air Force Reserve [4]
Henry M. Jackson Everett WA Lodge No. 479 United States Senator and United States House of Representatives
Thomas Kean Jr. Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 United States House of Representatives, New Jersey Senate, and New Jersey General Assembly
William Knowland Oakland Lodge No. 171 United States Senate
Fiorello La Guardia New York Elks Lodge No. 1 United States House of Representatives, Mayor of New York, and the 2nd Director General of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
Warren Magnuson Seattle Lodge No. 92 United States Senator and United States House of Representatives
John W. McCormack Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Massachusetts House of Representatives [1]
Chester L. Mize United States House of Representatives
John Matthew Moore Houston Lodge, No. 151 United States House of Representatives and Texas House of Representatives [8]
Alexander Wiley United States Senator

State politics

Name Lodge Notability References
Harvey R. Abraham Oshkosh Elks Club Wisconsin State Assembly
Lonnie O. Aulds Louisiana House of Representatives [9]
Edward Francis Blewitt Pennsylvania State Senate [10]
Edward H. Burke Maryland House of Delegates
John J. Burns Vermont House of Representatives and Mayor of Burlington, Vermont
David Dank Oklahoma House of Representatives [11]
Miles Dewey Davis Jr. Failed candidate for the Illinois General Assembly and father of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
Claude DeBruhl North Carolina House of Representatives
Joe Dorman Oklahoma House of Representatives
Gilbert Dupre Louisiana State Representative and District Judge for St. Landry Parish [citation needed]
Charles R. Fenwick Virginia Senate and Virginia House of Delegates
Harry Goldstein Florida House of Representatives
John Grange Kansas House of Representatives
Jeff Harris Missouri House of Representatives
Jerry Kearns Iowa House of Representatives
Ron Kraus Albert Lea Elks Club Minnesota House of Representatives
Frank J. Lonergan Oregon House of Representatives [12]
LeRoy J. Louden Nebraska Legislature
William Lovenstein President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia
A. J. Rosier Wyoming Senate [13]
John Spiros Marshfield Elks Club Wisconsin State Assembly
Edwin Orin Wood Chairman of the Democratic National Committee of Michigan

Local politics

Name Lodge Notability References
Robert E. Lee Chancey Mayor of Tampa, Florida
Richard J. Daley Mayor of Chicago [4]
Vincent R. Impellitteri New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Mayor of New York City and New York City Criminal Court judge
David Levine President of the Seattle City Council
George P. McLain Los Angeles City Council
John C. Montana Buffalo Common Council and consigliere of the Buffalo crime family
John Edward Moran Buffalo, NY Mayor of Burlington, Vermont
David Roberts Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey
Winfred J. Sanborn President of the Los Angeles City Council
William Pruden Smith Mayor of Miami, Florida
Francis L. Wing Mayor of Tampa, Florida
Frank C. Zehrung Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska

Religion

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Francis Spellman New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Archbishop of New York

Sports

Name Lodge Notability Reference
Frank Aasand Curler, a 1972 World Men's silver medallist, and a 1972 United States men's curling champion.
Michael Badgley Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Professional football player for the Detroit Lions
Shawn Boskie Professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs
Jon Condo Philipsburg PA Lodge No. 1173 Professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers
Wuert Engelmann Professional football player with the Green Bay Packers.
Dan Feeney Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings
Whitey Ford Queensborough NY Lodge No. 878 Professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees
Jack Fox Professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics [14]
Will Fries Cranford Lodge No. 2006 Professional football player for the Indianapolis Colts
Willis Glassgow Professional football player
Ray Guy Hattiesburg MS Lodge No. 599 Professional football player for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders
August Herrmann Executive of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and president of National Baseball Commission [15]
Ned Jarrett Newton, NC Lodge No. 2042 Race car driver, two-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion, and broadcaster
Bobby Jones Atlanta-North Lake Lodge No. 78 Amateur golfer who founded and helped design the Augusta National Golf Club and co-founded the Masters Tournament
Bud Jorgensen Athletic trainer for the Green Bay Packers
Willie Keeler Brooklyn, New York Lodge No. 22 Professional baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles [16]
King Kelly Boston, Massachusetts Lodge No. 10 Professional baseball player and manager with the Chicago White Stockings and the Boston Beaneaters
Al Leiter Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Professional baseball player the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets and current television sports commentator
Vince Lombardi Green Bay Lodge No. 259 Professional football coach and executive in the National Football League, best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers
Nicholas Allan Mangold Madison NJ Lodge No. 1465 Professional football player for the New York Jets
Eli Manning Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246 Professional football player for the New York Giants
Knute Rockne South Bend Indiana Lodge No. 235 Football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame
Babe Ruth New York Elks Lodge No. 1 Professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees [citation needed]
Spec Shea Naugatuck CT Lodge No. 967 Professional baseball player for the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators
Monty Stickles San Francisco Lodge No. 3 Professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saint
Billy Southworth Kenton OH Lodge No. 157 Professional baseball player and manager for St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Braves
Ray Tauscher Portland Elks Club International motorcycle speedway rider
Honus Wagner Carnegie PA Lodge No. 831 Professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Dick Weber Florissant MO Lodge No. 2316 Professional ten-pin bowler and founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association

References

  1. ^ a b c d Congressional Record. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1968. p. 3726. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Grand Exalted Rulers". elks.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "Grand Exalted Rulers". elks.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Schmidt, Alvin J., and Nicholas Babchuk. “The Unbrotherly Brotherhood: Discrimination in Fraternal Orders.” Phylon (1960-) 34, no. 3 (1973): 279. via JSTOR.
  5. ^ "Cone, Frederick Preston". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  6. ^ "Florida's Next Governor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Vol. 8, no. 33. November 10, 1932. p. 4.
  7. ^ United States Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1914. p. 43. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  8. ^ Hardy, Dermot H.; Roberts, Ingham S. (1910). Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders Leaders and Representative Men of its Commerce, Industry and Civic Affairs. Vol. II. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. p. 607 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ "Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812–2012" (PDF). Louisiana State Legislature. September 15, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  10. ^ O'Dowd, Niall (August 28, 2008). "Biden's Irish Roots". globallycastle.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Representative Dank, David, District 85". Oklahoma House of Representatives. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  12. ^ "Grand Exalted Rulers". elks.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Bartlett, Ichabod Sargent (1918). History of Wyoming. Vol. 2. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 55–56.
  14. ^ "Jack Fox, One Time Local Basketball Favorite, Is Dead". Transcript-Telegram. 16 April 1923. p. 10. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Grand Exalted Rulers". elks.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  16. ^ Solomon, Burt (14 March 2000). Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball. Crown Publishing Group. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-385-49882-1. Retrieved 31 May 2023.