List of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks members explained

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

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Harry HershfieldNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Cartoonist known for Abie the Agent.
Charles Marion RussellGreater Falls MT Lodge No. 214

Business

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Joseph E. GrosbergFounder and the president of Central Markets, a grocery store chain in upstate New York
John Flint KidderGrass Valley Elks ClubOwner of the Northern California's Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Howard KohnBusinessman and owner of T4 Cattle Company,

Entertainment

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Gene AutryBurbank CA Lodge No. 1497Actor, musician, singer, and composer
New York Elks Lodge No. 1Actor who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Jack BennyComedic entertainer on radio and television[1]
Irving BerlinNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Songwriter
Leonard BernsteinNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Conductor, composer, and winner of seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and 16 Grammy Awards
Lew BloomVaudeville performer and stage actor who popularized the comical tramp character
Wilner BurkeBand director known for leading the Lumberjack Band
Bruce CampbellAshland OR Lodge No. 944Actor
Jim CramerSummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Host of Mad Money on CNBC
Walter CronkiteBroadcast journalist and anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years
Andy DevineSan Fernando CA Elks Lodge No. 1539Actor
Jack ElamAshland OR Lodge No. 944Actor
Rich HallLivingston MT Lodge No. 246Comedian, writer, documentary maker, and musician
Jazz trombonist and bandleader
Al JolsonNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Singer, actor, and vaudevillian
Martha MacCallumSummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Journalist and news anchor for Fox News
Paul PetersenGardena CA Lodge No. 1919Actor known for The Donna Reed Show.
Arthur PryorAsbury Park Lodge No. 128
John Philip SousaNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Composer and conductor known for American military marches
Danny ThomasToledo OH Lodge No. 53Actor and comedian known for The Danny Thomas Show
Rudy ValléePortland ME Lodge No. 188Singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer
Robert WagnerNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Actor known for shows It Takes a Thief and Hart to Hart
Casey WebbRed Bank Lodge No. 233Television series Man v. Food.
Lawrence WelkBandleader and television impresario who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show
Charles "Charlie" WhiteBlackface minstrel entertainer[2]
Tex WilliamsSanta Clarita CA Lodge No. 2379Western swing musician

Law

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
James R. ArmstrongJudge who served on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
James T. HallinanNew York Supreme Court[3]
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.New York Elks Lodge No. 1Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Chester Ralph HoveyJustice of the Washington Supreme Court
New Albany Indiana Lodge No. 270
Silas Wright PorterKansas City, Kansas

Military

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Frederick FunstonNew York Elks Lodge No. 1United 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 NashSergeant in Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War
John J. PershingNew York Elks Lodge No. 1General of the Armies and commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I
Eddie RickenbackerMost decorated flying ace in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient

Politicians

Presidents and Vice Presidents

NameLodgeNotabilityReferences
Alben W. BarkleyVice President of the United States
Dwight D. EisenhowerPresident of the United States
Gerald FordGrand Rapids, Michigan Lodge No. 48President of the United States
Warren G. HardingMarion, Ohio Lodge No. 32President of the United States
John F. KennedyBoston, Massachusetts Lodge No. 10President of the United States[4]
Franklin D. RooseveltPoughkeepsie, New York No. 275President of the United States
Harry S. TrumanKansas City, Missouri Lodge No. 26President of the United States

Governors

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Fred P. ConeGovernor of Florida and Florida Senate[5]
Bob EhrlichTowson MD Lodge No. 469Governor of Maryland, United States House of Representatives, and Maryland House of Delegates
John Christoph Blucher EhringhausGovernor of North Carolina and North Carolina House of Representatives
Governor of Guam and founder of the Guam Daily News
William S. FlynnGovernor of Rhode Island
David Sholtz[6]
Al SmithNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Governor of New York and New York State Assembly
William M. TuckDanville, Virginia, Lodge No. 227Governor of Virginia, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, United States House of Representatives, Virginia Senate, and Virginia House of Delegates

United States Congress

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
William Clay ColeUnited States House of Representatives and Missouri House of Representatives
Richard E. ConnellNew York Elks Lodge No. 1United States House of Representatives[7]
Everett DirksenUnited States Senator and United States House of Representatives
Barry GoldwaterUnited States Senate and Major General in the Air Force Reserve
Henry M. JacksonEverett WA Lodge No. 479United States Senator and United States House of Representatives
Thomas Kean Jr.Summit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246United States House of Representatives, New Jersey Senate, and New Jersey General Assembly
William KnowlandOakland Lodge No. 171
Fiorello La GuardiaNew York Elks Lodge No. 1United States House of Representatives, Mayor of New York, and the 2nd Director General of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
Warren MagnusonSeattle Lodge No. 92United States Senator and United States House of Representatives
John W. McCormackSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives and Massachusetts House of Representatives
Chester L. MizeUnited States House of Representatives
John Matthew MooreHouston Lodge, No. 151United States House of Representatives and Texas House of Representatives[8]
Alexander Wiley

State politics

NameLodgeNotabilityReferences
Harvey R. AbrahamOshkosh Elks ClubWisconsin State Assembly
Lonnie O. AuldsLouisiana House of Representatives[9]
Edward Francis BlewittPennsylvania State Senate[10]
Edward H. BurkeMaryland House of Delegates
Vermont House of Representatives and Mayor of Burlington, Vermont
David DankOklahoma House of Representatives[11]
Miles Dewey Davis Jr.Failed candidate for the Illinois General Assembly and father of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
Claude DeBruhlNorth Carolina House of Representatives
Joe DormanOklahoma House of Representatives
Gilbert DupreLouisiana State Representative and District Judge for St. Landry Parish
Charles R. FenwickVirginia Senate and Virginia House of Delegates
Harry GoldsteinFlorida House of Representatives
John GrangeKansas House of Representatives
Jeff HarrisMissouri House of Representatives
Jerry KearnsIowa House of Representatives
Ron KrausAlbert Lea Elks ClubMinnesota House of Representatives
Frank J. LonerganOregon House of Representatives[12]
LeRoy J. LoudenNebraska Legislature
William LovensteinPresident pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia
A. J. RosierWyoming Senate[13]
John SpirosMarshfield Elks ClubWisconsin State Assembly
Edwin Orin Wood

Local politics

NameLodgeNotabilityReferences
Robert E. Lee ChanceyMayor of Tampa, Florida
Richard J. DaleyMayor of Chicago
Vincent R. ImpellitteriNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Mayor of New York City and New York City Criminal Court judge
President of the Seattle City Council
George P. McLainLos Angeles City Council
John C. MontanaBuffalo Common Council and consigliere of the Buffalo crime family
John Edward MoranBuffalo, NYMayor of Burlington, Vermont
David RobertsMayor of Hoboken, New Jersey
Winfred J. SanbornPresident of the Los Angeles City Council
William Pruden SmithMayor of Miami, Florida
Francis L. WingMayor of Tampa, Florida
Frank C. ZehrungMayor of Lincoln, Nebraska

Sports

NameLodgeNotabilityReference
Frank AasandCurler, a 1972 World Men's silver medallist, and a 1972 United States men's curling champion.
Michael BadgleySummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Professional football player for the Detroit Lions
Shawn Boskie
Jon CondoPhilipsburg PA Lodge No. 1173Professonal football player for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers
Wuert EngelmannProfessonal football player with the Green Bay Packers.
Dan FeeneySummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Professonal football player for the Minnesota Vikings
Whitey FordQueensborough NY Lodge No. 878Professional baseball pitcher the New York Yankees
Will FriesCranford Lodge No. 2006Professional football player for the Indianapolis Colts
Willis GlassgowProfessional football player
Ray GuyHattiesburg MS Lodge No. 599Professional football player for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders
August HerrmannExecutive of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and president of National Baseball Commission[14]
Ned JarrettNewton, NC Lodge No. 2042Race car driver, two-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion, and broadcaster
Bobby JonesAtlanta-North Lake Lodge No. 78Amateur golfer who founded and helped design the Augusta National Golf Club and co-founded the Masters Tournament
Bud Jorgensen
Willie KeelerBrooklyn, New York Lodge No. 22Professional baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles[15]
King KellyBoston, Massachusetts Lodge No. 10Professional baseball player and manager with the Chicago White Stockings and the Boston Beaneaters
Al LeiterSummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Professional baseball player the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets and current television sports commentator
Vince LombardiGreen Bay Lodge No. 259
Nicholas Allan MangoldMadison NJ Lodge No. 1465
Eli ManningSummit NJ Elks Lodge No. 1246Professional football player for the New York Giants
Knute RockneSouth Bend Indiana Lodge No. 235Football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame
Babe RuthNew York Elks Lodge No. 1Professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees
Spec SheaNaugatuck CT Lodge No. 967Professional baseball player for the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators
Monty SticklesSan Francisco Lodge No. 3Professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saint
Billy SouthworthKenton OH Lodge No. 157Professional baseball player and manager for St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Braves
Ray TauscherPortland Elks Club International motorcycle speedway rider
Honus WagnerCarnegie PA Lodge No. 831Professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Dick WeberFlorissant MO Lodge No. 2316Professional ten-pin bowler and founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association

Notes and References

  1. Book: Congressional Record . U.S. Government Printing Office . 1968 . 3726 . 30 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Grand Exalted Rulers . September 16, 2020 . elks.org.
  3. Web site: Grand Exalted Rulers . September 16, 2020 . elks.org.
  4. Schmidt, Alvin J., and Nicholas Babchuk. “The Unbrotherly Brotherhood: Discrimination in Fraternal Orders.” Phylon (1960-) 34, no. 3 (1973): 279. via JSTOR.
  5. Web site: Cone, Frederick Preston . February 19, 2013 . The Political Graveyard.
  6. News: November 10, 1932 . Florida's Next Governor . . 4 . 8 . 33.
  7. Book: United States Congressional Serial Set . 1914 . . 43 . en . 1 March 2018.
  8. Book: Hardy . Dermot H. . Historical Review of South-East Texas and the Founders Leaders and Representative Men of its Commerce, Industry and Civic Affairs . Roberts . Ingham S. . 1910 . The Lewis Publishing Company . II . Chicago . 607 . Google Books.
  9. Web site: September 15, 2011 . Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812–2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004235758/http://www.legis.la.gov/legisdocs/members/h1812-2012.pdf . October 4, 2013 . July 8, 2013 . Louisiana State Legislature.
  10. Web site: O'Dowd . Niall . August 28, 2008 . Biden's Irish Roots . 26 April 2020 . globallycastle.com.
  11. Web site: Representative Dank, David, District 85 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150102021513/http://www.okhouse.gov/District85 . January 2, 2015 . August 21, 2013 . Oklahoma House of Representatives.
  12. Web site: Grand Exalted Rulers . September 16, 2020 . elks.org.
  13. Book: Bartlett, Ichabod Sargent . History of Wyoming . 1918 . . 2 . Chicago . 55–56 . en.
  14. Web site: Grand Exalted Rulers . September 16, 2020 . elks.org.
  15. Book: Solomon . Burt . Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball . 14 March 2000 . . 978-0-385-49882-1 . 6 . en . 31 May 2023.