Preston Woodnut Eldridge, Jr

Preston W. Eldridge, Jr (Hillhouse/Alpha)

Grand Regent: 1901-1904

From The History of Kappa Psi By Dewey Garner

On the morning of March 18, 1879, the year in which Kappa Psi was founded, there was born to Preston W. Eldridge and Louise Johnston Eldridge a son, Preston W. Eldridge, Jr. The event took place in the city of Washington, D.C. He was the only son of Press Eldridge, the well-known comedian and grandson of Elowise Eldridge—the Mother of Actresses. In later life it was obvious he inherited a good deal of his father’s and grandmother’s ability for entertaining, especially as a musician.

When a small baby his parents moved to Philadelphia where he lived until he was nine years old. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Philadelphia and later in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1890 Preston entered Knapp’s Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, from which institution he graduated in 1893. He then returned to New Haven and entered Hillhouse High School. Here begins the history of Brother Eldridge’s connection with Kappa Psi.

On June 12, 1894, in company with one of his school fellows, Wil­liam F. Clark, he organized a local school fraternity. With the advice and consent of F. Harvey Smith, the founder of Kappa Psi at the Rus­sell Military Academy, this local school fraternity was installed as Hillouse Chapter of Kappa Psi. Brother Eldridge was elected Secretary of the chapter and the following year he became its Regent.

In 1895, when Hillhouse Chapter was withdrawn, Preston Eldridge and F. Harvey Smith organized Alpha Chapter of Kappa Psi at New Haven, Connecticut on December 10, 1895. It consisted primarily of the alumni of Hillhouse Chapter. At its first meeting Harvey was elected Grand Alpha and Press was elected Grand Omega.

After graduating from Hillhouse High School Press entered Yale University and began organizing a Kappa Psi Chapter. After eight months he dropped out of college to enter the business world. He went to New York City where he became associated with American School Furniture Company. In 1902 he was sent as the company’s representa­tive to South America.

On June 22, 1907 Press married Caroline Lowe Vorhis of Yonkers, New York. They had two daughters, Caroline and Jane. Preston left his job with American School Furniture to become head of the advertising department of the New York Telephone Company, located in New York City. He was an active member of the New York Advertising Men’s League, a member of Tecumseh Lodge, 487, Free and Accepted Masons, and a Sergeant in Company D of the 7th Regiment of New York.

Preston Eldridge served as a Grand Officer for thirty years and probably contributed more to the development and success of Kappa Psi that any other individual. Like F. Harvey Smith, Press was neither a physician or a pharmacist. He is the only Kappa Psi Brother that we know of who spanned the three eras of Kappa Psi, first as a Prep School, later as a joint medical-pharmacy fraternity, and finally as Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.

Preston Eldridge was first elected as Grand Omega (Grand Vice Regent) in 1896. As such he served until January 14, 1901, when he was elected Grand Alpha (Grand Regent), succeeding F. Harvey Smith who held the office until that year. He was re-elected successively three times, first on February 15, 1902, then on November 26, 1902, and again on November 26, 1903. His business pursuits led him to decline a re- election at the Philadelphia Grand Council in 1904.

It was in January, 1904, during his tenure as Grand Alpha, that he edited and issued the
first volume of our fraternity’s journal which he appropriately named, The MASK. He was the first editor of the fraternity directory, which he designated The Agora. From 1903 to 1904 he served both as Grand Alpha and Grand Editor and as Grand Historian and Editor from 1905 until 1906. In 1906 he became Grand Secretary and Treasurer, an office he held until 1928, a span of twenty-two years. Without an exception his election to an office was unanimous.

In addition to suggesting the names for The MASK and The Agora, he designed both the insignia and the present badge or pin after suggestions and facts furnished by Brother F. Harvey Smith. Besides editing the first and third volumes of The MASK he edited the first, second, third, and fifth editions of The Agora. He was in charge of incorporating the Fraternity in 1903. When dissension arose in 1906 over the issue of a joint medical and pharmacy fraternity it was Eldridge who saved the organization from disaster at that time by his sterling qualities of leadership. In 1912 he attended the Pan-Hellenic Conference of Fraternities in Chicago, Illinois as a dele­gate from Kappa Psi and was successful in securing representation for the medical fraternities on the Board of Governors.

Preston Eldridge was involved in the organization of almost all of the early chapters. He was a charter member of Hillhouse and Alpha. Along with F. Harvey Smith he installed Gamma, Epsilon (medicine) and Mu. Along with William F. Clark he installed Delta. He installed Eta, and Beta Eta (medicine). At the installation of Eta he had the pleasure of administering the oath of allegiance to George L. Holstein who would later become the first pharmacist to hold the Office of Grand Regent. According to Grand Historian Henry Goeckel “It was Preston Eldridge who handled the organizational correspondence for his friends and fellow members who organized the first collegiate chapters and this is how Press became such an important cog in our Fraternity and why we owe to him probably more that to anyone else the existence of the Kappa Psi of today.”

It is rather remarkable that Preston Eldridge should have given practically his whole life’s work to the Fraternity. His magnetic person­ality, undaunted courage, inexhaustible enthusiasm, unlimited energy, constant loyalty, rare unselfishness and unquenchable love for Kappa Psi label him one of the most extraordinary and valuable fraternity leaders, not only in Kappa Psi, but in the entire fraternity world.

Preston Woodnut Eldridge, Jr. died on October 13, 1931, at his home at 506 Highland Avenue, Westport, New Jersey. Brother Eldridge was fifty-two years old. In 1930 he had undergone a surgical operation from which, it appears, he did not completely recover. He was survived at that time by his wife, Caroline and his daughters, Caroline and Jane.

Signature of Brother Eldridge on a 1912 Membership Certificate