Herber W Youngken

Herber W Youngken (Eta)

Grand Regent: 1937-1941

Herbert Wilkinson Youngken was a teacher, eminent pharmaceutical botanist, pharmacognosist, and Past Grand Regent of Kappa Psi. He was born in Richland Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania on October 31, 1885. His early education was completed in the schools of Quakertown and at Bucknell Academy. Later, he attended and received degrees from Medico-Chirurgical College, Bucknell University, and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1915, he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Youngken came to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy as Chairman of the Department of Materia Medica in 1923. Previous to that time, he served as a member of the faculty at Medico-Chirurgical College and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. He and Clara M. Eastman were married in 1911, and they had four children. In addition to his extensive scientific writings, Brother Youngken also took an active part in civic affairs and in lodge and church work. He was a member of numerous scientific societies and was a member of the U.S.P. Revision Committee since 1925. Since 1940, he served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Botany and Pharmacognosy. In addition, he was a member of the Committee on Pharmacognosy of the National Formulary. Past Grand Regent Youngken received the Ebert Prize twice and his textbooks on pharmaceutical botany and pharmacognosy have each went through six editions. In 1919, he was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Pharmacy by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, and in 1934, Bucknell University presented him with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science. Brother Youngken became a member of Eta Chapter of Kappa Psi in 1916, and since coming to Boston in 1923, he took an active interest in Mu Chapter and the Boston Graduate Chapter.

He was installed as Grand Regent in New York on August 18, 1937. When he accepted the responsibilities of the office, he found a reduced membership and a seriously depleted national treasury. The Fraternity had not held a national convention for thirteen years and there was considerable concern for the future. Under his inspiring leadership, he soon infused a new spirit into the Fraternity and it began to grow and prosper. Although it was not possible to hold a Grand Council Convention in 1940, he proceeded to arrange for a successful convention at which he presided in December 1941. This meeting was a splendid accomplishment and it was actually the beginning of a new era for Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.