Thomas Jex Preston Jr. (October 26, 1862 – December 25, 1955) was an American archeology professor and academic administrator.

Early life

Preston was born on October 26, 1862, in Hastings on Hudson, New York. He graduated from Princeton University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and earned a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree and a PhD. He also studied abroad at the Sorbonne University for two years, and at the University of Rome.

Career

Preston began his career as a businessman for a manufacturing concern in Newark, New Jersey. He left the business world after "amassing a comfortable fortune." Preston was a professor of archeology at Princeton University in 1911–1912. He also served as the president pro tem of Wells College in Aurora, New York. Preston was a fellow of the American Academy in Rome and the Archaeological Institute of America.

Personal life

On February 10, 1913, Preston married Frances Folsom Cleveland, the widow of President Grover Cleveland, at the Prospect House in Princeton, New Jersey. Preston died on December 25, 1955, in South Orange, New Jersey, at age 93.

Published works