Straus Historical Society Inc.

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Smithtown, NY 11787-0416
Phone: 631-265-0383
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Below is the featured article from the February 2008 issue of the Straus Historical Society's newsletter. Click here to view the full newsletter (pdf).


Straus Historical Society, Inc.

Volume 9, Number 2, February 2008


An Evening with the Straus Family
February 6, 2008
American Jewish Historical Society
and the Straus Historical Society



Center for Jewish History

15 West 16 Street, NYC 		On Wednesday, February 6, 2008 the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) and the Straus Historical Society (SHS) presented "An Evening with the Straus Family" at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. About 150 people attended. Family members were there who always wanted to know more about their family history. People from the community came who had some prior association with a family member or with a business owned by a Straus. History buffs who find these kinds of presentations interesting also attended. No matter why they gathered at the Center on February 6th, everyone came away enriched. They all agreed that it was a wonderful evening.

Daniel R. Kaplan, president of the AJHS, and Joan Adler, executive director of SHS, worked together to present an event that was both informative and enjoyable. As guests arrived they were shown to the second floor balcony where cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served. A continuous loop of photographs of members of the Straus family and the events in their lives was shown on the wall in the Great Hall. The slideshow was easily viewed from the balcony. This was an informal time for people to meet and to share stories. The Chocolate Soldier, a light operetta written by Oskar Straus, played in the background during the cocktail hour.


The artistic Straus family tree was on display and, as usual, drew crowds of people, both Strauses and friends alike. Strauses wanted to know where they fit on the tree. And their friends were fascinated by the beautiful manner in which the family illustrated their relationships.

After the cocktail hour the group moved to the Great Hall where a sit-down dinner was served. It was here that the formal presentations were made.
Alexandra More, Rebecca Straus, David Straus and Barbie Gurgan at the cocktail party



Patty Straus, Alan, Birgitta and Ingrid Hockstader and David Straus at the cocktail party 		Large posters of Isidor, Hermine, Nathan and Oscar were placed around the room. A display case exhibited family treasures such as the locket found on Isidor Straus' body when it was recovered after the Titanic disaster; two letters written in 1854 by Sara Straus, Isidor's mother; a diary written by Sarah Lavanburg Straus, Oscar's wife, during the time they were in Constantinople in 1887 when Oscar was minister to Constantinople; a photograph taken in 1916 of Nathan Straus with his first grandson, Nathan Straus III; and several other items.
A long table on the opposite side of the room held books and other memorabilia that could be handled and read by the guests. A large framed campaign poster of Oscar S. Straus when he ran for governor of New York State in 1912 was also displayed.




Joseph Nathan Straus and his son
Adam Straus-Goldfarb 		Dan Kaplan welcomed the group. He told us that he was particularly happy to host an evening with the Straus family because he had a long association with the family. His first job out of college, and that of his wife, was at Abraham & Straus. His opening remarks were followed by those of Dr. Michael Feldberg, acting executive officer of AJHS. Michael told the group that having AJHS and SHS host the evening was especially fitting because we were, in effect, recreating history by bringing these two organizations together. Oscar S. Straus was one of the founders of the AJHS in 1893 and its first president, a position he held until 1898.

As executive director of SHS it was my job to introduce the Society and our speakers. Dan asked me to tell the story of how I started working with the family. As someone with no background in history, genealogy, archival management or any other skill set that would lend itself to what I do, it seemed unusual to him that my professional life should evolve as it did. The quick version of how I became executive director of the Society follows.



Dr. Michael Feldberg

I hold a BS and MA in Elementary and Special Education. I stayed home once our children were born and began worrying that my brain would atrophy about the time they reached junior high school age. I placed an ad in the New York Times Book Review in about 1985 stating that I would do research for people, a job I invented long before there was an Internet, and having no idea if there would be any demand for this kind of service. There was. In 1990 Robert K. (Bob) Straus called me from Santa Barbara, CA. He explained that his family had owned Macy's for 100 years but that they were bought out in a bitter leveraged buyout in 1986. Many of his family's personal papers were stored within Macy's. They were promised to him on a handshake but that promise was reneged upon once the buyout was completed. He had already hired several other people to try to get those papers out. None were successful. He asked if I thought I could do it. I told him I had no idea but, if he put me in touch with someone within Macy's who was still loyal to the family I would give it a try. I must have caught that person on a good day, and said the right combination of things because I was given access to the room where the papers were stored.
Over a period of about eight months I was permitted to photocopy the Straus' personal papers. I then arranged to have them released to the New York Public Library when it became clear they would not be given to the family. After I organized the pages and had some translated, Bob called a meeting of eight family members to discuss what we should do about them. It was decided that we would try to find all the living Straus descendants. Then we published an address book. In 1993 I started writing a newsletter to let people know what we were finding in the letters. From there, over the next few years, the project expanded. We formed The Straus Family Project and then the Straus Historical Society, filing for 501 (c)(3) status in 1998. It was granted and we have been working and expanding since then.

Now it was time to present the speakers. Paul A. Kurzman spoke about the early history of the family and about his great grandparents Isidor and Ida Straus. Paul is an eloquent speaker who held the audience mesmerized. A slideshow accompanied his talk with photographs illustrating the various people and events in their lives.
Joan Adler

Daniel R. Kaplan

 Isidor was the first child and oldest son of Lazarus and Sara Straus. When the Civil War broke out he was 16 years old. Schools in the south were closed so he went to work for his father. He was sent to Europe on a blockade running ship, the only ship to leave Charleston Harbor that night in 1863. After spending the duration of the war in Europe, where he bought and sold bonds, Isidor returned with $12,000 in gold, enough to buy his mother a house in New York City where the family relocated.
Paul A. Kurzman Isidor joined his father in business and was instrumental in its success. They bought a partial interest in Macy's in 1888 and were sole owners by 1896. Isidor served in the House of Representatives and was one of the founders of The Educational Alliance. He died in the Titanic disaster along with his wife of 41 years, Ida Blun Straus.

After Paul's talk I spoke about Hermine Straus Kohns. This is a very small branch of the family. Hermine was the only daughter of Lazarus and Sara Straus. She was a traditional wife and mother, staying home to keep house while her husband, Lazarus Kohns, worked in the family business, L. Straus & Sons. Because of the early death of their mother, Hermine became the de facto mother of the family and her father, Lazarus, lived with her for many years.

Nathan Straus' branch of the family was amply represented by Hugh Grant Straus III who spoke about his great grandparents. Nathan Straus was the third child, the second son of Lazarus and Sara. He joined the family's china, crockery and porcelain business after completing school. His boundless energy helped to open new markets and introduce new merchandise to the firm. Nathan is credited with bringing pasteurization to New York, then America and then to the world. He volunteered to build a pasteurization laboratory with his own money for any municipality that would send personnel to learn the process. In his later years he became an ardent Zionist, donating money to build the Jerusalem Health Center and opening soup kitchens in Palestine. The city of Netanya is named for Nathan Straus.
Hugh Grant Straus III



David H. Kurzman 		David H. Kurzman, chair of SHS, spoke about the life and legacy of Oscar Solomon Straus, youngest child of Lazarus and Sara. Oscar graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Law School, supported in his desire for education by his older brother and best friend, Isidor. His outlook was idealistic. He didn't want to work in the family business but started out in his own law firm. After thoroughly exhausting himself and endangering his health, he was advised to seek less stressful work. He tried working at L. Straus & Sons but was relieved when his family excused him so that he could research and write a book. He became the first Jewish minister, nominated for the minister of Constantinople, a position he held through two administrations. He was also the first Jewish cabinet member, Secretary of Commerce and Labor under Theodore Roosevelt. He was appointed Ambassador to Turkey once that position became an ambassadorship. Oscar served in four administrations, both Democratic and Republican. He also served on many committees, boards and councils. He was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, a position he as most proud of because it recognized his legal acumen.



Great Hall and Balcony with Straus family slideshow projected on the two story wall 		The response of everyone who attended the evening has been extremely positive. The food, with its dishes created using the recipes of Gladys Guggenheim Straus, one of the founders of Gourmet Magazine, wife of Roger Williams Straus and daughter-in-law of Oscar and Sarah Straus, was not only delicious, it was beautifully presented. People enjoyed seeing the historical photographs in the slideshow and presentations. The various items in the showcase drew crowds. Most of these items had never been displayed before. Family members were excited to meet their cousins or to be reunited with others they hadn't seen in years.

And many people in the audience seemed pleased to be able to speak with the members of the Straus family about their own interest in the family. A DVD of the presentations will be available. Please let me know if you want to reserve one.

Based on the response, AJHS and SHS will explore other ways we can collaborate. Perhaps we will host additional evenings where presentations can focus on the Straus brothers individually.

Paul Kurzman wrote, "What makes our Jewish family different than all the others is neither financial acumen and wealth, nor charitable participation and generosity. Our family, of course, did both, However, the Strauses are perhaps the only Jewish family that also made historic contributions to America as a nation. First US ambassador, first member of the cabinet, first ambassador to one of the two principal diplomatic posts in the 20th century, first to have a city in Israel named in his honor. Viewed through the lenses of race, gender, disability and religion, Oscar was the Thurgood Marshal of the Supreme Court, the Frances Perkins of the Cabinet, the FDR of the White House, the Jack Kennedy of the Presidency. Straus achievements and contributions to America are unique!"

Caroline Selden
Roberta Morse with
Selma and Fred Moses 		Hebe Schafer and
husband James Barnes

Donald Blun Straus

1916 - 2007

The following obituary, written by the children of Donald Blun Straus, appeared in the Mount Desert Islander (ME) on September 7, 2007.

Donald Blun Straus, 91, an influential leader in education, conflict resolution and population control died peacefully Sept. 3, 2007 at his home.

Mr. Straus was born June 28, 1916 in Middletown, NJ., the son of Percy and Edith Abraham Straus. Percy Straus was president of R. H. Macy's landmark New York store, founded by Donald's grandfather, Isidor. Isidor and Ida Straus died on the Titanic after they allowed others to take their places in a lifeboat.

Mr. Straus graduated from Harvard University in 1938 with a baccalaureate and earned his Master of Business Administration degree in 1940 from Harvard. He and Elizabeth "Beth" Allen were married September 7, 1940.

He was a member of the Century Association, the Knickerbocker Club, the Harvard Club of New York City and the Pot and Kettle Club of Bar Harbor.

Mr. Straus served at various times as executive director of the Labor Relations panel of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Vice President of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York, President of the American Arbitration Association, a consultant to the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, and a member of the board of the New York Board of Mediation.



He served as Chairman of the board of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and on the boards of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration, the Population Resources Commission, the Society of Human Ecology, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Institute for Advanced Study and of the College of the Atlantic.

Mr. Straus was an early advocate for non-adversarial conflict resolution and of online computer conferencing and online education and referendums. He taught an online course in "Democracy in the 21st Century" for Connected Education.

Mr. Straus and his wife, the former Elizabeth Allen, lived in New York City for many years and summered at their home at the head of Somes Sound in Maine. Mr. Straus was an intrepid, daring sailor, often exploring shallow gunk holes in search of remote anchorages.

He and Beth often cruised along the Maine coast in their cutter, Sea Otter, alone and with friends and family. In later years, they eventually turned to a twin-diesel lobster boat and to a 12-foot Herreshoff sloop, Pinniped. When not cruising, he and Beth would row their dinghy together in perfect synchronicity on Somes Sound.

Mr. Straus loved to reminisce about his sailing life, such as crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific as an undergraduate and cruising in the Baltic with friends. One of his favorite stories was his unsuccessful effort to conceal from Beth that he had run the Sea Otter aground near Castine and had to wait for the incoming tide to refloat her.

Another early passion was flying, and Mr. Straus flew his own plane cross-country to California to propose to Beth.

Mr. Straus is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Beth; their three children, sons David and his wife Patricia, and Robert; their daughter, Sara Byruck and husband, Marcus, all of Cambridge, Mass; David and Patricia's two daughters, Sara Farrer and her husband, Luke Farrer, and their two children Emma and Toby, and Rebecca Straus; Rob's two children, Lisa and Drew; and Sara and Marcus' two children, Mischa and Chloe. He was predeceased by his son Robert's wife, Sheryl Foti. A memorial ceremony will be announced. Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald of Mount Desert. Condolences may be expressed online at www.jordanfernald.com (Reprinted by permission of the family.)

A memorial service was held Friday, November 23, 2007 at Story Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. Family and friends had an opportunity to share their stories about Don. David Straus, Don's eldest son said, "Dad was the ultimate early-adopter and early promoter of cutting-edge and often provocative ideas. When he grabbed onto a new idea, he was like an energetic dog with a bone in its mouth, bounding around, daring everyone to take it away from him. While he spoke logically and clearly, he was really an intuitive thinker. He would grasp in his gut that an idea was important and totally commit himself to promoting it where ever and when ever he could - which meant often at the dinner table."

Friend Don Coulson: "Nothing is simple, certainly no our memories of Don Straus, a wonderful man who was endowed with so much energy and curiosity and loyalty and love, a man who responded to our troubled and contentious society with such good intentions. ... I realized there was a trace of Don Quixote in Don. He was a zealous knight of the good spirit, not in the sense of Cervante's loony search for chivalry, but embarked upon a crusade to create a more rational, less embittered world. Don truly believed in peaceful dispute resolution."

Second son Robert B. Straus: "Dad carried an immense legacy of family history which both supported and burdened him. He was one of the generation when the Straus family was still in full prominence in New York and nationally. ... Dad made a great deal of his life. I choose to believe that he became what he always wanted to be, a 'self-made' man. ... created what he most wanted, a caring and cohesive family and an interesting and vibrant professional life. ... Professionally, Dad chose not to go into the family business. Instead, as David has described, he forged his own way in labor relations, mediation and arbitration. Again, he made his own way outside the family mold. His interest in conflict resolution obviously inspired David and me, whether we were aware of it or not. ... Dad died at home, surrounded by his family, with us all literally holding his hands. It was a beautiful day in Somesville; across the meadow the harbor and Sound were sparkling in the morning sun. It's as good a way as any to end."

Sara Straus Byruck, Don's daughter: "Dad was NOT a religious man. He did NOT believe in an afterlife and I don't believe he dwelled much on the subject. He preferred to live his life in the present and he was content to leave the mystical to other people."

Rebecca Straus, Don's granddaughter: "I want you to know how much you mean to me and what a wonderful grandpa you are. You have always believed in me and known how to challenge me and push me to my limits; sometimes there was fear and often there were tears; but always in the end I learned that I could go farther that I ever thought possible. ... You have been such an incredible influence in my life. I have always admired your strength, generosity and devotion to causes such as ecology and population control. No matter what happens, you will live on through your children and grandchildren."

Granddaughter Lisa Foti-Straus read a poem titled "My Philosophy" written by Don in February 1934 when he was at Milton Academy:

When you can see no purpose to it all

and life, a some huge gulf that blocks your way

with sides so sheer they hide the light of day,

So slipp'ry that to climb would mean to fall;

Is bleak and drear and full of bitter gaul;

And when it seems your strivings do not pay,

And if they do, the future still seems grey

With failures, labors gains at best are small;

then shift the focus of your fogged eye

and look about. See how the Robins sing,

and when the port of winter's months draw nigh,

They wing their southward way. The greatest thing

That we must learn from life before we die

Is this: that SENSE OF HUMOR is the king.

Dominic Muntanga, a student of College of the Atlantic who is from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe: "As we begin the healing process for our pain of his passing, I hope all of you will cope, not by forgetting Don, but by finding out how we can best live his legacy. This world might just become that better place we dream of if more of us adopt just a little bit of his kindness, his passion for resolving conflicts, and his service-mindedness. Don was a great man."

I first met Don Straus when he invited me to his office to take possession of his professional papers for the Straus Family's Archives. There were many file cabinets full of papers. I was not prepared to crate them and bring them back to my office. Don was not deterred. He told me where the nearest office supply store was located. When I returned to the office Don invited me to lunch at his club where I met his wife, Beth, his brother Ralph and Katney, Ralph's wife. Don cautioned me that Ralph was in the early stages of Alzheimers. What I recall most about that lunch was the caring Don displayed toward his brother. After lunch we returned to the office where, before long the file cabinets were empty and my car, a large SUV, was full. There were several more days together where Don generously shared stories about his life. We did an informal oral history together which Don embellished upon over the years.

Don told me about his flying across country in his own plane to propose to Beth. They traveled all over South America on their honeymoon at a time when most couples went to Europe. He chuckled at some of their adventures and seemed still to be delighted with their experiences, many of them unexpected and near disasters. Don was proud of his many professional accomplishments, especially because he forged his own way rather than following in the family's business. He said he tried it for six weeks and quickly learned it was not for him. I think we are all very lucky that Don was strong enough to seek his own path.

As so many people at his memorial service expressed, Don may be gone but his legacy of love and professional achievement lives on through all of those he touched. We are all grateful for the opportunity to have known him, worked with him or loved him, each in our own way. You are missed by never forgotten.

Contribution in lieu of flowers may be sent to The College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609.
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The Straus Historical Society, Inc. is not associated with any other organization.