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Straus Historical Society Inc.
Post Office Box 416
Smithtown, NY 11787-0416
Phone: 631-265-0383
FAX: 631-724-4487
Email Us
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Current Newsletter
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
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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.
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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.
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Alexandra More, Rebecca Straus, David Straus and Barbie Gurgan
at the cocktail party
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Patty Straus, Alan, Birgitta and Ingrid Hockstader and David Straus at
the cocktail party
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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
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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.
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Dr. Michael Feldberg
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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.
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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.
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Joan
Adler
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Daniel R. Kaplan
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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.
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Paul
A. Kurzman
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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.
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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.
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Hugh Grant Straus III
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David
H. Kurzman
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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.
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Great
Hall and Balcony with Straus family slideshow projected on the two
story wall
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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.
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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
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Roberta Morse with Selma and Fred Moses
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Hebe Schafer and
husband James Barnes
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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.
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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.)
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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."
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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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