The Legacy of Harry H. Straus Brevard, North Carolina May 2, 2026, 2 pm
The Straus Historical Society traveled from New York to Brevard, North Carolina, to present a special community program honoring the remarkable life and legacy of entrepreneur and philanthropist Harry H. Straus.
This event explored Straus’ visionary leadership and the profound impact he and the Straus family had on the economic, cultural, and social development of Transylvania County through the founding of Ecusta in 1939 near Brevard and Pisgah Forest. More than a business leader, Harry H. Straus believed that a company should serve and strengthen its community. Under his leadership, Ecusta helped support the construction of a community hospital, funded local education, created Camp Straus for employee families, and fostered recreation, music, sports, and civic life throughout the region.
The program also featured heartfelt personal reflections from community members whose families were deeply connected to Ecusta, including memories of Camp Straus, Straus Lake, Fourth of July celebrations, swimming lessons, softball games, and the lasting opportunities the mill provided for generations of local families. Through these stories, the event highlighted how the Straus family’s values of public service, philanthropy, and community investment continue to inspire people today.
The Straus Historical Society is honored to help preserve and share this important history and the enduring legacy of Harry H. Straus in Brevard and beyond.
Rutgers University Podcast: Nathan Straus: From Macy’s Magnet to International Humanitarian April 3, 2026
Andrew Fisher, author of "Nathan Straus: From Macy’s Magnet to International Humanitarian," talked about his book with Joan Adler, the Director of the Straus Historical Society.
Nathan Straus (1848–1931) encompassed worlds. He rose from his Jewish German immigrant family’s ruin in Civil War Georgia to become co-owner of Macy’s and Abraham & Straus department stores. He helped build American Zionism and cofounded the American Jewish Congress movement. His public service led to a nomination for New York City mayor.
This, the first comprehensive biography of Straus, details each of these lives but argues that his most historic achievements lay elsewhere—in philanthropy. Inspired by both his Jewish values and no-nonsense pragmatism, Straus designed, funded, and oversaw four Progressive philanthropic initiatives. The greatest—his demonstration and advocacy campaigns for milk pasteurization—saved the lives of countless thousands of infants in New York City and, ultimately, across much of America and western Europe. Straus also founded America’s first TB preventorium for at-risk children: a model for the forty-five more that followed. Partnering with Hadassah, he brought American public health innovations to Mandate Palestine. He provided vast relief for New York City’s jobless in the severe 1890s depression. In all, Straus’s humanitarianism won the acclaim of American presidents and world leaders and the gratitude of millions. We can learn from him today.