Isidor Straus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isidor Straus
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 15th district |
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| In office January 30, 1894 – March 3, 1895 |
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| Preceded by | Ashbel P. Fitch |
| Succeeded by | Philip B. Low |
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| Born | February 6, 1845 Otterberg, Palatinate, Kingdom of Bavaria |
| Died | April 15, 1912 (aged 67) North Atlantic Ocean, aboard the RMS Titanic |
| Political party | Democratic |
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| Occupation | Co-owner of Macy's department store |
Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman and politician. He was born in Bavaria, a region in Germany. He is best known for being a co-owner of the famous Macy's department store with his brother, Nathan. Isidor Straus also served for a short time as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He and his wife, Ida, sadly died when the passenger ship RMS Titanic sank in 1912.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Isidor Straus was born in 1845 in Otterberg, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He was the first of five children born to Lazarus and Sara Straus. His younger brothers included Nathan and Oscar Solomon Straus, who also became well-known.
In 1854, when Isidor was nine years old, his family moved from Germany to the United States. They first settled in Columbus, Georgia. Later, they lived in Talbotton, Georgia, where their old house can still be seen today.
Isidor had planned to attend the United States Military Academy (West Point). However, the American Civil War began, stopping his plans. In 1861, he was chosen as an officer in a Confederate military group. But he was too young to serve. In 1863, he traveled to England. There, he helped the Confederacy get ships and raise money by selling special bonds.
Starting a Business Career
After the Civil War ended, the Straus family moved to New York City. Isidor's father, Lazarus, convinced Rowland Hussey Macy, who founded Macy's, to let their family business, L. Straus & Sons, open a crockery (dishes and pottery) department in the basement of his store.
Isidor Straus worked hard at L. Straus & Sons. This business soon became the main glass and china department at Macy's. In 1888, Isidor and his brother Nathan became partners in Macy's. By 1896, Isidor and Nathan had gained full ownership of R. H. Macy & Co.. They also bought a large part of another company called Wechsler & Straus, which they later renamed Abraham & Straus.
Family Life and Children
In 1871, Isidor Straus married Rosalie Ida Blun. They had seven children together, though one died when they were a baby. Their children were:
- Jesse Isidor Straus (1872–1936): He later became the U.S. Ambassador to France.
- Clarence Elias Straus (1874–1876)
- Percy Selden Straus (1876–1944)
- Sara Straus (1878–1960)
- Minnie Straus (1880–1940)
- Herbert Nathan Straus (1881–1933)
- Vivian Straus (1886–1967)
A famous singer named King Princess is Isidor and Ida Straus's great-great-granddaughter.
Political and Public Service Work
Isidor Straus also had a short career in politics. He served as a U.S. Congressman for New York's 15th congressional district. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He won a special election in January 1894 to finish the term of another congressman. He chose not to run for re-election in November 1894.
Beyond politics, Straus was very involved in helping his community. He was the president of The Educational Alliance, an organization that helps people learn and grow. He was also very interested in improving how government jobs were given out (called civil service reform). He believed in making education available to more people. U.S. President Grover Cleveland even offered him the job of Postmaster General, but Straus turned it down.
In 1902, Isidor Straus became one of the 13 directors of a new company called the Mutual Alliance Trust Company in New York. Other famous people like William Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt were also directors.
Death on the Titanic
In April 1912, Isidor and Ida Straus were traveling back from a winter trip in Europe. They were passengers on the RMS Titanic, a very large and famous ship. On April 14, 1912, around 11:40 p.m., the Titanic hit an iceberg. It soon became clear the ship was sinking.
Ida Straus refused to get into a lifeboat without her husband, Isidor. She said she would not be separated from him. A friend on board, Colonel Archibald Gracie IV, offered to ask an officer if Isidor could join Ida in a lifeboat. But Isidor refused to be an exception. He believed that women and children should be saved first. Ida is remembered for saying, "I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die, together." She even gave her fur coat to her maid, insisting that the maid get into a lifeboat.
Isidor and Ida were last seen on the ship's deck, holding each other's arms. People who saw them described it as a "most remarkable exhibition of love and devotion." The Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912.
Isidor's body was found and taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there, it was sent to New York. He was first buried in a mausoleum in Brooklyn. Later, in 1928, he was moved to the Straus Mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Ida's body was never found. So, her family collected water from the wreck site and placed it in an urn in the mausoleum.
A special monument outside the mausoleum honors Isidor and Ida. It has a quote from the Song of Solomon (8:7): "Many waters cannot quench love—neither can the floods drown it."
Memorials and Legacy
There are several memorials in New York City that honor Isidor and Ida Straus:
- A memorial plaque can be found on the main floor of the Macy's Department Store in Manhattan.
- The Isidor and Ida Straus Memorial is located in Straus Park. This park is in Manhattan, at the corner of Broadway and West End Avenue at 106th Street. The park is very close to where they used to live. An inscription on the memorial reads, "Lovely and pleasant they were in their lives, and in death they were not divided." (from 2 Samuel 1:23)
- New York City Public School P.S. 198, built in Manhattan in 1959, is named in memory of Isidor and Ida Straus.
- Straus Hall, one of the dorms for first-year students at Harvard University, was given in honor of the Strauses by their three sons.
See also
- List of German Americans
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
