German-U.S. merchandising family that distinguished itself in public service and philanthropy.
The family originated in Bavaria, and the patriarch, Lazarus Straus, immigrated to the U.S. in 1852, followed by his wife and three sons: Isidor (18451912), Nathan (18481931), and Oscar Solomon (18501926). They established a merchandising firm that allowed them to gain an interest in Macy and Co. , which led to complete ownership in 1896. Isidor established the department store chain of Abraham & Straus, served briefly in the U.S. Congress, and engaged in philanthropic works; he and his wife perished aboard the Titanic after giving Mrs. Straus's place in a lifeboat to their maid. Nathan was noted for his philanthropy; he distributed food and coal in New York and supplied pasteurized milk to children in 36 cities during the 1892 depression, built the first tuberculosis preventorium for children (1909), and provided food for New York's poor during the harsh winter of 191415. He devoted the last years of his life to public-health work in Palestine. Oscar was appointed Secretary of Commerce and Labor by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt , becoming the first Jewish Cabinet member (190609); he also served as emissary to Ottoman Turkey and as an adviser to Pres. Woodrow Wilson , and he was a strong advocate for the protection of Jewish minorities in Europe.