12/27/2015

Macys Moguls: The Straus Brothers

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Macys Moguls: The Straus Brothers

by Ronda Robinson
The rags to riches story of Isidor and Nathan Straus.
Miracle on 34th Street, a perennial classic this time of year about a man named Kris Kringle hired to play Santa at
Macys, took poetic license. One of the main characters was R.H. Macy, who actually died in 1877, decades before
the story in the 1947 movie took place.
In reality, two Jewish brothers, Isidor and Nathan Straus, had become the sole owners of Macys in 1896. They were
the first businessmen in America to form a mutual aid society to help their employees with medical care. They had a
doctor and nurse on the premises. They also provided picnics and sleigh rides, low-cost lunches and Thanksgiving
turkeys for their employees.
The German-Jewish family, who owned Macys for a century, became well known for their devotion to social welfare,
not only for employees, but also the larger community, nation and Israel.
Their legacy is of compassion and kindness and a serious commitment to business, says Joan Adler, executive
director of the Straus Historical Society Inc.
They were very, very employee conscious, agrees Robert Grippo, author of two books about Macys. They believed
in giving back.
Grippo wrote in "Macy's: The Store. The Star. The Story" that if one of the brothers notices an employee seemed
troubled or unwell, he would inquire about the problem and provide whatever assistance was needed, whether it was
money, a new suit or a doctor's services. "This sincere interest created a warm family feeling and esprit de corps
that was long remarked upon by Macy's employees."
The Straus Family history is a rags to riches immigrant story. Isidor and Nathans father, Lazarus, immigrated to the
United States in 1852, following the 1848 revolution in Germany and the economic difficulties that ensued.
Philadelphia was the center of the German Jewish population at that time, but Lazarus was told he would find better
opportunities in the South. He made his way to Oglethorpe, Ga., where fellow German Jews set him up as a
pushcart peddler to the plantation owners. By 1854 he had opened a dry-goods store in Talbotton, Ga., and sent for
his wife Sara and four surviving children. A fifth child had died at age 1 years old.
In 1863 they moved to a larger town 40 miles away, Columbus, Ga., where they became successful merchants. Yet
they couldnt feel comfortable in the shadow of chaos once again: the Civil War.
At the close of the war in 1865, much of Columbus was reduced to ashes. Lazarus moved his family to New York,
opening a company that imported china, porcelain, glassware and crockery. The firm became known throughout the
world.
In 1873 the Strauses convinced Rowland H. Macy to allow them to run a concession in the basement of his store on
14th Street. By 1884 they were part-owners of R. H. Macys & Co., and by 1896 they were the sole owners.
Like Macys, Isidors star was rising. More than any other, he was the man who made Macys, according to Joan
Adler. They had a huge house on W. 105th Street with the first indoor porcelain bathtub.
Isidor was also a U.S. Congressman from 1894-1895. He was asked to run for re-election but declined, stating his
responsibilities at home were great and he didn't believe he could do both. Although he never held a New York City
office, he was active in many organizations that supported the commerce and industry of the city. He also devoted
his time to philanthropic organizations.
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12/27/2015

Macys Moguls: The Straus Brothers

He helped establish Montefiore Hospital and the Educational Alliance

(Settlement House) in New York. The latter began as a place for
immigrants in congested tenements to learn how to acclimate to the
United States. All told, the alliance has helped 4 million New Yorkers of
diverse backgrounds.

The Titanic
Isidor was at the helm as president of Macys until he and his wife, Ida,
died on the Titanic when it hit an iceberg and sank in 1912.
Mrs. Straus had a chance to be saved, but she refused to leave her
husband, a Titanic survivor reported, explaining that lifeboats rescued
women and children first. As our boat moved away from the ship, the
last boat of all, we could plainly see Mr. and Mrs. Straus standing near
the rail with their arms around each other.
The lights of the Titanic were all burning and the band was playing. To
me the most affecting episode of the whole disaster was that final
glimpse of this elderly couple awaiting the end together.
Isidor & Ida Blun Straus (Courtesy of Straus
Historical Society)

The Ida and Isidor Straus Memorial

Plaque mounted in the Manhattan Macy's

Their lives were beautiful and their deaths glorious. The sentiment long graced a plaque inside what became known
as Macys Memorial Entrance, on 34th Street in New York.
Newspaper headlines like Mr. and Mrs. Straus Go Down with Arms Entwined riveted readers. More than 2,000
people packed Carnegie Hall to pay their respects and hear tributes to the Strauses. An estimated 40,000 attended
a memorial service at The Educational Alliance.
A New York Times obituary recalled Isidor as a director in many and supporter of almost every philanthropic
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