LEVI STRAUSS&CO.

Levi Strauss & Co.,worlds largest

maker of pants, noted especially for its
bluedenimjeanscalled Levis (registered
trademark). It also manufactures tailored
slacks, jackets, hats, shirts, skirts, and
belts, and it licenses the manufacture of
novelty items. The company is
headquartered inSan Francisco.

Early Years

Originally named Loeb, Levi Strauss was

born into a large family on February 26,
1829, in Buttenheim, Bavaria, Germany.
His father Hirsh and his mother Rebecca
had two children together, and Hirsh had
three children from his first marriage.
Living in Bavaria, the Strausses
experienced religious discrimination
because they were Jewish.

When he was around the age of six,

Strauss lost his father to tuberculosis. He,
his mother, and two sisters made their
way to the United States of America two
years later. Upon their arrival, the family
reunited Jonas and Louis, Strauss's two
older brothers, in New York City. Jonas
and Louis had established a dry goods
business there and Levi went to work for
them.

Success in the West

The California Gold Rush of 1849 led many to travel out

west to seek their fortune. Strauss was no exception. In
early 1853, he headed out to San Francisco to sell
goods to the thriving mining trade. Strauss ran his own
wholesale dry goods company as well as acted as his
brothers' West Coast agent. Using a series of different
locations in the city over the years, he sold clothing,
fabric, and other items to small shops in the region.
As his business thrived, Strauss supported numerous
religious and social causes. He helped establish the
first synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, in the city. Strauss
also gave money to several charities, including special
funds for orphans.

Birth of Blue Jeans

A customer, Jacob Davis, wrote to Strauss in 1872, asking for his help.
Davis, a tailor in Nevada, had bought cloth from Strauss for his own
business and developed a special way to make more durable pants.
Davis used metal rivets on the pockets and on the front fly seam to help
the pants resist wear and tear. Unable to cover the cost himself, Davis
asked Strauss to pay the fee so that he could secure a patent for his
unique design.
The following year, the patent was granted to Strauss and Davis. Strauss
believed that there would be a great demand for these "waist overalls"
as he called them, but they are best known today as blue jeans. At first
they were made with a heavy canvas and then the company switched to
a denim fabric, which was dyed to blue to reportedly hide stains.
According to some reports, Strauss first had the pants made by
seamstresses in their homes. He later started his own factory to make
the pants in the city. In any case, his tough-and-rugged jeans helped
make Strauss a millionaire. He expanded his business interests over the
years, buying the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills in 1875.

Later Years

While he remained active in the company, Strauss

began to give more responsibilities to his nephews
who worked for him. He continued to be generous
to those in need, providing the funds for 28
scholarships at the University of California in 1897.
Strauss died at the age of 73 on September 26,
1902, at his home in San Francisco. After his
death, his nephew Jacob Stern took over as
company president. The legendary jeans he
helped create, known as Levi's or Levis, continued
to grow in popularity and have remained a fashion
staple over the decades.