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Nathan StrausAmerican industrialist and philanthropist
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Business Success
- Child Health and Pasteurization
- Philanthropic Endeavors
- Zionism and Support for Israel
- Legacy
Early Life and Business Success
Nathan Straus was born on January 31, 1848, in Otterberg, Germany, into a Jewish family. He was the third child of Lazarus and Sarah Straus. His family emigrated to the United States in 1854, settling in Georgia. After losing their fortune during the Civil War, the family relocated to New York City, where Lazarus founded L. Straus & Sons, a china and glassware business.
Nathan married Lina Gutherz on April 28, 1875, and they had six children. He, his brother Isidor, and his brother-in-law founded Abraham & Straus after acquiring a Brooklyn dry goods store. In 1888, they partnered with Macy's and became co-owners in 1896.
Child Health and Pasteurization
Straus's passion for child health was ignited after his infant daughter died from contaminated milk. Realizing the link between contaminated milk and childhood illnesses like typhoid, scarlet fever, and diphtheria, he established a pasteurization laboratory in New York City. He charged a nominal fee for milk to avoid creating dependency and partnered with the Salvation Army to provide coupons for those who could not afford it. Despite opposition from the dairy industry, Straus's efforts resulted in a state law mandating milk pasteurization in 1914. By then, he had established 297 pasteurization plants in 36 cities across the United States.
Philanthropic Endeavors
Straus continued his philanthropy by establishing the Tuberculosis Preventorium in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, in 1909. He donated 1,135,731 meals to the unemployed during the winter of 1914-15, and during World War I, he provided food for war orphans and returning soldiers.
Zionism and Support for Israel
A trip to Palestine with his wife in 1904 sparked Straus's deep connection to Jewish history and the land. He became a fervent Zionist and, after the tragic loss of his brother Isidor on the Titanic in 1912, dedicated his life to supporting Israel.
In Jerusalem, he established a soup kitchen for the elderly, blind, and disabled. He funded industrial projects, providing employment opportunities for unskilled workers. Straus supported medical clinics to combat malaria and trachoma, and he advocated for palliative care. He contributed $250,000 to the establishment of the Jerusalem Medical Center and played a pivotal role in the founding of the Pasteur Institute.
Straus provided unwavering support to farmers and colonists, and he was a patron of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Israeli city of Netanya, founded in 1927, was named in his honor.
Legacy
Nathan Straus died in New York City on January 11, 1931. He is estimated to have saved the lives of half a million children. His unwavering dedication to philanthropy and his belief that "humanity [was] my brotherhood and the saving of babies my religion" left an enduring legacy of compassion and social justice.
