Born in 1848 in Otterberg, Germany, and emigrating to the U.S. in 1854, Oscar S. Straus became a career public servant, serving under four presidents, from Cleveland to Taft. The scope of this collection covers his entire life, from his birth in Germany, to his boyhood home in rural Talbotton GA through his public service as Minister to Constantinople (1887-1889 and 1898-1899), Secretary of Commerce and Labor (1906-1909), Ambassador to Turkey (1909-1910) and as a permanent member of the Court to Arbitration at the Hague (1902-1926), and as the author of several books, until his death in 1926.
Oscar S. Straus’ professional career spans a time of rapid change in the history of the United States, beginning with his birth in Germany, to his childhood in rural Talbotton, Georgia and continuing through the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and World War I. Oscar S. Straus imagined a career in public service before there was such a possibility. And then he made it happen.
After completing his education at Columbia University in New York where he earned a law degree, Oscar S. Straus became the first Jewish Minister to Constantinople. He was appointed by President Grover Cleveland and again by President McKinley. Later, he became Ambassador to Turkey once that position became an ambassadorial one, appointed by President Taft. Straus was the first Jewish member of the U.S Cabinet, serving as Secretary of Commerce and Labor under President Theodore Roosevelt. From 1902 until his death in 1926, he was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague.
Oscar S. Straus was a prolific letter writer, sharing his views of the political situation as well as information about his personal life with his brothers Isidor and Nathan. We come to understand the time through his clear understanding of the changing world. Oscar S. Straus was the author of several books, including an autobiography, all of which give the reader a glimpse into the mindset of this great public servant whose descriptions and participation in the world’s drama were insightful. The collection’s newspaper clippings document his career. The collection’s photographs illuminate his life.
From the materials in the Oscar S. Straus Collection, we learn that Straus’ views were as relevant then as they are today.
