Isidor Straus

Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912)—a German Jewish American—was co-owner of the Macy's department store with his brother Nathan. He also served briefly as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He died with his wife, Ida, as a result of the sinking of the passenger ship RMS Titanic.

Early life

Isidor Straus was born in Otterberg county of Kaiserslautern, Germany. He was the first of five children of Lazarus Straus (1809–1898) and his second wife Sara (1823–1876). His siblings were Hermine (1846–1922), Nathan (1848–1931),Jakob Otto (1849–1851) and Oscar Solomon Straus (1850–1926). In 1854, he and his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Talbotton, Georgia where they opened a general store.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War Isidor volunteered for the Confederate States Army but his solicitude was refused as he was only 16 years old at the time. He spent the rest of the war working as a clerk in the store in substitution of an employee that had joined the army, and later served as representative of the family business in England.

Following the end of the war the Straus family moved to New York City, where Isidor and his brother Nathan set up their family crockery and glassware business in the R. H. Macy and Company department store.Eaton and...
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