Sarah Lavanburg Straus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Sarah Lavanburg 1861 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 1945 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Oscar Straus |
| Children | 3 |
| Family |
Roger Williams Straus Jr. (grandson) Oscar Schafer (grandson) |
Sarah Lavanburg Straus ( née Lavanburg; 1861 – November 9, 1945) was an American philanthropist and wife of diplomat Oscar Straus.
Biography
Born Sarah Lavanburg to a Jewish family in 1861 in New York City, the daughter of Hannah (née Seller) and Louis Lavanburg. [1] Her father was an investment banker. [1] She had one brother, merchant Frederick Lavanburg. [1] She was educated in private schools. [1] On April 19, 1882, she married Bavarian-immigrant and American diplomat Oscar Straus. [1] From 1887 to 1889, she lived in Istanbul where her husband served as ambassador and she became acquainted with German-Jewish industrialist Baron Maurice de Hirsch and Baroness Clara de Hirsch. [1] In 1891, the Strausses persuaded Baron Hirsch to establish the Baron de Hirsch Fund which focused on aiding Jewish immigrants relocating from Russia; and the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls. Straus was appointed the first president of the Clara De Hirsch Home for Working Girls where she served until her death. [1] In 1915, the Immigrant Home's operation was taken over by Straus and her brother, and renamed the Hannah Lavanburg Home in honor of their mother. [1]
In 1926, her husband died. [1] In 1929, she financed and participated in a four-month expedition to central Africa for the American Museum of Natural History to obtain birds from Uganda, Kenya, and Nyasaland (now Malawi). [1] In 1934, she financed and participated in an eight-month expedition to West Africa for the Field Museum of Natural History to collect bird specimens in Senegal, French Sudan, and Niger territory. [1] Straus served on the board of the Fred L. Lavanburg Foundation. [1]
Personal life
Straus had three children with her husband: Mildred Straus Schafer (born 1883), Aline Straus Hockstader (born 1889), and Roger Williams Straus (1891–1957, married to Gladys Eleanor Guggenheim). [1] [2] [3] Strauss died on November 9, 1945, at her home in New York City. [1] She was a member of Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. [1] Her grandson is Roger Williams Straus Jr.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Sarah Lavanburg Straus 1861–1945". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Morse, Mildred Hockstader Tiny". New York Times. July 9, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Roger Williams Straus (1891–1957)". Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
External links
- Expedition films [reel 1/11] including footage from the Straus West African Expedition and Straus Central African Expedition [more reels]
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