Robert K. Straus
Robert K. Straus | |
|---|---|
 Campaign poster, 1937 | |
| Member of the New York City Council from Manhattan At-Large | |
| In office January 1, 1938 – December 31, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 22, 1905 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 1997 (aged 91) Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Santa Barbara Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic City Fusion |
| Spouse |
Barbara Flower (m. 1947) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Straus family |
| Education | Harvard Business School (A.B.) |
| Occupation | Newspaper publisher, politician |
Robert Kenneth Straus (October 22, 1905 – February 24, 1997) was a Jewish-American newspaper publisher and politician who served on the New York City Council from 1938 to 1941, representing Manhattan. He bought the San Fernando Valley Sun in 1958 and founded Sun Litho Inc., a commercial printer.
Biography
[edit]Robert Kenneth Straus was born on October 22, 1905, in New York City to Jesse and Irma Straus. He was a member of the Straus political family; his grandfather was Congressman and Titanic victim Isidor Straus, and his great uncles were department store owner Nathan Straus and diplomat Oscar Straus.[1]
Straus attended Harvard Business School and graduated in 1931 with an A.B. in government and economics.[2] He worked for Franklin D. Roosevelt as governor and president, helping to run the National Recovery Administration.[3]
Shortly after his father's death, Straus ran for a seat on the newly-formed New York City Council in 1937. Running as a member of the City Fusion Party,[4] his campaign committee was headed by Adolf A. Berle[5] and he was supported by mayor Fiorello La Guardia, the American Labor Party, and judge Samuel Seabury's Citizens Non-Partisan Committee.[6] During the campaign, Straus was an enthusiastic advocate for the new proportional representation system, educating voters on how it worked.[7] He was ultimately elected with 65,177 votes, after shifts.[8] He was re-elected in 1939, but was defeated in 1941.
During World War II, Straus worked at the Allied Force Headquarters in the United Kingdom as a government affairs specialist. In 1958, he moved his family to San Francisco, California, bought the San Fernando Valley Sun, and founded Sun Litho Inc. Sun Litho began by publishing small newspapers in California and was one of the first commercial printing companies to use phototypesetting and web offset printing to produce catalogs and other business materials.[3]
Inspired by the teachings of Alfred Korzybski, Straus became a proponent of general semantics and advocated for its inclusion into the curriculum of Pace University. In 1985, he founded the Barbara and Robert K. Straus Thinking and Learning Center on Pace's Manhattan campus. He was an officer of the Institute of General Semantics.[9]
Straus died on February 24, 1997, at St. Francis Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Robert Kenneth Straus" (PDF). “wholedamfam”. 5 (2). August 1997. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ Harvard Business School Yearbook, 1930-31. Boston: Harvard Business School Yearbook Committee. 1931. p. 105. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
{{cite book}}: Wikipedia Library link in|url= - ^ a b "Robert K. Straus; Executive, Publisher". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Al Smith tops constitution parley slate". Daily News. New York. 4 August 1937. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Parties join in explaining P.R. system". Daily News. New York. 16 October 1937. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Back LaGuardia". Daily News. New York. 2 November 1937. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Cheers End of Aldermen As 'Charlie McCarthys'". Daily News. New York. 27 October 1937. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Conrad Assures Democrats Of Controlling New Council". The Brooklyn Eagle. Brooklyn. 1 December 1937. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ a b Saxon, Wolfgang (27 February 1997). "Robert Kenneth Straus, 91, Heir Who Served in Agencies". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Robert K. Straus at Wikimedia Commons- Our Campaigns - Straus, Robert K.
