Straus, Jack I. (1900-1985)
Dates
- Existence: 1900-1985
Biography
Jack I. Straus was the former chief executive officer of R. H. Macy & Company. Straus was R. H. Macy's chief executive officer in the 1940's to the 1960's, a period when the company expanded into a nationwide chain. He joined the company in 1921, where he went on to become vice president in 1933, acting president in 1939 and president as well as chief executive in 1940. In 1956 he became chairman, and from 1968 to 1976 he was chairman of the executive committee.
He was part of a prominent merchandising family on his maternal side, as his great-grandfather, Lazarus Straus, and his great-uncle, Nathan Straus, formed merchandising firm L. Straus and Sons, and sold imported china and glassware to Rowland H. Macy, the founder of R. H. Macy. Nathan Straus and Jack Straus's grandfather, Isidor Straus later leased selling space from Mr. Macy's heirs and, in 1896, purchased control of the company. His father, Jesse Isidor Straus, was president of R. H. Macy until 1931.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Jack I. Straus interview, 1982 November 1 & 26, 1982 November 1 & 26
The Oral History Project of the Fashion Industries began informally in the late 1970s, and was officially funded by a grant from the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries beginning in 1981. The project was guided by an industry advisory committee chaired by Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., and was largely guided by then director of the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT, John Touhey.