Nathan Straus
From Macy's Magnate to International Humanitarian
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Rutgers University Press
Publishing:14th Apr '26
£26.09 was £28.99
This title is due to be published on 14th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Nathan Straus encompassed worlds. A dynamo animated at once by Jewish values and no-nonsense pragmatism, he achieved in several realms. He rose from his German-Jewish-immigrant family’s ruin in Civil-War Georgia to become co-owner of Macy’s and Abraham & Straus. He helped build American Zionism and co-founded the American Jewish Congress movement. His public service led to a nomination for New York City mayor.
The first complete biography of Straus, Nathan Straus: Macy's Magnate, Hero of Public Health tells the story of Straus' rise, his robust philanthropic initiatives in the Progressive Era, and his later years in the Zionist movement. Beginning in New York City, his campaign for pasteurized infant milk expanded across and beyond America. He founded America’s first TB preventorium for at-risk children: a model for the forty-five more that followed. He brought American public-health innovations to Mandate Palestine. And, he provided massive relief for jobless New Yorkers in the 1890s depression. In all, his humanitarianism won the acclaim of many American presidents and world leaders and something more: the gratitude of millions.
"At last, a full-length biography of one of the greatest Jewish philanthropists that history forgot. Nathan Straus' contribution to public health—especially by championing pasteurized milk for children—saved countless lives in the U.S. and Palestine and demonstrated how strategic philanthropy can improve the world. Brimming with lessons for our time." - Jonathan D. Sarna, author of American Judaism: A History
"A compelling and highly engaging story of a largely forgotten philanthropist and entrepreneur whose efforts helped shape the twentieth century, this book fills gaps in diverse historical subfields such as medicine, economics, childhood, and religion. This inspiring story is a must-read for anyone interested in philanthropic innovation." - Cynthia Connolly, professor emerita, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
"Finally, Nathan Straus receives his due. His life would have merited a biography, like this excellent one by Andrew Fisher, even if not for his transformative involvement in growing the nation's public health system, but this book offers a fine way to see that as well as the fuller breadth of his public service." - Hasia R. Diner, professor emerita, New York University
"Finally, we have a comprehensive biography of Nathan Straus that does the great man justice. Fisher has crafted a scholarly, deeply referenced, and eminently readable book that tells the story of the legendary Straus family. Highly recommended to readers of Jewish history, philanthropy, commerce, politics, and public health." - Jeff Levin, author of Religion and Medicine: A History of the Encounter Between Humanity's Two Greatest Institutions
ISBN: 9781978843479
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 454g
354 pages