Sarah Lavanburg Straus ( Lavanburg; 1861 – November 9, 1945) was an American philanthropist and wife of diplomat
Oscar Straus.
Biography
Born Sarah Lavanburg to a
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family in 1861 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the daughter of Hannah (née Seller) and Louis Lavanburg.
Her father was an investment banker.
She had one brother, merchant Frederick Lavanburg.
She was educated in private schools.
On April 19, 1882, she married Bavarian-immigrant and American diplomat
Oscar Straus.
From 1887 to 1889, she lived in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
where her husband served as ambassador and she became acquainted with
German-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...
industrialist Baron
Maurice de Hirsch
Moritz Freiherr von Hirsch auf Gereuth (; ; 9 December 1831 – 21 April 1896), commonly known as Maurice de Hirsch, was a German Jewish financier and philanthropist who set up charitable foundations to promote Jewish education and improve the ...
and Baroness
Clara de Hirsch.
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.
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.
In 1926, her husband died.
In 1929, she financed and participated in a four-month expedition to central Africa for the
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...
to obtain birds from
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, and
Nyasaland
Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...
(now
Malawi
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
).
In 1934, she financed and participated in an eight-month expedition to West Africa for the
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...
to collect bird specimens in
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
French Sudan
French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formall ...
, and
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
territory.
Straus served on the board of the Fred L. Lavanburg Foundation.
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).
Strauss died on November 9, 1945, at her home in New York City.
She was a member of
Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.
Her grandson is
Roger Williams Straus Jr.
References
External links
Expedition films [reel 1/11including footage from the Straus West African Expedition and Straus Central African Expedition
[more reels/nowiki>]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Straus, Sarah Lavanburg
1861 births
1945 deaths
American philanthropists
Straus family