Oscar Solomon Straus

Biography

Oscar Solomon Straus, born in 1850, rose from modest beginnings to become the first Jewish member of a U.S. presidential Cabinet, serving as Secretary of Commerce and Labor and advocating for fair treatment of workers and immigrants.

After leaving the cabinet he turned to diplomacy, serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and supporting civic organizations; his memory endures among those who recall the dignity of his service and he is laid to rest in Beth El Cemetery.