Levi Strauss Biography
Levi Strauss was born in February 1829 in Germany in the suburbs of Buttenheim. He was born in a large family that consisted of three sisters and three brothers. Rebecca Strauss, the mother to Levi Strauss, was a second wife to Hirsh Strauss, the father to Levi. Hirsh Strauss, the father of Levi, died from tuberculosis when Levi was just six years old. Religious persecution was immense at that time in Germany and forced the Strauss' family to escape and find solace in the United States of America 1 . Since the Strauss' family was Jews by religion, they were subjected to additional taxes and isolation from the rest of the Germany population. The fascist regime in Germany influenced the massive shift of the Jews, and neither the Strauss' was left behind in the massive escape of the Jews.
In 1847, Levi Strauss moved to the United States with his mother and two sisters. This was a move that began the well-lived life of Levi Strauss. Levi Strauss joined his brothers, who had already established dry goods wholesales in New York, and he would help them run the booming business. In the year 1853, Levi Strauss officially became an American citizen, and it marked the beginning of a successful entrepreneur 2 . Levi Strauss shifted to San Francisco, a move that was influenced by the California Gold Rush that happened in the early 1850s. The California Gold Rush attracted many people, especially from Europe and other parts of the United States who tried their luck in the gold mining. Levi Strauss opened dry goods wholesale in San Francisco and named it Levi Strauss & Co. The dry goods wholesale sold a variety of things that surpassed those sold by his brothers in New York City. Levi Strauss expanded his business and accumulated vast customers’ base and generated part of his profits in charities. Levi Strauss, a Jewish, also supported the mission of Jewish religion by taking part in most religious activities. Levi Strauss spent his entire life without marrying and died in 1902 at the age of 73.
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Levi Strauss was significant in ensuring that the gold rush became a success to most people who were looking for fortune in the gold mines. This was facilitated by his gesture to supply the men at the gold mines with durable clothes that would sustain them in the harsh conditions. The durable trousers for the men in the gold mines were made from brown and heavy cloths. In the year 1873, Levi Strauss invented the best ways of creating durable trousers for the gold miners. It is in the year 1873 that Levi Strauss created the first blue denim jeans that were better than the earlier versions of the trousers.
According to the American Jewish Historical Society, Levi's jeans tailored by Levi Strauss were essential to the gold rush individuals 3 . This is because the gold miners needed durable garments that would endure the hard conditions in the mines involving manual labor. Levi Strauss is also recognized for his gesture to accept the request by one of his customers to collaborate and apply for a patent to make better trousers. The deal between Levi Strauss and Davis gave birth to the making of jeans from denim and duck. Initially, Davis was using copper to make the jeans stronger; however, the winning of the patent led to the riveting of the clothes and became a big brand. There is no doubt that the presence of Levi Strauss in San Francisco helped the gold miners with strong garments to sustain them. This is a vital contribution that helped in shaping the history of the United States in the late 1800s.
Development of San Francisco through Entrepreneurship
Levi Strauss is acknowledged for his role in the development of San Francisco with great business ideas. His entrepreneurial skills influenced the expansion of cloth business in various directions 4 . This is evident in his acquisitions of different firms that were struggling to thrive in the business industry. Levi Strauss bought the Pacific Woolen and Mission Mills in 1875. This was a significant step that continued to influence the position of Levi Strauss in the entrepreneurial place in the history of San Francisco. Apart from his acquisitions of different businesses within San Francisco, Levi Strauss was involved in the separate board of organizations. Levi Strauss was a charter member of the San Francisco Board of Trade and also added up as the treasurer. His abilities in society were also recognized and played a significant role in his appointments. Levi Strauss was also the director of the Nevada Bank. This role was given to him due to his capabilities shown through his career as a businessman. He also took part in the Liverpool, Globe and London insurance agencies.
Levi Strauss' contribution to San Francisco society cannot be ignored, especially in creating job opportunities. This is evident in his expansion of dry goods wholesale that created employment opportunities for many San Francisco residents. As a result of his uniqueness, Levi Strauss is once quoted telling his employees to call him Levi instead of Mr. Levi. He always associated himself with the workers and did not fancy being referred by honorary titles. The role played by Levi Strauss in San Francisco through business and employment opportunities is vital to American history. This is because he positively contributed to the well-being of contemporary San Francisco.
Levi Strauss as a Philanthropist
Among the many achievements that Levi Strauss is recognized for, his charities in society can be vividly recalled. Levi Strauss was a true philanthropist and contributed to building the American community in many capacities. Levi Strauss cared for the less fortunate in society, especially the orphans. He contributed to charity organizations, and he is remembered for his funds towards the Pacific Hebrew Asylum. This was a charity that was taking care of the less fortunate in society, especially orphans in the late 1800s. Levi Strauss also contributed to the Eureka Benevolent Society that helped the poor in the community. San Francisco’s organizations that were aiding the less fortunate people in society significantly benefited from the contributions made by Levi Strauss in charities.
According to Katsumata and Hubbard, Levi Strauss used most of his business earnings to help the community around San Francisco 5 . The Hebrew Board of Relief is also another charity organization that benefited from the generosity of Levi Strauss. The philanthropist nature of Levi Strauss helped transform the lives of the San Francisco communities. After his death, his wealth was inherited by his family, while a considerable amount was donated to charity organizations. Historically, Levi Strauss is acknowledged for his charities and helping the less fortunate in society. This is a concern that shaped and empowered the dwelling communities in San Francisco.
Promotion of Education Standards in Society
The history of America depends on the knowledge abilities of its people. This is a factor that was embraced by Levi Strauss when he founded the Levi Strauss Foundation in 1897. Levi Strauss was dedicated to empowering the community by ensuring that students can access education as he paid for their fees. The Levi Strauss Foundation provided a learning opportunity for the less fortunate in society. The scholarship program was based at the University of California, Berkeley 6 . Levi Strauss Foundation provided scholarships for 28 students before the death of its founder. The urge of Levi Strauss to promote education by offering university scholarships proves the noble role that he played in American history. He helped in raising the standards of education by helping the less fortunate students to acquire university education.
Promotion of Jewish Religion
The religion affection by Levi Strauss can be traced back to his ancestral land in German. Their Jewish allegiance is one of the reasons that led to their move to escape the hostile environment against the Jews. Despite little support for the Jewish religion in San Francisco at that time, Levi Strauss was dedicated to ensuring that he supports the religion. This is evident in his membership in the Reform Branch of Judaism in San Francisco. Levi Strauss would later be the first person to fund the establishment of a Jewish synagogue in the entire city of San Francisco. Levi Strauss helped in building the Congregation Emanu-El Jewish synagogue in San Francisco 7 . This is an achievement that cannot be ignored when talking about the impact of Levi Strauss in American history. He was significant in promoting Jewish religion by helping in establishing the first synagogue in the city of San Francisco. He is, therefore, recognized as the founder of the Jewish religion in San Francisco, which later grew to have millions of followers. This is a factor that confirms the positive contribution of Levi Strauss in Jewish history.
Bibliography
American Jewish Historical Society. “Levis Strauss”. Jewish Virtual Library , 2019. Available from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/levi-strauss .
Biography. “Levi Strauss biography”. 2019. https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/levi-strauss .
Downey, Lynn. Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World . University of Massachusetts Press, 2016.
Green, David. “This day in Jewish history/ Levi Strauss, blue jeans pioneer, is born”. Haaretz, 2013. Retrieved from https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-this-day-jeans-pioneer-levi-strauss-is-born-1.5231512 .
Katsumata, Hideko, & Hubbard, Susan. (1999). “Levi Strauss donor-advised fund in Japan”. Japan Center for International Exchange . 1-15, 1999.
Lee, Daniel. “Why funding advocacy is critical to achieving the philanthropy's purpose”. Levi Strauss Foundation . 1-8, 2017.
Pine, Dan. Time-tripping through San Francisco’s Jewish story. Jewish Weekly, 2016. https://www.jweekly.com/2016/09/02/time-tripping-through-san-franciscos-jewish-story/
1 Green, David. “This day in Jewish history/ Levi Strauss, blue jeans pioneer, is born”. Haaretz, 2013. Retrieved from https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-this-day-jeans-pioneer-levi-strauss-is-born-1.5231512 .
2 Downey, Lynn. Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World . University of Massachusetts Press, 2016.
3 American Jewish Historical Society. “Levis Strauss”. Jewish Virtual Library , 2019. Available from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/levi-strauss
4 Lee, Daniel. “Why funding advocacy is critical to achieving the philanthropy's purpose”. Levi Strauss Foundation . 1-8, 2017.
5 Katsumata, Hideko, & Hubbard, Susan. (1999). “Levi Strauss donor-advised fund in Japan”. Japan Center for International Exchange . 1-15, 1999.
6 Biography. “Levi Strauss biography”. 2019. https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/levi-strauss .
7 Pine, Dan. Time-tripping through San Francisco’s Jewish story. Jewish Weekly, 2016. https://www.jweekly.com/2016/09/02/time-tripping-through-san-franciscos-jewish-story/
