Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss was a German-born American businessman who founded the first company to make blue jeans. He was born on February 26, 1829, and passed away on September 26, 1902. His company, Levi Strauss & Co., began in 1853 in San Francisco, California. Today, his jeans are known all around the world and have become a symbol of classic style and durability.

Early life

Levi Strauss was born into a Jewish family on February 26, 1829, in Buttenheim, located in the Franconia region of the Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Confederation. His parents were Hirsch Strauss and Rebecca Strauss (born Haas).

In 1847, when he was 18, Levi moved with his mother and two sisters to the United States to join his brothers Jonas and Louis. They had started a wholesale dry goods business in New York City called J. Strauss Brother & Co. After arriving, Levi worked by traveling to sell items such as kettles, blankets, and sewing supplies from his brother's store.

Business career

Levi's sister Fanny and her husband David Stern moved to St. Louis, Missouri, while Levi went to Louisville, Kentucky to sell supplies. Levi became an American citizen in January 1853.

The family wanted to start a business on the West Coast in San Francisco, which was very busy during the California gold rush. Levi was chosen to represent them and arrived in San Francisco in early March 1854.

Strauss started his business called Levi Strauss & Co. and brought in many items like clothing and bedding from New York. He also made tents and later Jeans. A tailor named Jacob W. Davis from Reno, Nevada became his customer. In 1871, Davis invented a way to make work pants stronger with rivets and partnered with Strauss to make them for many people. In 1873, they received a patent for this invention.

Death

Levi Strauss never married. He passed away on September 26, 1902, in San Francisco. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at about $30 million, which would be equal to $877 million today. His company is now owned by descendants of his nephew Sigmund Stern’s daughter, Elise Fanny Stern, and her husband, Walter A. Haas.

Dramatizations

In 1960, the TV series Death Valley Days showed an episode called "The Million Dollar Pants." In it, Levi Strauss goes to San Francisco to start his business. The story includes made-up characters like Yvonne Benet and Patrick Mahoney, who stood in for real people such as Jacob W. Davis.

Legacy

Levi Strauss was a member of the Reform branch of Judaism and helped start Congregation Emanu-El, the first Jewish synagogue in San Francisco. He gave money to many charities, including special funds to help orphans. The Levi Strauss Foundation began with a gift in 1897 to the University of California, Berkeley to support 28 scholarships.

There is a museum about Levi Strauss in Buttenheim, Germany, in the house where he was born in 1687. San Francisco also has a visitors center at the Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters with historical exhibits. In 1994, he was honored by being added to the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.