Oscar Straus Memorial

The Oscar S. Straus Memorial in Washington, D.C., commemorates the accomplishments of the first Jew to serve in the cabinet of a U.S. president. Oscar Solomon Straus was Secretary of Commerce and Labor under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1906 to 1909. The memorial is a marble fountain located in the Federal Triangle on 14th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C.. It is located in front of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Oscar Straus Memorial
The memorial viewed from above (date unknown)
Location in the District of Columbia
Coordinates38.8938°N 77.0316°W / 38.8938; -77.0316
LocationWashington, D.C.
DesignerAdolph Alexander Weinman
TypeMemorial
MaterialMarble
Dedicated dateOctober 26, 1947
Dedicated toOscar Straus

The fountain was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman,[1] funded with a public subscription beginning in 1929,[2] and dedicated on October 26, 1947.[3] In the center of the memorial is the massive fountain with the inscription "statesman, author, diplomat" and to each side are two groups of statues, one called Justice (to symbolize the religious freedom which allowed a Jew to serve in such a position of authority) and the other Reason (to symbolize the capitalism and labor efforts put forth by Straus).

It was rededicated on October 26, 1998.[4]

  • The Justice portion of the memorial which celebrates the "inherent right" to worship.
  • Reason
  • Reason
  • Justice

See also

References
  1. "Oscar Straus Memorial". Goethe Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  2. "Oscar S. Straus: Fountain at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C." www.DCmemorials.com. 2006. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  3. "Come & Explore". www.itcdc.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  4. "Rededication Ceremony Oscar S. Straus Memorial October 26, 1998" (PDF). wholedamfam. Straus Historical Society, Inc. February 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
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