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Who Was Levi Strauss?

Levi’s journey begins in 1847 when he and his family left their hometown of Buttenheim, Bavaria in search of freedom from the anti-Semitism plaguing the Jewish community throughout much of Europe.

Like countless immigrants arriving in the U.S., Levi changed his name when he became a citizen (from Löb to Levi), but he remained deeply connected to his roots, and was a major participant in the formation of San Francisco’s Jewish community and culture.

In California, Levi quickly took advantage of the business opportunities brought on by the gold rush, and struck (blue) gold when he partnered with tailor Jacob Davis to patent the riveted waist overall—and thus, an American style icon was born.

Levi Strauss was born in an Ashkenazi Jewish family in Buttenheim on February 26, 1829, in the Franconia region of the Kingdom of Bavaria in the German Confederation. He was the son of Hirsch Strauss and his second wife Rebecca Strauss (née Haas).

In 1847, aged 18, Strauss travelled with his mother and two sisters to the United States to join his brothers Jonas and Louis, who had begun a wholesale dry goods business in New York City called J. Strauss Brother & Co., at 108 Liberty Street in Manhattan. After arriving in New York, Strauss worked as an itinerant peddler of goods from his brother's store: kettles, blankets and sewing goods.

The family decided to open a West Coast branch of their dry goods business in San Francisco, which was the commercial hub of the California Gold Rush. Levi was chosen to represent them, and he took a steamship for San Francisco, where he arrived in early March 1854 and joined his sister's family.

Strauss opened his wholesale business as Levi Strauss & Co. and imported fine dry goods from his brothers in New York, including clothing, bedding, combs, purses, and handkerchiefs. He made tents and later jeans while he lived with Fanny's growing family. Jacob W. Davis was one of his customers and the inventor of riveted denim pants, and in 1871, he went into business with Strauss to produce blue jeans. The two men patented the new style of work pants in 1873.

Levi Strauss, a member of the Reform branch of Judaism, helped establish Congregation Emanu-El, the first Jewish synagogue in the city of San Francisco.[16] He also gave money to several charities, including special funds for orphans. The Levi Strauss Foundation started with an 1897 donation to the University of California, Berkeley, that provided the funds for 28 scholarships

The Levi Strauss Foundation
The Levi Strauss Foundation supports pioneers working on the frontlines of social change.

Our mission is to advance the human rights and well-being of underserved people in places where Levi Strauss & Co. has a business presence.

For more than 70 years, the foundation has embraced the energy and events of our time to advance pioneering social change in the areas of HIV/AIDS, worker rights, worker well-being and social justice.