{{short description|American media proprietor (1923–2012)}} {{Infobox person | name = R. Peter Straus | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = February 15, 1923 | birth_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | death_date = August 6, 2012 (aged 89) | death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = | education = Lincoln School<br/>Riverdale Country School<br/>Loomis Chaffee School | alma_mater = Yale University | employer = | occupation = Media proprietor | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | political_party = | boards = | spouse = Ellen Louise Sulzberger<br/>Marcia Lewis | children = 1 son 3 daughters (including Diane Straus) | parents = Nathan Straus Jr.<br/>Helen Sachs | relatives = Straus family<br/>Nathan Straus <small>(paternal grandfather)</small><br/> Bernard Sachs (maternal grandfather)<br> Isidor Straus <small>(paternal great-uncle)</small><br/>Oscar Straus <small>(paternal great-uncle)</small><br/>Monica Lewinsky <small>(stepdaughter)</small> }} '''Ronald Peter Straus''' (February 15, 1923 – August 6, 2012) was an American media proprietor. He was the president of WMCA, a radio station in New York City, and the chairman of Straus News, a publisher of newspapers in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He was the director of Voice of America from 1977 to 1979.
==Early life== Ronald Peter Straus was born on February 15, 1923, in Manhattan, New York City.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit">{{cite news|last1=McFadden|first1=Robert|title=R. Peter Straus, Radio Pioneer, Dies at 89|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/business/r-peter-straus-wmca-radio-pioneer-dies-at-89.html|accessdate=December 27, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=August 8, 2012}}</ref><ref name="washpostobit">{{cite news|last1=Schudel|first1=Matt|title=R. Peter Straus, media executive who led VOA under Carter, dies at 89|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/r-peter-straus-media-executive-who-led-voa-under-carter-dies-at-89/2012/08/08/e726bcbe-e189-11e1-a25e-15067bb31849_story.html|accessdate=December 27, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 2012}}</ref> His father, Nathan Straus Jr., was a state senator and the owner of WMCA, a radio station in New York City.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/> His mother was Helen Sachs, daughter of Bernard Sachs, a neurologist for whom Tay–Sachs disease is named,<ref name=NYTHelenObit>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/24/obituaries/helen-sachs-straus-95-radio-station-official.html |title=Helen Sachs Straus, 95, Radio Station Official|work=The New York Times|date= December 24, 1990|accessdate=}}</ref> and niece of Samuel Sachs, co founder of Goldman Sachs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bernard Sachs (1858-1944) {{!}} Embryo Project Encyclopedia |url=https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/bernard-sachs-1858-1944 |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=embryo.asu.edu}}</ref> His grandfather, Nathan Straus, was the owner of Macy's.<ref name="washpostobit"/>
Straus graduated from Yale University in 1944,<ref name="yalealumniobit">{{cite news|title=In Remembrance: R. Peter Straus '44|url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/obituaries/14-r-peter-straus-44|accessdate=December 27, 2017|work=Yale Alumni Magazine|date=August 6, 2012}}</ref> and served in the United States Air Force in Germany during World War II.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/>
==Career== Straus began his career by working in public relations for Edward Bernays.<ref name="washpostobit"/> He worked for the International Labor Office in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1950 to 1955, and was the head of its Washington office from 1955 to 1958.<ref name="washpostobit"/>
Straus was appointed president of WMCA, the radio station his family owned, in 1959.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/> According to ''The New York Times'', he "turned it into one of the nation's most innovative radio stations, broadcasting what are regarded as the first radio editorials and political endorsements and helping to popularize rock 'n' roll."<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/>
Straus was a delegate from New York to the 1960 and 1964 Democratic National Conventions and "a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party."<ref name="cnnlewinskysmothertomarry">{{cite news|title=Lewinsky's Mother To Marry Media Executive|url=http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/02/monica.mom/|accessdate=December 27, 2017|work=CNN|date=February 2, 1998}}</ref> He was the director of African affairs at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1967 to 1969,<ref name="cnnlewinskysmothertomarry"/> and the director of Voice of America from 1977 to 1979.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/> He was the author of three books.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/>
==Straus News== {{Split|date=November 2025}} <blockquote>"My daughter (Jeanne<ref name="strausnews/history"/>) runs the print side and my son runs the radio side. I give advice"<ref name="cnnlewinskysmothertomarry"/> — R. Peter Straus, 1998</blockquote> When the Strauses sold WMCA in 1986, they purchased "several weekly newspapers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania", and Straus became chairman of Straus News.<ref name="washpostobit"/> In 1986, Straus News acquired ''The Warwick Advertiser'', ''The Photo News'', ''The Advertiser'' and ''The Vernon News''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 1988, Straus News acquired ''The Sparta Independent''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 1999, Straus News started ''The Township Journal''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 2001, Straus News started ''The Chronicle''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 2003, Straus News started ''The West Milford Messenger''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 2005, Straus News acquired ''The Pike County Courier''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> In 2011, Straus News started ''Dirt Magazine''.<ref name="strausnews/history"/> By 2013, Straus News had acquired ''Our Town'', ''The West Side Spirit'', ''Chelsea Clinton News'', and ''Our Town Downtown'' from Manhattan Media.<ref name="strausnews/history">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://strausnews.com/history.html |website=strausnews.com {{!}} Straus News |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410010753/http://strausnews.com/history.html |archive-date=2013-04-10}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== Straus married Ellen Louise Sulzberger, the niece of Arthur Hays Sulzberger and cousin of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, publishers of ''The New York Times''.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/><ref name="washpostobit"/> They had four children: Diane Straus Tucker; Katherine Straus Caple (married to Blair Charles Caple); Jeanne Straus Tofel (divorced from Richard Tofel); and Eric Straus (married to Elisabeth Natalie Sand).<ref name="washpostobit"/><ref>{{Cite web|last= |first= |author-link =|title= Katherine Straus Is Married|work=The New York Times|date=June 4, 1984|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/04/style/katherine-straus-is-married.html|accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last= |first= |author-link =|title= Miss Sand, Law Student, Takes Vows |work=The New York Times|date=June 5, 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/05/style/miss-sand-law-student-takes-vows.html |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last= |first= |author-link =|title= Richard Tofel, Law Student, to Marry Jeanne Straus, Radio Station Official |work=The New York Times|date=October 3, 1982|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/03/style/richard-tofel-law-student-to-marry-jeanne-straus-radio-station-official.html|accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> Ellen died in 1995.<ref name=NYTEllSulzStrausObit>{{Cite web|last=Pace|first=Eric|author-link= |title=Ellen Sulzberger Straus, Founder Of First Telephone Help Line, 69|work=The New York Times|date=February 26, 1995| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/26/obituaries/ellen-sulzberger-straus-founder-of-first-telephone-help-line-69.html|accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name=WPEllSulzStrausObit>{{Cite news|last=|first=|author-link= |title=Ellen Straus, Who Founded 'Call For Action,' Dies At 69|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 27, 1995| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1995/02/27/ellen-straus-who-founded-call-for-action-dies-at-69/f9831247-6b82-41c5-aaea-bb9baf41dc5f/|accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> In 1998, Straus married Marcia Lewis, the mother of Monica Lewinsky.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/><ref name="washpostobit"/>
Straus died on August 6, 2012, in Manhattan, at 89.<ref name="nytimesrpeterstrausobit"/><ref name="washpostobit"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Straus, R. Peter}} Category:1923 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Mass media people from Manhattan Category:Yale University alumni Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Category:New York (state) Democrats Category:American people of German-Jewish descent Category:American newspaper executives Category:American radio executives Category:Sulzberger family R. Peter Category:Riverdale Country School alumni Category:Loomis Chaffee School alumni