Robert S. Strauss

Robert S. Strauss
United States Ambassador to Russia
In office December 26, 1991 – November 19, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Tom Pickering
United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union
In office August 24, 1991 – December 26, 1991
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Jack F. Matlock Jr.
Succeeded by	Position abolished
United States Special Envoy for theMiddle East
In office May 4, 1979 – November 25, 1979
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Sol Linowitz
6thUnited States Trade Representative
In office March 30, 1977 – August 17, 1979
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Frederick B. Dent
Succeeded by	Reubin Askew
Chair of theDemocratic National Committee
In office December 9, 1972 – January 21, 1977
Preceded by	Jean Westwood
Succeeded by	Kenneth Curtis
Treasurer of theDemocratic National Committee
In office March 5, 1970 – December 9, 1972
Preceded by	Patrick O'Connor
Succeeded by	Donald Petrie
Personal details
Born	Robert Schwarz Strauss (1918-10-19)October 19, 1918 Lockhart,Texas,U.S.
Died	March 19, 2014(2014-03-19)(aged 95) Washington, D.C.,U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Helen Jacobs
Children	3
Relatives	Annette Strauss
Education	University of Texas at Austin(BA,LLB)

Robert Schwarz Strauss(October 19, 1918 – March 19, 2014) was an influential figure in American politics, diplomacy, and law whose service dated back to future PresidentLyndon Johnson's first congressional campaign in 1937. By the 1950s, he was associated in Texas politics with the faction of theDemocratic Partythat was led by Johnson andJohn Connally.He served as the Chairman of theDemocratic National Committeebetween 1972 and 1977 and served under PresidentJimmy Carteras theU.S. Trade Representativeand special envoy to theMiddle East.He later served as the Ambassador to Russia under PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush.Strauss also served as the last United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union.

An accomplished lawyer, Strauss founded the law firm now known asAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feldin 1945, which had grown to be one of the largest in the world with offices in 15 cities and employing over 900 lawyers and professionals worldwide.His business activities included serving on the Texas Banking Commission and as Chairman of theU.S.-Russia Business Council.

Strauss was inducted into theAcademy of Achievementin 2003 and was a recipient of thePresidential Medal of Freedom,the highest US civilian award, on January 16, 1981. He was a trustee of theCenter for Strategic and International StudiesandThe Forum for International Policyand was a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relationsand theTrilateral Commission.

Strauss occupied academic chairs and lecture positions, including one as theLloyd BentsenChair at theLyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairsat theUniversity of Texas.He was also the namesake ofThe Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Lawat The University of Texas. He was interested in biomedical issues and endowed two chairs at theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas:the Helen and Robert S. Strauss Professorship in Pediatric Neurology and the Helen and Robert S. Strauss Professorship in Urology.

Background

Strauss was born inLockhart, Texas,south ofAustin.He was the son of Edith Violet (née Schwarz) and Charles H. Strauss.His father was aJewishimmigrant fromGermanyand his mother was born into a Jewish merchant family in Hempstead and Lockhart Texas.When he was one year old, his family moved to the small town ofHamlin,north ofAbilene,and later to the slightly larger nearby town ofStamford.Strauss's father opened a small general store in Stamford.

In his sophomore year at theUniversity of Texas at Austin,he campaigned for a state legislature candidate. He was given a part-time job as a Committee Clerk in theTexas State Legislature.In 1937, while still an undergraduate, he volunteered for Johnson's first congressional campaign. Strauss was also a member of theTexas Cowboys,an honorary service organization at the University of Texas. At theUniversity of Texas Law School,he met Connally, another student who would significantly impact his career. After completing his law degree, Strauss was hired as aspecial agentby theFederal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) and served in the FBI throughoutWorld War II.

After the war, he settled in Dallas, where he and a fellow FBI agent, Richard A. Gump, founded their ownlaw firm.This firm, known initially as Gump and Strauss, would eventually grow into the international law firmAkin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.The many partners over the years included a high-profile defense attorney,William G. Hundley.

Texas political activity

Still interested in a political career, Strauss and his wife, Helen Jacobs, found a more comfortable niche participating in numerous charities and community activities. Strauss became a prodigious fundraiser for theDemocratic Party.By the 1950s, Strauss's law school friend,John Connally,was serving on the staff ofLyndon Johnson,who soon becameSenate Majority Leader.

WhenJohn F. Kennedyand Johnson were respectively electedPresidentandVice Presidentin 1960, Connally, a formernaval officer,was appointedSecretary of the Navy.Within a year, at Strauss's urging, Connally returned to Texas to run forgovernor.At the time, theRepublican Partyhad little presence in Texas. However, Connally nevertheless faced stiff opposition in the Democraticprimary.

Strauss's skill as a campaign adviser and fundraiser was crucial in Connally's narrow victory. Having secured the Democratic nomination, Connally easily won the general election. Connally's election finally brought Strauss the access to theDallasbusiness establishment that he had long sought. Governor Connally appointed Strauss to the Texas Banking Commission, and Strauss's law firm grew and prospered.

The world of Texas politics was turned upside down by the events of November 1963. Connally and his wife Nellie were riding in the limousine with Kennedy in Dallas when the latter wasfatally shot.Connally was severely wounded by the assassin's bullets but soon recovered. Connally and Strauss's mentor and patron, Johnson, was now President of the United States. Although Strauss did not regard himself as part of the President's inner circle of political advisers, Connally certainly was, and Strauss's connection to Connally brought him closer to the President.

In Texas, Connally was finding himself at odds with the more liberal wing of his party. Democrats were becoming divided over theVietnam Waron the national stage. Johnson solicited Strauss's advice on the issue.

Strauss feared that continued involvement in the war was a mistake endangering Johnson's presidency. However, he felt too intimidated by the imposing Johnson to share his true feelings. Strauss immediately regretted withholding his genuine opinion from Johnson. He resolved that if any president ever sought his advice again, Strauss would tell him the truth regardless of what he wanted to hear.

National political activity

The1968 presidential electionbrought the RepublicanRichard Nixonto power and left the Democratic Party deeply divided. Strauss had long expected that his friend, Connally, would run for president and hoped that he would seek the Democratic nomination in the next election. Strauss opened aWashington, D.C.,office for his law firm and becameTreasurerof the Democratic Party in 1970.However, less than a year later, Connally accepted an invitation from Nixon to serve asSecretary of the Treasury.Strauss resigned from his treasurer position in 1972.

In 1972, the Democrats nominatedGeorge McGovern,and Connally supported Nixon. McGovern and the Democrats suffered acrushing defeat,losing in 49 of the 50 states.

Strauss was then elected Chairman of theDemocratic National Committee.Although emboldened by its success in1974,the party had no obvious frontrunner for the presidential nomination in 1976. While remaining studiously neutral in the struggle for the nomination, Strauss carefully rebuilt the party's finances and planned a tightly disciplinednational conventioninNew York Cityto erase memories of the chaotic gatherings of1968and1972.

By the time the Democrats met atMadison Square Garden,the nomination had been secured by an unexpected candidate, formerGeorgia GovernorJimmy Carter.

Strauss expertly managed the convention. At the 1972 convention, party infighting had delayed candidate McGovern's acceptance speech until late at night, when the television audience had gone to sleep. Strauss made sure that Carter's acceptance speech ran inprime time,and theconventionended with a memorable tableau: the leaders of the party's opposing wings,conservativeGeorge WallaceandliberalGeorge McGovern,flanking Carter with clasped hands upraised. The Democrats entered the fall campaign united for the first time in years. Credit for this accomplishment was awarded to Chairman Strauss, and Carter quickly asked Strauss to chair his election campaign.

The national election was closely contested, but Carter emerged victorious, Strauss being acclaimed as a political kingmaker.

Carter

After ascending to the presidency in 1977, Carter named Strauss asU.S. Trade Representative.The position enjoyed cabinet-level status while allowing Strauss to apply his considerable negotiating skills to America's troubled relations with its trading partners. As Trade Representative, Strauss completed theTokyo Roundof Multilateral Trade Negotiations and secured the agreement's ratification by theUS Congressin the Trade Act of 1979. Then, Carter asked Strauss to undertake an even more challenging task as his Personal Representative to theMiddle East.Carter's previous efforts had already resulted in theCamp David AccordsbetweenIsraelandEgypt,and Carter hoped that Strauss would be able to build on the success. The handshake ofIsraeli Prime MinisterMenachem Beginand Egyptian PresidentAnwar Al Sadaton theWhite Houselawn was a high point of Carter's presidency. On April 24, 1979, Carter announced that Strauss would serve as Personal Representative of the President to the Middle East Peace Negotiations (Palestinian autonomy talks).

TheIranian Revolutionled to theseizure of American diplomats as hostages,a crisis that dominated the last year of Carter's term.

In 1980, Strauss's old friend, Connally, finally made a run for the presidency. He entered the Republican primaries as a hard-core conservative. However, he found himself running at the back of the pack whileRonald Reaganemerged as the frontrunner. Strauss chaired Carter's campaign committee again in 1980, but Carter did not win re-election. Before leaving office, Carter awarded Robert Strauss thePresidential Medal of Freedom,the nation's highest civilian award.

Strauss returned to his law firm's thriving Washington office. His experience as Trade Representative made him a sought-after expert oninternational tradematters.

Reagan

Carter's successor, Reagan, was to face difficulties of his own. His efforts to resolve another hostage situation led to theIran-Contra affair.Many of the president's supporters believed that the aggressive management style of hisWhite House Chief of Staff,Donald Regan,was making matters worse. However, Reagan remained loyal to Regan and would not consider replacing him. A presidential adviser,Michael Deaver,as well asFirst LadyNancy Reaganmade a discreet approach to an experienced outsider they believed might be able to persuade Reagan. Others had told him what he wanted to hear: that the controversy would blow over and that Donald Regan was more useful than not being there. Strauss, who had closely observed the workings of two other presidential administrations, told Reagan the painful truth: Regan had become a liability and that the White House needed a Chief of Staff who could mend fences, especially with Congress.

Strauss recommended formerSenatorHoward Baker,a Republican who was respected on both sides of the aisle for his competence and his integrity. Reagan was visibly annoyed with Strauss's suggestions. However, a few days later, Donald Regan submitted his resignation, and the President appointed Baker to replace him. Baker skillfully managed Reagan's recovery from the controversy, and Reagan left office with his popularity restored.

Strauss was then appointed as the co-chair, along with ex-Secretary of TransportationDrew Lewis,of the National Economic Commission. The bipartisan commission was tasked to solve the federal budget deficit that had grown to over $4 trillion. The commission lasted from 1988 to 1989 and ended in the first term ofGeorge HW Bush.

Bush

Reagan'sVice President,Bush, won the 1988 election to succeed him. Bush also found a need for the counsel of Strauss. Soviet PresidentMikhail Gorbachevwas attempting to reform the country'scommunistsystem and to forge a new relationship with the United States. His efforts faced opposition from hard-liners within theCommunist Party of the Soviet Unionand newly elected leaders who agitated for more and more autonomy.

Bush appointed Strauss to serve as Ambassador to the Soviet Union, hoping that Strauss's proven negotiation skills would ease the transition to a new era. The Soviet Union was also starting to transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, making it important to show that party membership should no longer be a requirement for political office and that political opposition should no longer be considered treasonous but, to use a British term, "theloyal opposition,"making Bush's selection of one of his opponents especially significant.

It was reported that Bush told Strauss that Bush had selected Strauss because Strauss said that he had voted against Bush and intended to do so again.

In August 1991, only weeks after a state visit by President Bush, reactionary members of the Communist Party and a few high-ranking officers of the military andKGBattempted to seize power and restore the old dictatorship. Thecoup attemptcollapsed, but Gorbachev's leadership had been fatally injured. Strauss presented his credentials to Gorbachev only hours after Gorbachev resigned his post as Chairman of the Communist Party.

While Strauss served inMoscow,the first electedPresident of Russia,Boris Yeltsin,emerged as the most powerful figure in the fragile union. With the agreement of the elected presidents of the other constituent republics, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved and replaced by a loosely associatedCommonwealth of Independent States.

In December, Gorbachev resigned the presidency of a superstate that had ceased to exist. Strauss was quickly reappointed as Ambassador to the largest of the Soviet Union's successor states, theRussian Federation.With Strauss's assistance, Yeltsin quickly established amicable relations with the United States. Strauss resigned shortly after the1992 presidential electionin the United States and returned to private law practice with Akin Gump.

Awards

Strauss was awarded the H. Neil Mallon Award by theWorld Affairs Councilin 1992. The H. Neil Mallon Award, named after the Council's founder, and hosted by the World Affair Council of Dallas/ Fort Worth, is presented annually to individuals who have excelled at promoting the international profile of North Texas. Funds raised from this event support the World Affair Council's public and education programming, international exchanges, and diplomatic services.

Later life and death

Apart from his law practice and government service, Robert Strauss had long been a popularpublic speakerandlecturer,and had written on law, business, and public affairs for professional journals, magazines, and newspapers across the United States and abroad. He had also served on the boards of major corporations, includingXeroxand theArcher Daniels Midland Companyuntil his death. In the academic world, he had occupied the Lloyd Bentsen Chair at theLyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairsat theUniversity of Texas,where he lectured to students of law, business, and public affairs. In his later years, Strauss served as Chair of theU.S.-Russia Business Counciland was a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relationsand a trustee of theCenter for Strategic and International Studies.

His sister-in-law,Annette Strauss,served as mayor ofDallasfrom 1987 to 1991.

On March 19, 2014, Strauss died ofnatural causesat his home inWashington, D.C.He was 95 years old.

See also

• List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines

External links

• Strauss profile and bio at the Academy of Achievement
• Strauss bio at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
• Strauss bio at Answers
• Strauss bio at U.S.-Russia Business Council
• AppearancesonC-SPAN
• McGarr, Kathryn J.The Whole Damn Deal: Robert Strauss and the Art of Politics.PublicAffairs, 2011.ISBN1586488775