Among the interests which have made New Haven an important manufacturing center is the Strouse Corset Company, of which J. Edward Strouse is the president. It is true that he entered upon a business already established, but since assuming control he has largely developed and extended his interests in this connection, maintaining his establishment in its equipment and in its product in keeping with the progressive spirit of the times.
     Mr. Strouse was born in New Haven, July 22, 1872, a son of Isaac and Pauline (Rothchild) Strouse. The father was a native of Germany but when fourteen years of age came to the new world, where he embraced every opportunity that would enable him to earn an honest living. For a time he engaged in selling goods from a pack and thus he gained his start, which enabled him to advance to a point of wider interests and broader opportunities. He took up the manufacture of ladies' cloaks and suits and ultimately gave that up to turn his attention to the manufacture of corsets. He was the first man in America to enter that field and upon his pioneer efforts in that direction have been based all of the corset manu-facturing interests of the country. After a time the Strouse-Adler Corset Company was organized and its plant located in New Haven. The business soon grew to extensive pro portions and the factory is now being conducted by Messrs. Ullman under the Strouse-Adler trademark. Isaac Strouse passed away in New Haven in 1902. at the age of seventy-four years, and is still survived by his widow. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was a member of the City Guard of New Haven and was later appointed a drill master. He also held several of the more important city offices, including that of alderman, and he was a member of the school board. He stood loyally for every interest which he believed would prove of benefit to his community and at the same time he carefully and wisely directed his business interests, which rapidly developed, becoming more and more important as factors in the commercial progress and prosperity of New Haven. His widow still survives, as do their five children: Benjamin, who is secretary and treasurer of the Strouse Corset Company; Leopold, who is vice president of the same company; diaries, who is a resident of New York; J. Edward; and Mrs. Ike Koch, living in New Haven.
     In his boyhood days J.. Edward Strouse was a pupil in the New Haven schools and on leaving the high school entered the employ of his father and mastered various branches of the corset manufacturing business. Following his father's death he assumed control of the plant and in 1902 the name was changed to the Strouse Corset Company, of which J. Edward Strouse became the president and active head. They are manufacturing La Fleur, the Majesty and the Princess makes of corsets, which are very popular and enjoy a wide sale. Mr. Strouse is also a director of the Princess Corset Company of New York city.
     On the 25th of December, 1903, Mr. Strouse was united in marriage to Miss Jeannette Karlsruher. of Brooklyn, New York, and they have become parents of two daughters: Leonore, who was born in New Haven in 1904; and Jeannette. in 1910.
     Mr. Strouse votes independently, considering the capability of the candidate rather than his party affiliation, he belongs to the Elks lodge, the Racebrook Country Club and the Harmonie Society. The interests and activities of his life are well balanced. He has never allowed business to so monopolize his attention that he has had no time for other interests or duties, yet such has been his concentration upon his manufacturing concerns that he, has most successfully controlled, developed and enlarged a business which today ranks with the foremost interests of the kind in New England. At the time he took charge of his father's immense business he was the youngest corset manufacturer of the United States, but he proved adequate to the demands made upon him and his course shows that he has ever been a man of well balanced capacities and powers, while for some years he has occupied a central place on the stage of action as a New Haven manufacturer.