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Oscar Straus Memorial

1947 sculpturesAllegorical sculptures in Washington, D.C.Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C.Fountains in Washington, D.C.Jewish-American history
Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.Sculptures of women in Washington, D.C.Statues in Washington, D.C.
View looking down to the Oscar S. Straus Memorial Fountain. The monument was authorized by Congress in 1927 and dedicated in 1947. It consists of the fountain and two groups of statues, HABS DC 860 3
View looking down to the Oscar S. Straus Memorial Fountain. The monument was authorized by Congress in 1927 and dedicated in 1947. It consists of the fountain and two groups of statues, HABS DC 860 3

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. The fountain was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman, funded with a public subscription beginning in 1929, and dedicated on October 26, 1947. 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Oscar Straus Memorial (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Oscar Straus Memorial
14th Street Northwest, Washington

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N 38.8938 ° E -77.0316 °
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Oscar Straus Memorial Fountain

14th Street Northwest
20230 Washington
District of Columbia, United States
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View looking down to the Oscar S. Straus Memorial Fountain. The monument was authorized by Congress in 1927 and dedicated in 1947. It consists of the fountain and two groups of statues, HABS DC 860 3
View looking down to the Oscar S. Straus Memorial Fountain. The monument was authorized by Congress in 1927 and dedicated in 1947. It consists of the fountain and two groups of statues, HABS DC 860 3
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1977 Washington, D.C. attack and hostage taking
1977 Washington, D.C. attack and hostage taking

The 1977 Hanafi Siege occurred on March 9–11, 1977 when three buildings in Washington, D.C. were seized by 12 Hanafi Movement gunmen. The gunmen were led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, who wanted to bring attention to the murder of his family in 1973. They took 149 hostages. After a 39-hour standoff, the gunmen surrendered and all remaining hostages were released from the District Building (the city hall; now called the John A. Wilson Building), B'nai B'rith headquarters, and the Islamic Center of Washington. The gunmen killed 24-year-old Maurice Williams, a radio reporter from WHUR-FM, who stepped off a fifth-floor elevator into the crisis (the fifth floor is where the mayor and Council Chairmen have their offices). The gunmen also shot D.C. Protective Service Division police officer Mack Cantrell, who died in the hospital a few days later of a heart attack. Then-Councilman and future 4-term Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry walked into the hallway after hearing a commotion and was hit by a ricocheted shotgun pellet, which lodged just above his heart. He was taken out through a window and rushed to a hospital. The gunmen had several demands. They wanted the government to hand over a group of men who had been convicted of killing seven relatives – mostly children – of takeover leader Hamaas Khaalis. They wanted those that were convicted of killing Malcolm X. They also demanded that the premiere of Mohammad, Messenger of God be canceled and the film destroyed because they considered it sacrilegious.Time magazine noted: That the toll was not higher was in part a tribute to the primary tactic U.S. law enforcement officials are now using to thwart terrorists—patience. But most of all, perhaps, it was due to the courageous intervention of three Muslim ambassadors, Egypt's Ashraf Ghorbal, Pakistan's Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan and Iran's Ardeshir Zahedi.