Alvin M. Strauss 1895-1958

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Advertisement in the Kendallville
paper for A.J. Strauss' store

Alvin Max Strauss was born to German immigrant parents in Kendallville, Indiana on April 8, 1895  A.J. and Freida owned a grocery store.   A.M. found he was very interested in Art and Architecture while he attended grammar and high school in Kendallville.  A.M. graduated from Kendallville High School in 1911.  A.M. studied under prominent architects in Chicago for 6 years and returned to Ft. Wayne to study further.  In 1912 it was reported in the newspaper that he was attending Illinois University.  He established his own practice in 1916 in Fort Wayne.  He served in WWI from July 1918 until April 1919 in the engineers corps. 

Alvin designed many prominent buildings in the area such as the Emboyd Theater including the Indiana Hotel (now the historic Embassy), the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, St. Vincent Villa (now the Imagine Master Academy Campus), and the administrative offices of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg factory. 



A.M. also designed the Lincoln Bank Tower which was the tallest building in Indiana from 1929 until 1962.  The Lincoln National Bank and Trust was originally the German American National Bank, but changed the name in 1918 due to anti-German sentiment.  The president of the bank in 1929 commissioned the building as a monument to the German immigrants who settled in Ft. Wayne.  It originally cost $1,300,000.


 
Alvin died in 1958, leaving behind his wife Madelyn.  He is buried in Lakeview Cemetery.