Melville “Mickey” Straus ’60
Melville “Mickey” Straus ’60, who moved to New York City in 1967 and lived and worked what he called the “good life,” died May 1, 2014, after a 20-month battle with brain cancer. On May 15, 2014, more than 600 friends and family of gathered at Lincoln Center’s Jazz Theater to celebrate his life. As his wife, Leila, eulogized: “It was a full one, which is bound to be if you are both a workaholic and a serious bon viveur. He remained his optimistic self until the very end, when he was ready to go.” Mickey was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 16, 1939, and came to Dartmouth from Tucson, Arizona. He lived in Gile Hall for three years and the Sigma Chi (Tabard) house his senior year. He was in NROTC and, after his service, he graduated in 1967 from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar. His professional career included stints at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Standard & Poor’s Intercapital, 25 years at Weiss, Peck and Greer as a member of its executive committee and head of its small-cap growth products. In 1998 he started his own firm, Straus Asset Management, where he was managing principal. His philanthropic endeavors were legendary. In addition to Leila, Mickey is survived by children Scott, Alexandria and Ben, daughter-in-law Sarah and grandchildren Sadie and Solomon.
