Rk done

R.K. LAROS T H E PAT R O N O F B E T H L E H E M

R.K. Laros

The Patron of Bethlehem Researched & Written by Jeremy Hachey Moravian College ’15 Edited by MaryGrace Joyce Moravian College ’16 Visual Design by Taylor Jennings Moravian College ’15

Special Thank You to the R.K. Laros Foundation The Laros Family and Moravian College

2015 i

Table of Contents Introduction.......................................................................................................iii-vii Chapter One: The Lafayette Years..........................................................................8-13

The early developmental years of Laros’s life up until graduation from college.

Chapter Two: War, Love, and Silk........................................................................14-19

The beginning stages of Laros’s professional career, from graduation until the founding of the R.K. Laros Silk Company.

Chapter Three: A Man and His Mission..............................................................20-28

The company’s progress throughout the 1920’s, as well as Laros’s entrance into community involvement.

Chapter Four: Keeping the Home Fires Burning......................................................29-39

The factors and events pertaining to Laros’s business and community perseverance through the Great Depression.

Chapter Five: Claiming New Territory..................................................................40-47

Russell Laros and the war-time years.

Chapter Six: The Ebb and Flow..........................................................................48-54

The final days of the company, as well as the forming of the Laros Industries Foundation.

Chapter Seven: A Legacy....................................................................................55-61

The events following the death of R.K. Laros.

Afterword.......................................................................................................lxii-lxiii Works Cited....................................................................................................lxiv-lxv Picture Citations............................................................................................lxvi-lxix ii

VIEW OF BETHLEHEM, 1765

Introduction

For years the R.K. Laros Foundation has dreamed of compiling a written history of its founder, Russell Keller Laros, highlighting his industrial involvement, charity work, and family life. This biography is the culmination of those ambitions. About a year ago, I was contacted by the foundation about this project. Although I have lived in the Lehigh Valley my entire life, I had never previously heard of Russell Laros, or the foundation for that matter. Even so, I agreed to undertake the project with little to no hesitation.

The sad reality of my past lack of knowledge about Laros, and local history as a whole, is that it is not unique to just me. By no fault of our own, we all often fail iii

VIEW OF IRON WORKS

to appreciate and reflect on how our world, the environment we live in everyday, came to be how it is. Let’s take a moment and try.

Bethlehem is a unique place. Since its origin, it has remained a cultural oasis in a world where trends fade as quickly as they materialize. An emphasis on education, the arts, spirituality, and care for the common person have always been part of the city. Bethlehem has been defined by those lofty endeavors. Its infrastructure also tells a story of the country’s industrial evolution and decline.

The legacy of the industrial golden age continues to affect the lives of people in Bethlehem. The story of that legacy, however, would not be complete without a mention of Russell Laros.

Laros played a key part in the national influence of Bethlehem’s industry. His textile empire, always centered in Bethlehem, received national renown for its progressive business philosophy. He brought the textile industry to heights it may not have seen without him. And as commendable as that achievement is – it isn’t his greatest.

Yes, Bethlehem is also defined by the factories that have long called it home.

Chief among them is Bethlehem Steel, whose blast furnaces have since been repurposed for post-industrial Bethlehem life. But industry isn’t everything. If Bethlehem was only defined by its factories, what would it be today? We would have quite the identity crisis on our hands. What makes Bethlehem unique predates its mammoth factories and blast furnaces.

When the Moravians arrived here in 1741, they ingrained their ideals of the common good into the city as it grew. Bethlehem began as a communal society iv

VIEW OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, 1915

where all residents equally shared the burden of the town’s survival. Although that dynamic has shifted slightly, the underlying ideals are still there. The emphasis on social welfare and the bolstering of the common good make Bethlehem’s identity today reflect that early vision of the Moravian Church.

Bethlehem could not have weathered the storms of time without help.

Throughout the city’s history, its fight has been championed by many powerful leaders, like Asa Packer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Steel’s Schwab. As much as they helped Bethlehem, those leaders focused their social contributions on particular aspects of the city’s overall mission. Packer supported healthcare and education; Schwab loved music. Russell Laros stands apart from leaders like them. He did not support a few institutions, he supported many. His civic agenda encompassed every facet of the Bethlehem identity.

Russell Laros gave everything he had to the city. He supported it through the most tumultuous periods of the twentieth century. He nurtured its art, its healthcare, the education of its youth, and its spirituality. More than anything, he supported the people of Bethlehem and all he thought they deserved. He shaped the social framework of Bethlehem as much as any other person in its history.

And yet, his story remains obscure.

v

VIEW OF EASTON

My chief aim in writing this history of R.K. Laros is to bring to life an individual that to many today represents just a name on a wall. Although he avoided it, Laros deserves recognition for his advancement of the common good.

Some may ask the question that, I must admit, plagued me when first told of this project. How can someone we know next to nothing about have been so influential a figure? The answer to that question is deceivingly simple. He never wanted the attention.

I quickly found that answer when I began my research. The accounts I read, the people I met, they spoke of a genuine person not corrupted by the world the way so many of us are. They told of a man who, by nature or nurture, simply wanted the best for people without any regard to the thanks he would or would not receive.

Some are satisfied with just making a difference. What matters to them is not recognition for their acts, but the lives they are able to affect in a positive way.

Perhaps that the idea of people really acting with selfless motives is surprising to us today says something about the world we live in. But that is not the point of my vi

writing this history. In the following pages, I seek to shine light where it deserves to be shined, and yet has hardly been shined at all.

Beyond his notable civic achievements, the story of R.K. Laros is the quintessential story of the American dream – following the model our society upholds for success. He came from the humble beginnings of a working class family to establish himself in the elite of the nation’s industrial world. The corrupting power of that model for success is well recorded. This story, however, offers no such support for that claim. In Laros’s case, ambition did not corrupt. It was simply a tool for him to touch the lives of more people.

In an ironic twist, the characteristic of R.K. Laros’s life that makes him most worthy of being remembered is also the factor that made him so difficult to research. Because he did not want public attention for his works, few records exist of the particulars of his life. Far less than most historical figures. It took a good deal of digging to uncover the specifics. But eventually, what took shape was a collage of evidence that supports every story told about him.

That name has earned the right to be displayed on those walls. It also deserves to have its story told. In the following pages, I narrate the events leading up to and pertaining to Russell Laros’s civic and industrial involvement in the city of Bethlehem, as well as the perseverance of his mission in the city. In doing so, I will explain how and why Russell Laros deserves to be called the Patron of Bethlehem.

vii

CHAPTER 1

VAN WINKLE HALL, LAFAYETTE

The Lafayette Years

Autumn, 1910. On a hill above Easton, Pennsylvania, within shouting distance of the New Jersey border, a fresh batch of young men prepared to spend their next four years at Lafayette College. Among them – Russell Keller Laros.

The road to this point had not always been easy for Laros. He grew up in a home of modest means, the youngest of three boys. Alvin Laros, his father, worked as a carpenter making caskets and had spent his entire life in Easton. His mother, Eliza, had likewise grown up in eastern Pennsylvania.

8

9

R.K.’S 1914 LAFAYETTE YEARBOOK PICTURE

Many details about the early years of Russell’s life remain unclear, apart from a general idea that his family had little disposable income. Had it not been for a scholarship won during his time at Easton High School, Russell would have certainly been unable to afford a college education.

At seventeen years old, Russell was a lanky, brown-haired boy of average height at best. In later years, he was known for his distinguished appearance: well-tailored suits, thinly trimmed mustache, and white hair that developed with age. Of course, Russell had none of those characteristics going into college. Russell’s Lafayette years were as much a time of physical maturation as intellectual.

As is often the case, Russell’s four years at college seemed to have a stronger impact on the molding of his character than any other period in his life. One of the more active student organizations on campus, the Brainerd Society, gave this message to the incoming students: “College is the place where men are made. Here special attention is paid to the developing of the intellectual life, the thorough training of the physical body, the broadening of the social side...and above all to the deepening of the spirit, the making of character.”i Emphasis on the “deepening of the spirit” certainly played a role in life at Lafayette. Apart from daily chapel services, where Russell played the organ, Bible study groups were held, and scripture was a core part of the curriculum. One of the most vivid accounts of Russell during his college years comes from the 1913-14 Melange, Lafayette’s yearbook. It describes, among other details, his exceptional performances at chapel: “‘Russ’ is some musician. He takes his exercise every morning during chapel, coaxing strange and unearthly noises from the pipe organ. The fellows have found it entirely unnecessary to make a racket while he has been officiating at the aforementioned siren – he does all that is necessary.”ii At this point, the description takes a comedic turn. “We can’t blame him, however, if sometimes during ‘Prexy’s’ long winded prayers he drops off into the land of dreams and wakes with a start to find the long-suffering instrument at which he presides squeaking because his elbow is tickling its ribs.”iii I can’t blame him either. It happens.

10

1914 LAFAYETTE MUSICAL CLUB

Russ was obviously not discouraged by his tendency to drop into the land of dreams. For the rest of his life, he continued to serenade guests at home and in recitals with his coaxing.

For social kicks, Russell joined a local fraternity. Omega Delta Phi received accreditation from Lafayette in 1912, his sophomore year. The fraternity existed in Easton for a time before 1912 as a club for Easton boys.

Fraternities comprised the focal point of social life at Lafayette. Almost every student belonged to one. Fraternities organized activities on campus like mixers, cigar nights, and of course, sports.

Come January, the Interfraternity Bowling League seemed to hold the college in a trance. The school newspaper, The Lafayette, describes the atmosphere of the matches: “every afternoon of the contests the basement of Brainerd Hall has been practically filled with contestants and enthusiastic onlookers who mutter ejaculations of joy and sorrow at the performance of a favorite. Great rivalry can be observed between the different teams and all the games are hotly contested.�iv Russell himself bowled quite the game. In the spring of his senior year, he bowled the seventh highest of any competitor for the season with a score of 210.

11

1914 OMEGA DELTA PHI

For all his involvement in campus life, Russ never entirely escaped the distinction of being known as a “town boy,” a term used to describe students from Easton. For one, he was a member of the local frat, which itself could not shake the tag of “local” and be called simply a fraternity. Second, he was at school on scholarship and not of the same wealthy upbringing as many of his counterparts.

The Melange writes that “he has the failing common to most of the town men and does not ‘get into college’ as much as we would like.”v That description holds partial truth for the rest of his life as well. Without argument, Russell could always be known as a “town man.” He had a dedication to his locality that would never be outgrown. But that is as far as the parallel goes.

Later in life, Russell would never be accused of lacking involvement in the world he lived in.

Although possibly a factor, Russell’s failure to “get into college” was not entirely due to his status as a local. He kept busy during terms working toward his degree in electrical engineering.

12

A unique philosophy guided the Lafayette engineering course. It aimed not to create rigid, mechanical thinkers, but fluid individuals adaptable to any environment. The 1910-11 course catalogue stated that “the aim is to train neither specialists nor artisans, but to give such instruction as shall enable the engineer to build up from the foundation of his knowledge of basic principles such specialized knowledge or reasoning as may be required to successfully meet the problem arising for solution.”vi The first two years, according to the catalogue, centered on general scientific and cultural courses. Apart from physics, chemistry, calculus, and other classes essential to engineering, study of English literature, the Bible, and either the German or French language were required in every term for the first two years.

Judging from his appliance of French anecdotes in professional diction, I assume Russell took the French route.

The culture courses, more than anything else, gave the students perspective.

By being trained in a broad intellectual manner, they gained an understanding of how their work fit into a bigger world picture. If anything can be said with certainty about the life of Russell Laros, it is that he always approached problems in terms of the larger issues at hand.

After the heavy emphasis on culture in the first two years, the final two focused on the technical. Every student was expected to write a graduation thesis during senior year. Working with two classmates, Russell completed a study of electrical currents in the telephone conduit system of Easton, Pennsylvania.

On the morning of Wednesday June 17th, 1914, with the rest of his class, Russell K. Laros graduated from Lafayette College. He graduated 21st out of 86 students with an overall grade average of 93.5. Not to live down his reputation, Russell headed the music committee for the commencement ceremony. No record of him sleeping on post has yet surfaced. i 1911-12

Student’s Handbook. Lafayette College. p. 5.

ii

Melange. Lafayette College, 1913-14. p. 113.

iii

Melange. p. 113.

iv

The Lafayette. Lafayette College. Wed. January 21, 1914.

v

Melange. p. 113.

vi

Catalogue of Lafayette College 1910-1911. Lafayette College. p. 63.

13

CHAPTER 2

War, Love, and Silk

N.Y. STANDARD OIL COMPANY

Russell wasted no time after graduation before finding work. The time had come to put what he learned to practice, and, without a doubt, he was ready to 
 do so.

Between the summer of 1914 and February of 1915, Lafayette alumni records show Laros worked for the Standard Oil Company of New York. Few mentions are made of that brief employment, but, for unknown reasons, in February Russell took a job with the Lehigh Valley Light and Power Company as a power engineer.i The company allowed Russell the opportunity he needed to thrive. Twentyone months later, in November of 1916, Russell became commercial manager at Lehigh Valley Light and Power. At this point, he was barely two years out of college.

After working as commercial manager, Russell spent a brief stint with the Public Service Company of New York. In 1918, he returned to the Lehigh Valley 14

WWI DECLARED

to accept the position of general manager of electrical construction at H.D. Crowder Jr., an electrical company then based in Easton.

As Laros climbed the ranks of the electrical engineering world, the United States became more involved in World War One. The U.S. declared war on April 6, 1917. Like millions of other serviceable age Americans, Russell submitted his

draft card in the summer of 1917. Unlike many of them, however, he did not serve overseas. Due to his status in the industry, Laros most likely qualified for a deferment of duty.

Essential workers in industry and agriculture could apply for a Class 2 draft registration, which allowed them to perform their part for the war effort on the home front. Yes, working in factories or on farms as opposed to fighting in the trenches may be less romantic a notion, but it was essential. As Woodrow Wilson stated in his 1917 Conscription Proclamation: “The men who remain to till the soil and man the factories are no less a part of the army that is in France than the men beneath the battle flags…It is not an army that we must shape and train for war; it is a nation.”ii The nation Wilson describes ran on electricity. Without a crisp corps of electrical engineers to keep industries running, that nation would fail.

When he wasn’t saving the world one control panel at a time, Russell began courting a local woman. Helen Kostenbader lived in Catasauqua, a small borough northwest of Bethlehem. Her parents had emigrated from Germany before her birth. When her father came to Pennsylvania in the late 1800’s, he brought with 15

16

HELEN’S WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT

him an expertise in the art of brewing. In Catasauqua, her family ran the Eagle Brewing Company, known for its signature “Old Dutch Beer.” The two were married on September 8, 1918.

Anyone who remembers Helen immediately brightens at the mention of her name, recalling her infectious laughter and smile. More than one have referred to her as an angel. It is possible that she, because of her sincere nature and willingness to help anyone, was even more loved than Russell by the Bethlehem community later in life. That, however, remains open for debate.

This was no doubt a happy period in Russell’s life, but it was also one of agitation. Ambition allowed Russell to rise quickly in the professional world. That same ambition wouldn’t let him be satisfied just yet.

“He would meet people that ran other companies,” said Russell K. Laros II, his son. “And he said, ‘hmm, that’s a nice livelihood; if they can do it, I can do it.’

And he did.” Russell had ambitions to begin his own company. But before he reached that point, several major decisions needed to be made. First, what market would be most lucrative to enter?

The Lehigh Valley fostered far more than an electrical industry to bolster its economy. One of the largest industries present in the region was a booming silk and textile trade.

Getting into the silk trade made as much sense as any other venture. For one, Russell would have been exposed to the silk industry through professional pursuits and even earlier. Since the decade of his birth, the 1890’s, Pennsylvania had been enduring unprecedented growth in the industry. Between 1890 and 1900, the value of the silk trade in Pennsylvania almost tripled.iii Russell had lived his entire life in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Northampton counties, apart from working in New York for a short time. The three main cities of that region, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, all fostered a sizable silk presence since that early boom.iv He had done electrical work in the factories of all three.

In the years leading to Russell founding his own company, the silk industry received another jolt. Between 1914 and 1919, the year Russell began his company, the value of all silk products in the United States almost tripled, from 17

18

SILK TITLE PAGE

being valued at 254 million in 1914 to 688 million in 1919.v It is hard to imagine that Laros was unaware of the potential opportunity that lay before him by entering the industry at that critical moment.

Several factors may have affected Russell’s decision to start his company in Bethlehem. First, appealing to Russell’s cultural taste, Bethlehem had a reputation for musical heritage with which neither Allentown nor Easton could compare.

Second, it was a booming industrial town due to the internationally-reaching power of the “Steel.” A third reason, in my opinion, must have been the deciding factor. With Helen’s family in Catasauqua to the west, and Russell’s in Easton, Bethlehem lay snug between the two. A marriage compromise if there ever was one.

One serious obstacle stood in the path of Russell beginning his venture – capital. Working as an electrical engineer surely paid the bills, but that income would not support such an aggressive move. Cue the Kostenbaders. With money generated from their brewing enterprise, Helen’s family loaned Russell the necessary funds to begin his silk company.

In terms of the greater good, the Kostenbader family could not have made a better investment. From a personal investment perspective, it wasn’t too bad either. i Gendebiem,

Alfred W. The Biography of a College: Lafayette College, 1986. p. 245.

ii Wilson,

Woodrow. “Conscription Proclamation.” May 28, 1917.

iii Matsui,

Shichiro. The History of the Silk Industry in the United States. New York, NY: Howes, 1930. p. 50.

iv The

History of the Silk Industry in the United States. p. 54.

v The

History of the Silk Industry in the United States. p. 37.

19

CHAPTER 3

MILLER HEIGHTS SILK MILL

A Man and His Mission

In 1919, the R.K. Laros Silk Company was founded at a factory in Miller Heights, an area along Bethlehem’s eastern limits. The exact date of the founding remains unknown, but by using another landmark event in the lives of Russell and Helen as reference, a rough idea can be gathered.

Helen bore the couple’s first child on July 21, 1919. Her name was Helen Margaret, like her mother, but was called Peggy from birth. Thanks to a dutiful

20

chronicling of Peggy’s infancy, her baby book relates such events as “Peggy on her first outing”: “Twenty days old. Mother, Nurse, Daddy, and Mary at two o’clock took a ride in the Cadillac over to the mill at Miller Heights. On the way over, Peggy slept all the time except when Daddy tooted the horn or when a trolley car passed.

Then she would start and squint her little face and squeak but soon would be fast asleep again.

“At the mill we took pictures of Peggy, Mother, and Nurse then hurried back home again lest Peggy should wake and fret. But we need not have hurried for when we got back Peggy didn’t want to get out, she liked riding so much that she cried a little while, until she forgot and went to sleep again.”

The book relates a good deal of other interesting episodes in the life of the young family – from birthday parties, to holidays, even a trip aboard a US navy vessel bound to sail for Havana.

Russell and Helen enjoyed going on drives together. Mostly they would drive around town or to visit family. Peggy seemed to have liked them herself, refusing to leave the car after visiting the mill. After his company achieved some measure of success, Russell employed a personal driver. Even so, he often chose to drive himself and forego the chauffeur, possibly to the dismay of the family. Russell’s son recalled how his father backed into the garage door five separate times. But I digress, back to Miller Heights.

The R.K. Laros Silk Company traced its origin to 1919. Since Peggy’s first outing in early August was to the mill, we can assume it had been founded at some point between January and the early summer of that year.

The company began as a silk throwing operation. Throwing is the process of turning raw silk into yarn ready to be weaved or made into cloth. The first step of silk throwing is to clean the silk by soaking it in a mixture of water, soaps, and oils.i After the silk is dried, “throwsters” wind the raw silk on spools and twist it into yarn.

Due to Russell’s personal ambition or his acquired technical expertise (or a mix of the two), the operation quickly became a success. A booklet published by the company in the 1940’s narrates Laros’s early progress: 21

22

R.K., HELEN, AND PEGGY

THE LAROS STORY TITLE PAGE

“During the first six years of its existence, when there has been tremendous fluctuation in the price of silk, when many silk companies have been forced out of business, the R.K. Laros Silk Company has operated practically at capacity since organized, even though its plant facilities have been expanded to three units during this time with a total capacity of approximately 10 times that of the first unit.”ii

Success leads to growth, hopefully leading to further success. So goes the cycle of investment and return. In 1922, three years after Russell opened doors at Miller Heights, the company shifted production to a larger factory on East Broad Street. That factory still stands today, a red brick and concrete behemoth that exudes an air of industrial might.

In the city’s modern consciousness it is known as the Sure-Fit building, named for the textile firm that bought the structure when Russell closed shop. It no longer houses weaving equipment. That part of the story has expired. The

23

BROAD STREET PLANT

SIZING DEPARTMENT

24

building, expanded since 1922, is now occupied by small businesses and a local charter school.

With the new, larger plant facilities, Laros expanded more than just his silk throwing operation. The company began to use the silk thread they produced to make retail products, expanding potential markets. This began with the manufacturing of lace for curtains, doilies, pillow cases, and other luxury goods.

The lace market went well for a while, but changing fashions proved it unprofitable. The company stopped making lace altogether in 1927.iii Although their production of lace didn’t last, the effort had a lasting impact on the company. It marked a new phase in the company’s life: every step in the manufacturing process, from raw silk to finished product, was now performed in one single factory. Laros had cut out the middle man.

The next market Russell decided to enter proved far more rewarding than lace. Around 1926, the company began making knit undergarments – slips. So successful was this venture that a subsidiary corporation of the R.K. Laros Silk Company was soon created – the Laros Textiles Company.iv With the success of his company came a measure of personal freedom for Laros. With that freedom he could finally afford, with both money and time, to support causes he had been unable to before. In 1926, Russell Laros was elected as president of the Bethlehem Rotary Club, as well as the board at St. Luke’s.

On June 21, 1926, Russell Laros began a three year term on the Board of Trustees at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem. Some years later, Russell wrote that “no greater privilege can come to anyone than an opportunity to minister to his fellow man when he is sick in body or spirit.”v St. Luke’s proved an opportunity for Laros to follow his dream of helping others. And at it, he thrived. During his first year as trustee, Russell served on the Social Services Committee at the hospital. The next year, he chaired the committee.

25

THE LAROS STORY COVER

As a member of the board, Russell was in the company of some of the Lehigh Valley’s most elite industrialists. When he began in 1926, Harry Trexler, Charles Schwab, and Eugene Grace were all serving, in some capacity, as trustees for St. Luke’s.

Since its inception in the 1870’s, St. Luke’s has always had an intimate relationship with the region’s industrial leaders. Asa Packer, the great Lehigh Valley railroad baron and founder of Lehigh University, made the construction of St. Luke’s possible through generous donations. The philosophy of the hospital has always been to provide the common person with care of uncompromised quality. It was that ideal that attracted Laros.

Years before he became involved with St. Luke’s, Russell had been hospitalized there for gall bladder disease. He would most likely have been in general population and not received special treatment during his stay. According to the Laros family, Russell was so impressed by the attention and care he received

26

that he developed a lifelong dedication to the hospital. He wanted to assure that everyone received, and would continue to receive, the same level of care that he had.

Russell lived based on his claim that aiding the sick is the highest honor one can achieve. His work with the hospital fulfilled part of that. There he aided the sick in body. But helping the sick in spirit, he said, was equally as high a privilege.

Russell was a church man. Every Sunday the family would attend services at Rosemont Lutheran Church, which he and Helen strongly supported. He later received the title of honorary chairman of the church building, and served as President of Rosemont Lutheran Church in 1947.

Two of Laros’s favorite scripture verses, as mentioned by the Rosemont pastor on the occasion of Laros’s death in 1955, offer insight into his civic dedication. The first comes from Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”vi The second is from John’s gospel: “I am come that ye might have life, and have it more abundantly.”vii One theme connects the two passages: the idea of a higher personal mission.

Russell felt it was his duty to use his gifts, his power, his influence, and his expertise for a cause – the cause of Bethlehem’s people.

One of those gifts was his musical talent. Music has held a spiritual element for many groups throughout history, the founders of Bethlehem being among them. The Moravian Church is well known for its use of music to enhance religious experience. That element of life has never strayed from Bethlehem in centuries since.

Bethlehem today is nationally, if not internationally, renowned for its dedication to music. In the summer, almost a million people flock to Bethlehem for Musikfest, the nation’s largest free festival of its kind. Of course, Musikfest is simply the latest installation in a long history of melodic, harmonious celebration within the city. The city also hosts one of the most prestigious annual Bach festivals in the country. Bethlehem is a city of music down to its core.

On a Sunday evening in May of 1927, a local symphony at Easton’s State Theatre performed a song entitled “Lullaby.” The program said that “this number

27

was written by the President of the Bethlehem, Pa. Rotary Club for his eldest daughter eight years ago.”

The music to the piece, to my knowledge, no longer exists. But I imagine it was quite impressive, and quite moving. Peggy also performed “Lullaby” in concert, when she was only ten.

In the 1920’s, Russell and Helen had three more children, all daughters. After Peggy came Jean, Joan, and Sonia. The fifth and last of their children, Russell Keller Laros II, would not be born until 1936.

As the decade drew to a close, a storm began to brew on the horizon. A storm that affected everyone in the country. A storm the entire world would feel.

Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1926. p. 24. ii Silk. p. 25. iii The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947. p. 6. iv The Laros Story. p. 6. v Laros, Russell. K. “St. Luke’s Hospital President’s Report,” in St. Luke’s Hospital Annual Report 1933. Bethlehem,

Pa.: St. Luke’s Hospital, 1933. vi 2 Timothy 1:7. vii John 10:10. i Silk.

28

CHAPTER 4

Keeping the Home Fires Burning “As the fiscal year 1931-32 closes, the clouds of financial and economic unsettlement still hang heavily over the entire country,”i wrote Laros in his 1932 report as president of St. Luke’s board. The economic crisis forced Laros to approve a 10% salary reduction to all employees at the hospital that year. The cut allowed the hospital to reduce per patient costs, thereby giving it financial freedom to treat more patients. During the worst of the Depression, St. Luke’s lived up to its reputation.

“St. Luke’s has had a long and noteworthy career,” Laros wrote. “But at no other period in its history has God, under whose name we serve, more strikingly guided her and blessed her endeavors than in this depression year. With His continued favor, no matter what problems the future may have in store, St. Luke’s will carry on and strive to justify her sacred name.”ii The early 1930’s saw tension within Bethlehem’s steel industry, the backbone of the city’s economy. In 1930 it became public knowledge that Eugene Grace, president of Bethlehem Steel, had received 1.6 million dollars in bonuses the previous year. At the same time, Steel employees fought to maintain enough working hours to feed their families.

Strikes became commonplace during that time. The Steel was part of that, but other industries felt the impact too.

Between 1929 and 1931 silk workers in the Lehigh Valley reported wage reductions ranging from twenty-five to forty-five percent.iii In 1931, the trend became too much for many workers to handle. In May, the United States reported that roughly 8,600 textile workers were striking throughout the Valley.iv Labor disputes eventually spilled over into violent attacks. Two Allentown silk mills at the heart of the unrest were bombed. Strike sympathizers terrorized employees who crossed picket lines. In Fullerton, dynamite exploded at the McBride Mill.v 29

Everyone found someone to blame for the violence. Many pointed to outside agitators possibly affiliated with labor unions.vi Even so, the agitators did not create the violence; the powder-keg was already in place. The root of the turmoil lay in labor relations between companies and the workers they employed.

One must be careful not to generalize by saying all silk mills endured explosive conflict between management and workers. If the company’s leaders and employees understood one another, confrontation could be averted. So was the case with the R.K. Laros Silk Company.

No records exist of Laros employees being involved in labor strikes during the 1930’s, or at any time for that matter. Throughout the Depression, the company operated at capacity. In 1933, Laros employed over two thousand workers guaranteed a forty-hour work week. During that time, one in eight pairs of stockings in the country was made with yarn from the Laros plant on East Broad.vii The manner in which the R.K. Laros Company rode out the storm cannot be explained by one simple reason. There are several.

As the story goes, before the stock crash in October of 1929, a banker informed Russell of the probability of a severe economic downturn in the near future. Acting on the information, he withdrew a large sum, as much as the bank allowed him, from his personal account. Throughout the Depression, he paid employees out of that stash directly. Russell owes a great deal of his later success to that banker.

Besides supporting the company with his personal fortune, Laros employed a crew to build a new family home in the early Depression years. They were also reportedly paid cash. Construction at Sunset Acres, a sixty-acre estate on Center Street, began in 1929 and continued through ’32. The property stayed in the family until after Helen’s death in 1967.

The Laros mansion is nestled inside an alcove of varying hardwood trees.

With its eleven bedrooms and rustic stone façade, it resembles an overgrown farmhouse far more than an executive manor. Barns on the estate housed family horses, and an apple orchard extended southeast from the main building.

30

THE LAROS WOMEN AND R.K. JR.

31

SUNSET ACRES

An air of elegant simplicity still seems to reside on the property. The grounds are well kept, yet feel natural. The home is as much a part of the landscape as the trees themselves.

“I just loved the atmosphere,” said Victoria Brady, who lived on the property for over forty years. “Very peaceful. We never had to worry about anything.”

It was not an anomaly that there weren’t any strikes associated with the R.K. Laros Company. First, Laros made sure employees were paid, which he did via his private account (post-withdrawal). And although money certainly played into the equation of how to keep his workers happy, it wasn’t the only factor.

Mary Reiman began working at the East Broad Street plant in 1943 right out of high school. Although she could not testify to conditions during the Depression, what she did say shined light on that period nonetheless.

“The working conditions were good for me, and they must have been wonderful for the girls because they did not want the union,” she said. “Oh they didn’t want that union! They liked the conditions they had. They used to fight it.”

By girls, Reiman means the women who worked on the floors with the silk.

She worked in payroll. “I really liked it there. It was a very relaxing place.”

That Laros employees did not want to unionize speaks volumes. At the time, labor unions thrived when workers were restless, when they felt at odds with employers. The Laros employees’ refusal to organize meant more than simple contentment with conditions. It meant they had faith in Russell Laros.

Marylyn Parks worked with Reiman at the company in the ‘40’s. Besides also voicing her approval of the work environment, she spoke of Laros as an individual. “He was nice to work for,” she said. “You couldn’t find a nicer boss.”

Labor unrest in the silk industry continued to plague the Valley, with Allentown as the epicenter. The spring and summer of 1931, with over 8,000 workers on strike, and riots that received national attention, remained the high-water mark.

But by 1933, the number of silk workers in Pennsylvania had plummeted from its pre-Depression count of 61,500 to 49,000.viii Pennsylvania’s silk industry never recovered from the upheaval of the first half of the decade.

As government intervention forced negotiations between warring mills and workers, Russell Laros plodded on. As startling as it may sound, his company 32

33

1950’S PERSONNEL

LAROS DATA BOOK COVER AND TITLE PAGE

survived the turbulence seemingly un-phased.

Besides a life-saving financial move and humane treatment of employees, another factor allowed Russell Laros to succeed at a time when many of the area’s mills were shutting down. A nod to his education at Lafayette, Laros proved time and time again his ability to adapt to changing environments through constant innovation.

Laros played a leading role in the progression of the industry. In the mid-1920’s, the company first published the Laros Data Book, a technical document outlining measurements and grading criteria for silk thread. It became somewhat of a standard in the industry as other companies began using the measurements compiled by Laros.

Research done by the company in the 1930’s yielded more results. Laros created the strongest woven seam in the undergarment industry, the “Perma-Lokt” seam. The R.K. Laros Company was also the first producer of lingerie in the 34

LAROS MARKETING ADVERTISEMENT

country to be awarded a seal of approval by the American Institute of Laundering.ix One of the company’s most notable accomplishments came about in 1938 – the patenting of the Laros “Dimensional” slip. Surveys done earlier in the decade showed that less than fifty percent of women in the country could fit into slips made at that time.x The problem was that rigid designs disallowed for diverse body types. Russell, with his keen sense to stay ahead of competition, saw an opportunity.

35

INSIDE OF DIMENSIONAL SLIP

36

OUTSIDE OF DIMENSIONAL SLIP

Laros began to study the female figure. He used anthropological material obtained from the government, as well as partnering with schools, hospitals, women’s clubs, and other organizations to gather research.xi The final product was the Dimensional slip, released in 1938. It fit all nine basic body types because of a uniquely cut design. A feat of that nature was unprecedented in the industry.

During that span of time, from the mid to late thirties, it was said that sales and profits of the R.K. Laros Company equaled any other giant in the silk and ladies’ undergarment trade.

As the 1930’s wore on and the business grew, so did the Laros family. Russell and Helen’s only son was born in 1936, Russell Jr. That same year, Peggy graduated from the Moravian Female Seminary, and Joan from the Seminary’s Junior School. Jean and Sonia also attended the institution.

At graduation on Friday June 5, Peggy Laros spoke as her class’s valedictorian and received an award for excellence in English. She did not win all the day’s glory, however. Her father gave the Seminary’s commencement address.

The message of his speech was recorded in The Moravian the following week: “‘Keep the spiritual home fires burning,’ was the command given graduating students of the Moravian Seminary by Russell K. Laros, head of the Laros Textile Company, at the 194th Commencement exercises at the historic school.”xii In the world outside of Bethlehem, national unemployment rates still hung over sixteen percent. Three months earlier, Dorothea Lange captured the American Depression experience in her “Migrant Mother” photographs. Two months later, Jesse Owens shocked the world at the Summer Olympics in Berlin to the embarrassment of a rising German leader.

Keep the spiritual home fires burning. The simple phrase hearkens back to a popular British World War One song: “Keep the home fires burning, while your hearts are yearning…”xiii Whether or not Laros intended the connection is unclear. What is clear is that Russell Laros, the visionary of the silk and garment trade, did not offer business or industrial advice to a new generation. He advised them on the nature of happiness, of leading a purposeful life. Keep the spiritual home fires burning.

37

That same year, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Carl Sandburg published a lengthy poem entitled The People, Yes as an exploration of the American consciousness. It addressed the myths the American identity is rooted in, and spoke of how recent events put that identity in jeopardy.

He also spoke of hope during those days of pain. “Hope is a tattered flag,”xiv he wrote. Like a tattered flag, hope remains when survivors clear a wreckage in pursuit of a new beginning. Hope is the light that leads us through the darkness.

In that same poetic segment, Sandburg makes reference to Bethlehem: “And Bach being broadcast from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,”xv referring to the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

The Choir had been a mainstay in the Bethlehem music scene, and that of the country, since the century began. In 1900 the Bethlehem Bach Choir, under direction of its founder J. Fred Wolle, performed Bach’s Mass in B Minor for the first time in the country’s history. They held the performance in downtown Bethlehem, at the Central Moravian Church. The Choir has since been called a national treasure. Russell Laros helped keep that treasure glistening.

The Bach Choir and Russell Laros were a match made in heaven. It represented all that he stood for. Its history of musical excellence and religious emphasis would have quickly drawn his attention. The Choir also brought a level of prestige to Bethlehem, his home. And, as Sandburg wrote, it brought light to the people. What better way to feed the nation’s spiritual flame.

In the late 1930’s Russell Laros became involved with the Bethlehem Bach Choir. For the rest of his life, he played a heavy role in the successful broadcasting of Bach from Bethlehem.

The fourth decade of the twentieth century was defined by economic upheaval.

As explosively as it began, so did it end. Yet in the midst of the turmoil, the American people persisted. They didn’t thrive, but they survived. Through perseverance, with the constant necessity to adapt, the American people were able to keep the home fires burning.

38

i Laros,

Russell K. “St. Luke’s Hospital President’s Report,” in St. Luke’s Hospital Annual Report 1932. Bethlehem,

Pa.: St. Luke’s Hospital, 1932. ii “St. Luke’s Hospital President’s Report.” 1932. iii Stepenoff, Bonnie. Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960. Selinsgrove:

Susquehanna UP, 1999. p. 131. iv Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960. p. 132. v Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960. p. 132. vi Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960. p. 132. vii The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947. p. 7. viii Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960. p. 139. ix The Laros Story. p. 9. x The Laros Story. p. 9. xi The Laros Story. p. 9. xii The Moravian. Vol. 81. No. 24. Bethlehem, Pa. June 10, 1936. xiii Novello, Ivor. “Till the Boys Come Home.” 1914. xiv Sandburg, Carl. The People, Yes. Harcourt Brace: New York, 1964. p. 29. xv The People, Yes. p. 29.

39

CHAPTER 5

Claiming New Territory

ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR

Newspaper headlines for the morning of Monday December 8, 1941 were largely the same across the country. They all refer, in dramatic bold lettering, to the events a day earlier at Pearl Harbor. The day of infamy. It was now impossible for the United States to maintain any degree of neutrality in the war. It had found us.

Prior to the United States’ formal entrance into the war, the R.K. Laros Silk Company continued its quest for commercial dominance. Work was being done to expand upon the success of the Dimensional slip by creating new technology to combat another irksome problem often encountered with the garments; the bombastic tendency for slips to “ride-up.”

40

The patented Laros No-Ride slip was first released in 1940. As the company later said, “the gunny-sack days of straight cut slips were over.”i With the public acclaim of the new design came an idea to take it one step further. Why not combine the qualities of the Dimensional slip that could fit nearly all body types with the No-Ride? So it was written and so it was done.

The resulting slip became Laros’s most successful and acclaimed retail product to date. The company sold over eight million of the newly re-designed Dimensional slips with their incorporation of “no-ride” technology in the 1940’s.ii Before U.S. war involvement, Laros once again made a preemptive strike against economic change. Up to that point, his supply of raw silk had come almost entirely from Japan. As diplomatic ties between the two countries began to wane, Russell decided it was time to anticipate the inevitable.

In 1941, he made the decision to sell off a large portion of his silk weaving equipment so not to be caught off guard if the silk supply became cut off. And it did. The U.S. government also eventually froze all silk manufacturing for war uses.

To keep up with production, Russell purchased equipment to weave synthetic fibers. No longer would the Laros Textile Company work solely with silk.

The company began using the relatively new materials nylon and rayon.

When war did roll around, Russell Laros was no longer dependent on Japanese silk. He had cheated industrial death yet another time.

Between 1940 and 1943 U.S. industries converted from peace-time to perhaps the most effective war-production economy in history. The economic drive gave Bethlehem an opportunity to defend its reputation as industrial frontrunner.

Bethlehem Steel pulled more than its weight with war contributions. It made armor plating for naval vessels, cannon forgings, and airplane cylinder forgings among other products. It has been said that Bethlehem Steel was responsible for the construction of one-fifth of the entire U.S. fleet.iii Of course, a large part of that production was not actually done in Bethlehem but at company plants throughout the country. But the city had more to offer. Bethlehem’s streets churned out more than just steel for the war effort.

41

From 1943-45 the R.K. Laros Silk Company pushed a major portion of its strength toward the patriotic end. It produced uniforms for soldiers and naval signal flags by the thousands. Its largest contribution, however, was the manufacturing of parachutes.

The majority of parachutes produced by the R.K. Laros Company were fragmentation bomb parachutes, ordnances designed for low-level aerial bombing runs. The use of parachutes allowed the aircraft enough time to escape before bomb impact. The company made parachutes of varied designs, dependent upon the specific munition they were going to carry. The size of bomb they carried ranged from 23 pounds, the most commonly used, to 90 pounds.iv Over a hundred thousand parachutes were made on East Broad.

When Russell Laros put his mind to something, odds are that something turned out to be quite successful. His production of parachutes was no different. The company was even awarded a commendation from the Ordnance Department.

They used the Laros plant as a model for new manufacturers on the necessary precision and streamlined approach to take with the parachutes.v Only products of the strictest quality, made with the highest care, could be used. Parachute malfunctions would spell disaster and put our boys in danger.

A certain pride must have accompanied the honor of having the Ordnance Department showcase your plant to competitors. But of course, Russell Laros was never one to flaunt. He had as much invested in the war effort as any other American. The husbands of his newly married daughters were in campaigns abroad. Russell’s dedication to the war effort must have been his way of safeguarding their return. Thankfully, none of the Laros girls became war-widows.

Russell’s commitment to the effort did not mean he shirked his other responsibilities. During the war he served on the Bethlehem Municipal Water Authority, as treasurer for Bethlehem Friends of Music, on the Board of Directors for Bethlehem’s Community Chest, on the Board at St. Luke’s, and as vice president of the Bethlehem Bach Choir.

The war forced Laros to be creative with more than just the business. Other elements of life were affected by the economic change as well. With public

42

PARACHUTE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

attention fixated on helping the Allies in Europe, the local community seemed less important to many. One Bethlehem staple felt the blunt of the city’s war focus more than the rest.

“The war has brought many problems to the Choir,”vi wrote a report compiled by trustees of the Bach Choir. Between 1941 and 1943, the amount of money given to the Choir by patrons sharply fell. Apart from ticket sales at their yearly Bach Festival, donations of “guarantors,” people who guaranteed to pay a set amount towards the Choir’s Festival deficit, allowed the Choir to function. If nothing was done, the Bach Choir would continue its downward trajectory.

Something needed to change.

A group of trustees were chosen to take on the challenge. In April 1944, the “Special Committee for the Reorganization of the Bach Choir” formed and soon released a report recommending necessary changes for the organization. Four trustees served on the committee including Bach Choir president W.L. Estes Jr., the leading physician at St. Luke’s, and Choir vice president R.K. Laros.

The task was critical. The report reflects the members’ understanding of their role in maintaining a legacy: “Over the years a growing number of people realized the significance of the work as a force for good in the local communities 43

BETHLEHEM BACH CHOIR

in the Lehigh Valley; as a contribution to the art of music; and as an inspiration for others…”vii The first step in the reorganization was to decide upon an approach. Being no longer able to rely on guarantors for sole support, the obvious choice would be to increase public appeal. The decision was made that the Choir needed to expand its performance base beyond their once annual festival, held in May, and to “broaden its contributions to the life of the community and to the musical world.”viii The committee then narrowed those aims into a more concrete agenda.

They expressed the need for a permanent staff. A full-time executive secretary was to be hired to oversee the newly expanded Choir operations. That coincided with the recommendation for an eventual permanent headquarters for the Choir.

The most important tweaking of Choir staff was an increase to the compensation of the musical director. It would allow him to focus solely on the Choir, instead of doing side projects as well. The Choir would then be able to stay on the cutting edge of the musical world and be adaptable to changing interests.

At the time, the musical director/conductor of the Choir was Dr. William Ifor Jones, a native Welshman and musical genius in his own right. The increased compensation allowed him to introduce thirty new Bach cantatas not only to Bethlehem, but to the country. Many of those he edited and published himself.ix More performances were to be held, including instrumental. The intent of which being to bring in top musical talent to elevate the Choir’s profile. The 44

concerts would not just be in spring, but winter also. The report recommended that many be recorded.

Other changes were recommended, such as the forming of a Bach Society with an annual membership fee to help increase Choir revenues. Judging from the state of the Choir today and the active role it plays in the city, I would say the reorganization proved a success. The Bach Choir still largely follows the model of reorganization outlined in 1944.

The plan had Russell Laros written all over it. It followed his time-tested business philosophy that when anything went awry, expand. Innovate. Don’t fall behind. Evolve. But it reflects him in a more obvious sense than its financial approach. The future success of the Bach Choir would lie in the hands and hearts of the people.

Russell was working himself to the limits of human endurance. Spending his free time at Sunset Acres with family or playing piano gave him the strength to continue. At home he could recharge amid the scenery of endless fields and copses of greenery. Soon there would even be grandchildren to brighten his and Helen’s days.

Yet even the bucolic landscape of Sunset Acres could not escape without a mark of the times. Victory gardens intended to supplement the family’s needs during the national food shortage now occupied a large area along the property’s drive. The war touched every aspect of American life.

One of Russell’s most redeeming qualities was his ability to put all of his strength, talent, and power of thought into so many projects at once. No matter how many tasks he undertook, he gave them each his all. Russell began one more project during the 1940’s, one of his greatest gifts to the city: the Bethlehem YMCA. In July of 1941 the Young Men’s Christian Association of Bethlehem received its charter of incorporation. From the beginning, Russell Laros served as chairman of the YMCA board. Among the founding members were many influential persons of the Bethlehem community bent on giving the city’s youth something they could call their own.

45

OVERVIEW OF THE VICTORY GARDENS

This was not the first time the YMCA would be part of Bethlehem. In 1840 a group of Moravian Theological Seminary students decided that the community needed an institution geared towards the needs of young people. In 1868, a building at 434 Main was dedicated as the YMCA in Bethlehem. It was also the only YMCA building in Pennsylvania at the time. For unknown reasons, the group disbanded in 1881, ending YMCA operations in the city.

In early 1929 Laros and others decided the time was right to bring the organization back to Bethlehem. Because of the economic crash, however, they put the plan on hold for a number of years.

The Y’s trustees and board of directors met twice yearly throughout the 1940’s, mostly to discuss capital campaigns to raise money for the construction of the new Bethlehem YMCA building. Their early meetings took place at Hotel Bethlehem, Laros’s office on East Broad, or at Sunset Acres, where they received the famous Laros hospitality.

In 1945, the trustees began actively looking for a build site. They eventually narrowed down the possibilities to three locations. heir top choice was to have the building on the corner of East Market and Long Street, next on East Broad across 46

from city hall, and as their last choice the northeast corner of Broad and Center.

They eventually chose East Broad.

Apart from its proximity to then city hall, the site was also little more than a block from the Laros plant, within eyeshot of the YMCA chairman’s personal office. That Laros had final authority in choosing the location is unlikely, but I doubt he opposed the choice. Every day he could look past the trucks making deliveries to and from his factory and see the good he had helped create. In turn, YMCA patrons could return the gaze and be reminded of the man who made it happen.

Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947. p. 10. ii The Laros Story. p. 10. iii Hakim, Hannah. "Bethlehem Steel." A Salute to Freedom. The National WWII Museum, Web. iv The Laros Story. p. 24. v The Laros Story. p. 4. vi “Report of the Special Committee for the Reorganization of the Bach Choir.” Bethlehem, Pa.: Bach Choir of

Bethlehem. 1944. p. 1. vii “Report of the Special Committee for the Reorganization of the Bach Choir.” p. 1. viii “Report of the Special Committee for the Reorganization of the Bach Choir.” p. 1. ix Schwarz, Ralph G. Bach in Bethlehem. Bethlehem: Oaks Printing Company, 1998. p. 51. i The

47

CHAPTER 6

The Ebb and Flow

ALLENTOWN’S SUNDAY CALL-CHRONICLE

“When Bethlehem’s new $750,000 YMCA is dedicated at 3 o’clock this afternoon it will be a realization of a dream for the civic-minded citizens of the Christmas City,” read the headline of Allentown’s Sunday Call-Chronicle on December 9, 1951.

“For the hundreds of campaigners, who lent their efforts to four drives to raise the needed funds during the last seven years, it will be a job well done when Morris E. Stoudt, general contractor, turns over the key to the building to R.K. Laros, chairman of its board of trustees.”i The 430 East Broad Street facility featured an indoor swimming pool, dormitories (56 individual), two lounges, health club, kitchen, dining room, snack bar, and gymnasium. By 1955, over 1,100 teenagers joined the YMCA Hi-Spot, a 48

local youth social club. It held dances, picnics, hayrides, and other fun outings.

The “Y” emphasized social growth as a key part of its mission.

The YMCA did not cater only to the youth, however. Its organizers intended it as a haven for people of all ages. From cradle to walker, the Y could benefit all in some way. The original design even featured a senior lounge. It truly was a place for everyone.

At the Y, the community finally could come together. Apart from special events it held, there people could break bread, play sport, learn, or just enjoy the quiet company of others. It brought the community’s focus back to where Russell Laros and other YMCA leaders thought it ought to be, on the people. One word sums up the role the organization would play for the residents of Bethlehem – solidarity.

As Americans began to revert back to their normal lives without the constant reminder of a world at war, the industrial sector also settled back in. The war’s end brought an economic spike to the country with its soldiers returning home.

The auto industry never lost stride shifting back to commercial car production.

The housing market also saw its best days in years because of incentives for returned GI’s. And of course, so began the age of the baby-boomers.

By war’s end, the R.K. Laros Company had a strong relationship with DuPont, the developer of nylon. The chemical titan shipped large quantities of the short-supply thread to the Bethlehem plant, taxing Laros’s weaving operations to the limit. At one point, Russell was forced to alleviate the pressure put on his factory by doling out some of the work to a New England company, Wanalancet Inc. The contract between Laros and Wanalancet continued until the nylon supply rose and prices fell, forcing him to abandon the agreement.

The Second World War, because of the halt it put on commercial demands, slowed the growth and development of synthetic fibers. By 1950 however, research and development were in full swing. Advancement in the field of nylon revealed the material had two possible futures. One was a woven nylon thread, the other a nylon tricot. Laros and the rest of the textile world were put in a position to invest in one or the other, woven or tricot, and hope for the best.

49

After a bit of number crunching, the Laros Company stuck with woven.

Because of faulty data or human error, however, it appeared they had barked up the wrong tree. Tricot turned out to be a far looser material with more stretch, perfect for lingerie and stockings, two of Laros Textile’s most lucrative products.

To stay competitive in the marketplace, the company needed to convert to tricot production. The necessary overhauls took a severe toll on company profits, even putting Laros out of the market for a brief time. For the first time in his life, Laros’s foresight had failed. The evolution of synthetic material, the future of the universal economy, proved the beginning of his downfall. As the newest Larosdriven enterprise on East Broad grew, the oldest held on by its final thread.

The next few years were somewhat volatile for the company. It was reported that Laros’s profitability varied greatly from year to year in the early 1950’s. One year his lingerie business would be in the black, the next flat-line. One year the weaving department would fall short, next it would profit. Russell Laros had effectively fallen from his throne as progressive leader of the textile world. But the company would soon make headlines for another reason.

In summer of 1950, U.S. boots once again hit foreign soil, this time in Korea.

The first hot-zone of the Cold War. As U.N. forces countered the North Korean onslaught, the medical situation became critical. America could not donate enough blood to support the needs of her soldiers on the front.

The situation became so serious that, on December 10, 1951, President Truman called for “a mechanism for the authoritative coordination of an integrated and effective program to meet the nation’s requirements for blood, blood derivatives, and related substances.”ii The R.K. Laros Company would once again come to the aid of the federal government in time of crisis.

It so happened that the company had been doing research in the field of synthetic plasma for the past decade. The exact dates pertaining to Russell Laros’s synthetic blood research remain hazy, but I will present the facts as they are.

The idea to enter such a niche field did not simply sprout in Laros’s mind. He was an engineer turned textile expert, not a chemist, by trade. According to family members, a long-time contact of Russell’s, Dayton Ohio patent lawyer Colonel Tulman, informed him of a new technique that converted sugar molecules into a 50

KINGSTON PLANT

structure comparable to human blood plasma. With Tulman’s encouragement, Laros invested in the idea.

I doubt Tulman had to do much convincing. Laros had a long history of taking calculated risks under the noble banner of business expansion.

Possibly as early as 1940, the company established the Plasma Department at the East Broad Street plant. In order to house it, an addition was made to the existing structure. In 1943, Laros also opened a new plant in Kingston, a mining town adjacent to Wilkes-Barre. As the product neared its final stages, the Kingston plant made I.V. sets for its transportation and use.

The substance Laros developed, based upon Tulman’s recommendation, was a synthetic blood fortifier known as “Plavolex,” short for plasma volume expander.

“An almost colorless liquid,” it consisted of altered cane sugar and alcohol molecules in a saline solution.

Russell had not stumbled upon the fountain of youth, or any other miracle to forever change the medical world. Plavolex did not replace the need for actual blood. It could not carry oxygen, clot, or perform other essential functions the

51

real thing could. It simply expanded, or diluted, existing blood in a safe manner.

To boil it down, the sole purpose of Plavolex was to buy time.

In a press release coinciding with the commercial readiness of Plavolex, Russell Laros put it best; “R.K. Laros, the president of the firm, emphasized in his announcement that Plavolex does not in any way reduce the need for blood donations. For certain critical purposes, he said, there can be no substitute for human blood.”iii How big a part Plavolex played in the Korean War is not entirely known, but the blood shortage continued for the entire conflict. A constant need for more blood, and blood substitutes, persisted. In 1952 Laros received a contract from the government for Plavolex “to be used in the armed services as well as civil defense,” said one newspaper. “It will be distributed throughout the country for use in a national disaster.”iv When the contract was disclosed to the public in April of that year, the conflict in Korea would continue for another fifteen months.

After the Korean War ended, there was little need for Plavolex on a large scale.

The civilian market did not have much interest in the idea. Once again, Laros’s profits fell.

Never before had Russell Laros experienced such a turbulent time in the business world. Success, as many have discovered through history, does not remain steady. It can be fleeting. Industries change. When some fail, others rise up in their stead. Bethlehem, as much as any other community, has been shaped by the cyclical nature of industrial growth and decline. The age of the R.K. Laros Company had finally burned down to embers.

As continuous as the impact of economic cycles on communities can be, the people those cycles affect remain through it all. They do not diminish. They fight through the rough, amble through the good, but they remain – a tattered flag on the battlefield of life.

Perhaps Russell Laros always understood that principle. He was part of it. He lived it. He helped thousands of others endure economic and social changes as well. If he had not always understood the relationship between the environment and its people, he gained a serious appreciation of it during his industrial decline.

The people are a constant; industry is not.

52

R.K. LAROS FOUNDATION DEED OF TRUST

One decision he made in 1952 reflects that bit of wisdom. On the sixteenth day of December, 1952, Russell and Helen became the founding trustees of the Laros Industries Foundation. Into the distant future, the Foundation would support the social well-being of communities in which the R.K. Laros Company operated, predominantly in Bethlehem. As stated in the Terms of Trust, it would support “any community chest, fund, or foundation organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes.�

53

The terms are not surprising. They reflect who Russell Laros was as a person, what he believed in, and what he spent his entire life fighting for. Not for industry.

No, industries fail and Russell knew that. He would give directly to the people as he always had. He understood that a community is only as strong as those who make it. There is more to the world than just factories and industrial achievement.

With the establishment of the foundation, Laros laid down his legacy.

Although he left a part of himself in everything he did, his entire soul went into the foundation. By forming it, Russell Laros sought to ensure that the community he had long fought for would always continue on the path he had guided it on.

The level of intuition the man seemed to possess is striking. The foundation would allow Russell’s vision of communal advancement to continue long after he died. It would also be the last gift he ever gave to the city he gave everything to.

Within two years of forming the foundation, Russell Laros contracted cancer.

While the illness slowly took its toll, he continued his work. The company still held on. He stayed involved with every organization he had before, with the foundation now added to the list. For a while, even terminal illness did not prevent him from pursuing his mission.

Eventually, sickness won the battle. By June of 1955, Russell began to miss regular Bach Choir meetings. An August Bach event cited illness as reason for his absence. He never would return. At 10:30 pm on Saturday, November 12, 1955, at the age of sixty-two, Russell Laros passed away at Sunset Acres.

Call Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. December 9, 1951.

Scott N. "The Blood-Service Complex."Â An Evaluation of the Utilization of Human Blood Resources in the

United States. Washington D.C.: National Academies, 1975. p. 29 iii The Titusville Herald. Titusville, Pa. April 29, 1952. iv The Titusville Herald. April 29, 1952. i Sunday

ii Swisher,

54

CHAPTER 7

A Legacy The reality of death is that it makes us appreciate what we often neglect. It forces us to reflect on the big questions that we rather not think about. Numerous outlets recorded Laros’s death in print across the Valley. An article appeared in the paper at Lafayette where he had been a lifetime trustee and active alumnus, in local news, editorials, even a verse elegy in The Rotarian. All highlighted the different facets of his world, from family to industry, but focused on his role as a leader. They emphasized the immense vacuum that would be left with the death of such an influential figure.

The Executive Committee of the Bach Choir released a statement recognizing the loss of its esteemed member. “The death of Russell K. Laros,” they wrote, is “the loss of a friend and a colleague whose knowledge of music and whose continuing support and encouragement have been among the decisive forces in the development of the Choir. His enthusiasm for supplanting the good with the excellent and for bringing the excellent within reach of an ever increasing number of individuals has contributed much to Bethlehem’s reputation as a world center of musical culture.”

On November 15, a private memorial was held at Rosemont Lutheran Church for Laros. The building that the ceremony took place in had been dedicated six months earlier, in May. Russell Laros was honorary chairman of the building committee and headed the financial drive for its construction. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be given to St. Luke’s.

At no other time was Russell Laros celebrated with so much vigor as after his death. He never looked for recognition in life, even to the extent of avoiding it.

But the well-wishings were sincere and heartfelt. He deserved it and Helen appreciated them. But she did continue the trend of straying from public eyes even after he was gone.

55

Helen remained active in day-to-day Bethlehem life. She still supported the Bach Choir and the church, and remained a fixture in Bethlehem society. On one occasion, she and friends attended a ball in town. Donald Brady, caretaker at Sunset Acres and husband of Victoria Brady, drove the women to and from the event.

The next day, the Bethlehem Globe Times detailed the ball on its society page.

Donald could not help but notice that Helen, who he said looked as beautiful as ever that night, went without mention when most other attendees were named. It bothered him so much that he paid a visit to the news-writer to ask why not one comment had been made. More than forty years later, Victoria Brady still recalls what the writer told her husband that day. “Donald,” the writer said. “Some people just don’t want to be exploited.”

Exploitation, on the giving or receiving end, was never part of the Laros story.

They did what they thought was best not only for them, but for everyone and everything they believed in. For them to exploit others would imply ulterior motives for Russell and Helen’s actions. There were none.

The YMCA continued to expand its encompassing reach after Russell’s death.

By the early 1960’s, membership had doubled its original figures. In 1969, the full privileges of membership first became available to women. More activities were added to accommodate the increasing female involvement.

St. Luke’s also continued to thrive. Russell’s 1934 declaration that it would forever carry on and justify its namesake has proved true in every sense. While the Y and St. Luke’s persevered, however, not everything Russell supported could survive without his guidance.

With his death, the R.K. Laros Company lost its beloved captain. A byproduct of his exceptional leadership was the difficulty with which it could be replaced. In this case, it couldn’t be. The family decided that the time had come for the company to be sold. Talbot Shelton and Robert Young, husbands of Peggy and Jean Laros respectively, both Harvard-educated lawyers, undertook the gradual task of overseeing the business’s liquidation.

The pair arranged for the R.K. Laros Company to be sold in three parts. The building and weaving equipment were first to go. Sure-Fit, an established textile 56

firm, bought both and soon took up residence on East Broad. A few months later, Shelton and Young came to agreement with the succeeding president of the Laros Company, John Kornet, and sold him the plasma business with all it entailed.

The actual textile business, the real workhorse of the Laros enterprise, took a bit longer to sell. After vacating the Broad Street plant, production shifted to a smaller facility underneath the city’s Hill-to-Hill Bridge. The exact location of that plant has since been forgotten, but the most likely home burned down in the mid-‘90’s. A former CEO of Vanity Fair was hired to lead the textile sector. For two years, the company plodded along. Their standing in the industry, however, had taken a serious hit since the glory days.

In 1957, a buyer surfaced. Warner Brothers, a Connecticut based textile firm, believed the acquisition of Laros Textiles would give them an edge against strong competition. After all agreements had been made, and all the paperwork signed, the Laros Textile empire was finally and forevermore laid to rest.

Since the R.K. Laros Company no longer existed, the eventual decision was made to officially change the name of the foundation from Laros Industries to the R.K. Laros Foundation. His name lived on not through industry, but through selfless gifts to the community that his industrial involvement allowed.

Over its sixty-two years of activity, the R.K. Laros Foundation has breathed life into the cultural and social development of the greater Bethlehem area with millions of dollars in charitable gifts. The list of its gift recipients contains as much diversity as the passions of its founder, whose beliefs still reflect the core principles of the foundation’s work.

Following Russell’s death, Talbot Shelton took the reigns as foundation chairman. He guided it expertly. By his hand, and under Helen’s guidance, the work of Russell Laros continued. Helen stayed on the board until her death in 1967.

Besides the Laros family’s ever-vigilant influence on the foundation’s work, other well-known Bethlehem figures have counted among its trustees. Two presidents of Moravian College, Raymond Haupert and Herman Collier, served on the board. Past city mayor Gordon Mower guided the Foundation during an extended absence of Russell K. Laros II, then chairman. The two had been close 57

friends since their boyhood years. His father, Clifton Mower, was the original president of the Bethlehem YMCA. The foundation has carried much of the financial burden of the YMCA’s maintenance and expansion throughout the years. It has financed many projects at the Y, from a furnace, to floors, to numerous renovations. The most widely publicized gift it gave to the Y was the Laros Child Care Center, dedicated in 1998. It has given countless children of all socio-economic backgrounds a nurturing environment to learn and grow.

Education, as stated in the terms of trust outlined by Russell himself, has been a key area of foundation support. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given to Moravian College and Academy. For years the Foundation maintained a strong relationship with Lafayette College, as well as other institutions at every level on the educational spectrum.

Of course, the R.K. Laros Foundation also gives to St. Luke’s. The hospital holds the title of leading recipient of foundation gift money with Moravian College following at a close second.

Simply reciting a list of all the gift recipients would not be effective in making a point. In fact, it would take far too long to be useful in any discussion. Without exaggeration, the R.K. Laros Foundation has played a part in almost every major cultural or social project in the city of Bethlehem over the last sixty years.

That claim may seem shocking at first, but it is true. Every person who resides, or has resided, in the city during the greater part of the last century has been touched, in some way, by the love and generosity of R.K. Laros. Most don’t even know it.

On Monday April 22, 1957, close friends and family gathered at the Bethlehem YMCA to pay lasting homage to its late patron, Russell Laros. The headlining moment was to be the unveiling and dedication of his portrait and plaque to forever hang in the building’s halls. They still do.

Before the dedication, a community member involved with the Y offered some words of remembrance. James Cullen Ganey was a law-man of national stature.

In 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt recommended him to serve as justice for the United States District Court in Pennsylvania. He retained that post until 58

R.K. LAROS PORTRAIT HANGING IN THE YMCA

59

YMCA PLAQUE

President Kennedy elevated him to the United States Court of Appeals in 1961.

The Court of Appeals is the second highest U.S. federal court, below the Supreme.

The words he spoke hold a resonance that have since overshadowed the symbolic dedication of the painting his speech preceded. He spoke as someone who loved and understood his city, as Russell had. He described his friend in a manner that was relatable yet profound. His elegant tone, no doubt polished from years in the courtrooms, coupled with the wisdom of its message, captured a clearer image of Russell Laros than a portrait ever could: “My admiration for Russell Laros was so strong, my regard for him so deep that at his passing I wrote to Mrs. Laros, expressing the hope that at his passing the conscience of Bethlehem hadn’t died with him.

“You know, life sort of spills down the roadway of time and rushes sort of headlong in ceaseless flow to the God of our creation. Sometimes it’s tranquil and placid and sometimes it is rather turbulent. And in this dynamics of movement and change, too many I fear, look only for material advancement.

“We look to social status. We look to political attainment. We look to those things such as ease and comfort and security and a high degree of complacency which probably only money and wealth can bring. It seems to me that too often the mores of our times reflect this attitude and these habits of mind, and almost, I regret to say, too often to the exclusion of the ethical, the moral and the spiritual.

“With these, Russell K. Laros had no truck. Rather he disdained them. He had a keen perception of what was right and what was wrong. He could easily ferret out the truth from the false and for him it seemed to me – although I was not an intimate of his, I knew him very closely – genuine happiness only lay in a close devotion to his family circle, in the self-rewarding satisfaction of having done something for some individual, or, in a larger measure, for having done something in the community in which he lived.

60

FROM IN MEMORIAM BOOKLET

“I think he was one of the most wholly alive and stimulating individuals I ever knew. He loved every moment of life…and I think that was largely due to the fact that he was basically and fundamentally a religious person. We should keep in mind forever that the hour of his final spirit is going to keep constant vigil over our shoulders to see that we carry on here with unflagging zeal to further promote the high ideals which this institution has always put forth and which his life and which his character were so truly representative.”

His closing words proved true, yet possibly understated. The memory of Russell Laros has kept constant vigil over more than just the YMCA in years since.

In his name, Bethlehem has weathered the storm of changing social and economic environments in a stable fashion.

Thankfully, the conscience of Bethlehem did not die with Russell Laros. His legacy has proved strong enough to stand the tests of time thus far. Due to the strong leadership and dedication of current foundation members, it will continue to in the future. As The Rotarian recorded at Laros’s death, “He left a heritage that will affect us all not only in Bethlehem during our lives but for generations and in many places.”i So he has and so he will.

i The

Rotarian. November 18, 1955.

61

Afterword As we approach the conclusion of our year long project to research and write the R.K. Laros story, we have come to know and appreciate R.K as a man. We have sought to capture the saga of Laros Industries, and Mr. Laros’ deep commitment to family and to community. We knew much about that history, or so we thought, as we began the project in May of 2014, but we have uncovered a treasure trove of remembrance, some anecdotal from family and employees, others verified in local papers and historical records archived at The Bethlehem Public Library, The Bach Choir, St.Luke’s Health and University Network and Lafayette and Moravian College, among others.

But, none of this affirmation and discovery would have been possible without the support of Moravian College and the skill, commitment and determination of the Alumni Sponsored Internship and intern Jeremy Hachey ’15. Jeremy pursued the requisite research for the project with all the necessary zeal of an academic and an historian, though he is in fact English major who will also graduate in May with his teaching degree. His writing skills have meant much to the final history.

But, it is in fact his passion for the R.K. Laros story that has made the difference.

Taylor Jennings, also Moravian College Class of 2015, has been integral to the process of selecting the images for the history and tracking down those we did not have in our collection. Her skill and abilities have taken pages and turned them into a readable and compelling book. We are grateful for her consistent steady and always inspired guidance.

And to our editor, MaryGrace Joyce, Spanish and English Major at Moravian College ’16, our gratitude for your most incisive and painstaking pen!

We thank Moravian College and Mark Harris and Joyce Hinnefeld of the English Department at the college for their agreement to work on the project and to their continued involvement and oversight. Special thanks also to Amy Saul in the lxii

Career Development Department and to Air Products who made Taylor Jennings Internship possible.

It is our fidelity to The R.K. Laros Foundation Charter that has been brightened and deepened as a result of our quest for the past. Â Our deepest regard and gratitude to all who have made this journey possible.

Sharon Jones Zondag Executive Director, The R.K. Laros Foundation April 8, 2015

lxiii

Works Cited 1911-12 Student’s Handbook. Lafayette College, 1911.* Brady, Victoria. Personal interview. 3 June 2014.

Campion, Joan. Bethlehem Pennsylvania: A City of Music. Bethlehem: MoonTrail, 1995.

Catalogue of Lafayette College 1910-1911. Lafayette College, 1910.* Feltwell, John. The Story of Silk. New York, NY: St. Martin's, 1991.

Fisher, Eleanor. Personal interview. 11 June 2014.

George, Bridget, ed. Dear Mr. Funfgeld. Bethlehem, Pa.: Christmas City Printing, 2013.

Gendebiem, Alfred W. The Biography of a College: Lafayette College, 1986.* Hakim, Hannah. "Bethlehem Steel." A Salute to Freedom. The National WWII Museum, Web. The Lafayette. Lafayette College. Wed. January 21, 1914.* Laros Data Book. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1931.

The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Laros, Russell K. “St. Luke’s Hospital President’s Report,” in St. Luke’s Hospital Annual Report 1932.

Bethlehem, Pa.: St. Luke’s Hospital, 1932.

Laros, Russell. K. “St. Luke’s Hospital President’s Report,” in St. Luke’s Hospital Annual Report 1933.

Bethlehem, Pa.: St. Luke’s Hospital, 1933.

Laros, Russell K., III, Russell K. Laros, II, and Anne Laros. Personal interview. 19 June 2014.

Matsui, Shichiro. The History of the Silk Industry in the United States. New York, NY: Howes, 1930.

Melange. Lafayette College, 1913-14.* The Moravian. Vol. 81. No. 24. Bethlehem, Pa. June 10, 1936.** Nebinger, Edward M. Growing Up in a Pennsylvania Steel Town During the Great Depression. Newtown:

Lion By Lion, 2012.

Novello, Ivor. “Till the Boys Come Home.” 1914.

Parks, Marylyn, and Jeff Parks. Personal interview. 9 June 2014.

Reiman, Mary. Personal interview. 29 May 2014. lxiv

“Report of the Special Committee for the Reorganization of the Bach Choir.” Bethlehem, Pa.: Bach Choir of

Bethlehem. 1944.

The Rotarian. November 18, 1955.

Sandburg, Carl. The People, Yes. Harcourt Brace: New York, 1964.

Schadt, Sue, and Mary Schadt. Telephone interview. 27 May 2014.

Schwarz, Ralph G. Bach in Bethlehem. Bethlehem: Oaks Printing Company, 1998.

Silk. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1926.

Stepenoff, Bonnie. Their Fathers' Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1880-1960.

Selinsgrove: Susquehanna UP, 1999.

Sunday Call Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. December 9, 1951.

Swisher, Scott N. "The Blood-Service Complex." An Evaluation of the Utilization of Human Blood

Resources in the United States. Washington D.C.: National Academies, 1975.

The Titusville Herald. Titusville, Pa. April 29, 1952.

Walters, Raymond. The Bethlehem Bach Choir. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1918.

Wilson, Woodrow. “Conscription Proclamation.” May 28, 1917.

*All Lafayette documents courtesy of Lafayette College Archives in Easton, Pennsylvania. ** Document located in Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Additional Resources: Additional resources include unpublished Laros family documents, records from Bach Choir of Bethlehem archives including board minutes, and unpublished documents from Bethlehem YMCA archives also including board minutes.

lxv

Picture Citations Cover Page R.K. Laros Photograph (Cover) Lafayette College Archives Introduction View of Bethlehem, 1765 (iii) A View of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, circa 1765 [Drawing]. (1765). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php? imgId=1-2-40A

View of Iron Works (iv) Rau, W. (Photographer). (1896). A panoramic view of the Bethlehem Iron Works from across the Lehigh River, 1896

[Photograph], Retrieved March 22, 2015, from: http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.

php?imgId=1-2-D3C View of South Bethlehem, 1915 (v)

View of South Bethlehem c1915 [Photograph]. (1915). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from: http://www.bethlehempaonline.com/album_three/Imagepages/ image26.html

View of Easton (vi) Evans, W. (Photographer). (1936). View of Easton, Pennsylvania [Photograph], Retrieved March 22, 2015,

from: http://risdmuseum.org/art_ design/objects/1104_view_of_easton_pennsylvania Chapter One Van Winkle Hall, Lafayette (8) Van Winkle Hall [Photographic Postcard]. (1910’s). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from: http://digital.

lafayette.edu/collections/historicalphotos/hpc-0247 R.K.’s 1914 Lafayette Yearbook Picture (9) Melange. Lafayette College, 1913-14.

1914 Lafayette Musical Club (11) Melange. Lafayette College, 1913-14.

lxvi

1914 Omega Delta Phi (12) Melange. Lafayette College, 1913-14.

Chapter Two N.Y. Standard Oil Company (14) Wurts Brothers (Photographer). (1930’s). 26 Broadway – Morris Street [Photograph], Retrieved March 22,

2015, from: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?strucID=1042046&

imageID=1558432 WWI Declared (15) Thomasville Times Enterprise. April 6,1917. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from https://raycityhistory.wordpress.com

/2012/10/10/j-m-deloach-jumped-from-the-hms-otranto/ Helen’s Wedding Announcement (16) Evening Public Ledger, Philadelphia, Thursday, September 19, 1918 Silk Title Page (18) Silk. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1926.

Chapter Three Miller Heights Silk Mill (20) Laros Data Book. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1931.

R.K., Helen, and Peggy (22) Photo from the personal collection of the Laros family The Laros Story Title Page (23) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Broad Street Plant (24) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Sizing Department (24) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

The Laros Story Cover (26) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Chapter Four Sunset Acres (31) Photo from the personal collection of the Laros family lxvii

The Laros Women and R.K. Jr. (31) Photo from the personal collection of the Laros family 1950’s Personnel (33) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Laros Data Book Cover and Title Page (34) Laros Data Book. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1931.

Laros Marketing Advertisement (35) From the R.K. Laros Foundation archives Outside of Dimensional Slip Tag (36) From the R.K. Laros Foundation archives Inside of Dimensional Slip Tag (36) From the R.K. Laros Foundation archives Chapter Five Attack on pearl Harbor (40) Pearl Harbor attack: battleship sinking [Photograph]. (December 7, 1941). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor Parachute Manufacturing Process (43) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

Bethlehem Bach Choir (44) Make a Joyful Noise: The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, PBS 39 Documentaries. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from:

http://documentaries.wlvt.org/index.php/2010/09/make-a-joyful-noise-the-bach-choir-of-bethlehem/ Overview of the Victory Gardens (46) Photo from the personal collection of the Laros family Chapter Six Allentown’s Sunday Call-Chronicle (48) Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. December 9, 1951.

Kingston Plant (51) The Laros Story. Bethlehem, Pa.: Laros Silk Company, 1947.

R.K. Laros Foundation Deed of Trust (53) From the R.K. Laros Foundation archives lxviii

Chapter Seven R.K. Laros Portrait Hanging in the YMCA (59) Roy Spreeter (Painter). (April 22, 1957). YMCA, Senior Lounge, Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA. YMCA Plaque (60) YMCA, Senior Lounge, Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA. From In Memoriam Booklet (61) In Memoriam, Russell K. Laros. Bethlehem Public Library. ***Watermark on Title Page, Table of Contents, Works Cited, and Picture Citations:

Mulberry leaves are the sole source of food of the silk worm which allows for the production of silk. R.K. Laros incorporated the Mulberry flower within his Trademark which can be seen most clearly on page 18.

lxix