Oscar Elsas Family Papers

Oscar Elsas was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 1871, the son of Jacob and Clara Stahl Elsas. Jacob Elsas was the founder of Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill, a business which opened its doors on Decatur Street in 1881, and which would eventually became the largest employer in Atlanta. Oscar received his early education in the Atlanta public schools and at the English High School of Boston, Massachusetts. Upon graduation, he entered the Georgia School of Technology, and was a member of the first graduation class of that university. In 1895, Oscar married Emma Erhlich, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Ehrlich of Boston Massachusetts. A son, Norman, was born to Oscar and Emma in 1896, followed by a daughter, Helen, in 1906. In 1909, Oscar Elsas became president of Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill following the retirement of his father, Jacob. Conscious of the philanthropic commitment of his father to various Atlanta community organizations, such as Grady Memorial Hospital, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Hebrew Orphans’ Home, and the Temple, Oscar continued to support these institutions and was active in a wide variety of civic affairs. Unfortunately, Oscar met an untimely death at the age of 52 while on a trip to Boston in 1924.