Introduction

My name is Mitchell D. Strauss, and I am currently serving the University of Northern Iowa as a faculty member in the School of Applied Human Sciences in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.  I teach in the Textiles and Apparel Program (TAPP). 

Family Background

I believe I am the fourth generation in my family involved with the textile and apparel business.  According to my father, my great-grandfather, who emigrated from Eastern Europe in the 1880's probably got what work he could in the needle trades, as this was where most immigrants in New York City toiled.  Below left you can see immigrants typical of those who entered Ellis Island, which served as the gateway to the United States during the massive immigration period of the late 19th Century.  My grandfather, who by my father's account, was probably making his own living by the age of 10 years old, eventually became involved with the apparel trade, as a buying representative in the New York garment center.  Below right, is a typical scene of immigrants working in the needle trade in New York City, similar to the time of my grandfather's childhood.  My father worked in primary textile manufacturing, where he developed expertise in quality issues related to warp knitting of lace.  I also entered the textile and apparel industry too, but in a somewhat circuitous route.

Education and Early Career

I was born in New York City, home of my American ancestors, but as a child, moved to North Carolina when my father was transferred to a Southeastern lace manufacturing plant.  Just below, you can see pictures of the North Carolina Appalachian mountains and the famous Cape Hatteras Light House on the state's Atlantic coast outer banks, which are two of the most beautiful places on earth.

After completing high school in Durham, N.C., I entered the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, whereupon I earned a bachelor of arts degree, with a major in psychology.  My liberal arts education at UNC was one of the great gifts in my life.  You can click on one of the logos below to visit UNC's website.

Despite my initial career interests in psychology, I worked summers in a textile plant to support my education, and upon graduation I took a position as a fairly low placed manager, responsible for scheduling of production operations with a small textile company.  The plant, Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC, manufactured woven labels on multi-position jacquard looms.  Below you can see the plant I worked at and examples of woven labels similar to those I worked with.
 

 

After a few years of toiling away as a production scheduler, I decided to return to school to earn a graduate degree in the field of textiles, figuring that further education would give me leverage in finding a more interesting position. So, I entered the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, first to earn a bachelor of science degree in their 4 in 1  program, and then to begin work on a masters degree a year later.  The year I studied at NCSU was one of the happiest in my life.  I sold my car, traveled almost entirely by bicycle, and had the opportunity to pare my life down to the very simple element of immersing myself in the details of textile science and technology.  I did exceptionally well too, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with High Honors.  Click on the logo below to visit NCSU's College of Textiles.

Though I planned to continue my graduate studies at NCSU, I was recruited to attend the Institute of Textile Technology (ITT), in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Getting into the Institute was pretty competitive.  I remember attending an interview with twenty other aspirants and being informed that only half of us would be extended a fellowship to study. Much to my delight, I was offered a fellowship to attend the Institute and earn a Master of Science Degree in Textile Technology, which I completed in 1978.  ITT was a unique academic institution in that it was, at the time, entirely supported by U.S. textile and fiber companies.  My education, congruent with the institution's mission, was focused on technology management for textile manufacturing.  It was an intense experience, but one that has had a central and long lasting impact on my life.  Click on the photo to see my graduating class, and click on the logo below to visit ITT's website.
 

A Textile Career Takes Off in Earnest

After graduating from ITT, I took a position with Mount Vernon Mills, in Tallasee, Alabama, a small mill-town of about 4000 souls, which was located about 45 miles from the state capital, Montgomery, right in the middle of Alabama cotton country.  My job was great!  My charge was to roam the plant, and do what I could to improve the manufacturing effectiveness and quality of the operation.  After my recent education at NC State and ITT, I was like a kid in a candy shop.  I eventually assumed the responsibilities for the quality assurance function in the plant too.

The plant in Alabama was a large facility, actually housing two independent operations, which focused on either print cloth or industrial fabrics. Over 200,000 pounds of fiber were converted into fabric every week!  During my time with Mount Vernon, I had the opportunity to work with the installation of a new card room and weaving facility.  My first daughter Jessica was born during this time too.

After three years in Alabama, I took the opportunity to return to the Institute of Textile Technology as a faculty member, where I was responsible for research in woven fabric forming systems.  I spent a great deal of time studying the process that prepares yarn for weaving and developed enough industry recognition to be invited routinely to consult with plants on ways to improve their manufacturing processes.  It was during this time that I did my first teaching and guiding of student research.  I also had the opportunity to travel around the world to examine textile machinery and foreign manufacturing operations.  A great advantage of working at ITT was the opportunity to gain entrance into many different companies.  I have been in dozens of different plants and worked with their operations!

After three years, I left ITT briefly for a huge salary increase and leap in scope of responsibility to be the Director of Textile Research at Air Products and Chemicals in Trexlertown, PA.  Though it was an interesting experience, I missed Virginia and ITT, and was actually invited back to assume a new responsibility as assistant dean, which was a career move that was exciting to me, as I had been interested in academic administration for some time.  For the next ten years, I focused largely on academic administration, and eventually directed the Institute's academic programs as its dean.  During that time, I embarked on my doctoral studies in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Virginia, which was in the same town as ITT.  My doctoral work was all done part time, so my days during that period of my life were quite full.  I also had two more children, Sally and then Ben, during this period.

At least for me, there are only so many times that I can do the same tasks year after year, so after 10 years of administrative duties at ITT, I felt compelled to leave Charlottesville, and found a position in a large state academic institution.  It is terrible to note that less than 10 years after my departure from ITT, the institution no longer exists as it did for over 50 years. With leadership unable to adequately respond to the tectonic shifts in the global textile industry, ITT lost too much of its funding support and as a last resort was absorbed by the College of Textiles at North Carolina State, where it exists mostly as a concept. The lovely campus and facilities at Charlottesville, Virginia were sold off to a developer. It was heartbreaking.

In 1994, I accepted a position as department head of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design at Kansas State University, one of the leading land grant universities in the country.   Working at K-State was a tremendous leadership experience, given the challenges of managing in a modern day university.  My proudest accomplishment was the founding and installation of a university wide honor system.  For this work, I was given a commendation by the student senate, something rarely done!  Here's a picture of me during my time as a KState department head.  That is a shuttle in my hands from an older generation power loom.  I've also included an image below of my honor system commendation of which I am particularly pleased to have received!  If you click on it, you can read the full document.

Where I am today

After five years at Kansas State, I had an opportunity to join my wife at the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  I have left my administrative responsibilities to pursue the life of a faculty member again.  I am delighted now to be back in the class room, and to have time to pursue scholarship on my own again. Since my arrival at UNI in 1999, I have been tenured and promoted to full professor. I also won my college's 2003 - 2004 teaching award. You can learn more about the University of Northern Iowa's Textile and Apparel Program, by clicking on me or the UNI logo below: