Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills - The Elsas Family

The Elsas Family

Many of Jacob Elsas' large family assumed management roles in Atlanta as well as in the other locations of the company. After his retirement at age 70, Jacob turned over the Presidency of the firm to his son Oscar in 1914. Sons Victor, Louis, and David worked in New Orleans, New York, and Dallas, respectively. Another son, Benjamin, succeeded Oscar as company president in 1924. In 1942 a grandson, Norman Elsas, assumed the presidency of the firm, followed by a second grandson, William Elsas, who served briefly as president in 1950. Following William's sudden death, Clarence Elsas, also a grandson, took over the presidency in 1951. Clarence Elsas served as president until 1956, and again held the position from 1960 to 1968.

Jacob Elsas played an instrumental role in the founding of the Georgia Institute of Technology. He became one of the early customers of the Georgia Tech shops, and he enrolled his son Oscar at the school for two years. Other family members, including Jacob's grandson William, also attended Tech. Elsas' activities also extended to philanthropy, particularly in the support of the Grand Opera House in Macon, the Hebrew Orphan's Home, and Grady Hospital in Atlanta. The elder Elsas died in 1931.