president Chief Executive Officer
Haas was born to a Jewish family in San Francisco, the son of Elise (nee Stern) and Walter A. Haas. His mother was the daughter of Sigmund Stern, the nephew of Levi Strauss. His father was a prominent supporter of the university.
The Haas School of Business was named in his honor.
Haas graduated from the University of California in Berkeley in 1937. Haas attended the Harvard Business School and earned an Master of Business Administration in 1939.
He led the company in its growth from a regional manufacturer and wholesaler of work clothes to one of the world’s leading apparel companies. Oakland Athletics was the owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball club, acquiring the team from Charles O. Finley in August 1980 for less than $13 million. The acquisition was to prevent the team from moving, as Finley had wanted to sell to industrialist Marvin Davis, who planned to move the team to Denver.
, Junior. sought to strengthen Levi Strauss & Company’s position as a socially responsible international corporation.
He also led the creation of Community Involvement Teams for Levi Strauss & Company employees. served on the boards of the Ford Foundation and the National Park Foundation while leading Levi Strauss & Company He was also involved in other nonprofit institutions such as the Hunter’s Point Boys’ Club and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Season of Sharing Fund.
As its mission statement describes, the Fund “seeks to fulfill (its) founders’ vision of a just and caring society that provides fundamental rights and opportunities so that all people can live, work and raise their families with dignity.” Of his family’s philanthropy, used to say, "lieutenant"s in the genes.".
Under Haas" ownership, the Athletics won five American League West Division titles (the first in 1981 and the last in 1992, advancing to three consecutive World Series between 1988 and 1990, defeating the cross-bay rival San Francisco Giants in 1989 in a sweep marred only by the infamous Loma Prieta earthquake.
