Jacob Blaustein was an industrialist who was drawn into the complex world of diplomatic service. He participated in negotiations on behalf of two United States presidents, peacekeeping missions, and service at the birth of the nation of Israel. As President of the American Jewish Committee, he worked to protect the civil and religious rights of Jews and other minorities and to promote intergroup tolerance. Jacob Blaustein was a lifelong advocate for human rights and helped to promote the idea of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position that was established more than twenty years after his death in 1970.

Hilda Katz Blaustein shared with her husband the belief that hard work and a positive outlook could achieve wonders in America. She devoted herself to her family and to serving others, and held leadership positions in numerous organizations. She was a trustee of the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the United Nations Association of Maryland, and the Women’s Advertising Club of Baltimore. Hilda Katz Blaustein died in 1977.