The Doylestown Historical Society featured current society board director and Mayor Emeritus of Doylestown, Ron L. Strouse, in its most recent video history screening May 25, at Hops/Scotch, 22 S. Main St., Doylestown.
Donna Carcaci Rhodes, executive director of the Doylestown Historical Society, stepped into another role acting as interviewer to the mayor emeritus, who served Doylestown Borough from 2014-2021.
As the well-orchestrated video took shape, it made for an enjoyable and casual evening among friends and board members in the audience. Rhodes welcomed all, but soon handed over the job of emcee to Jeff Toner, chair of the board of directors.
Beginning his career as a corporate risk analyst with Pfizer, Inc., New York, serving as a legislative assistant and then chief of staff at the U.S. House of Representatives are just part of the life experiences of Ron Strouse.
As the evening progressed from filmed interview to a Q&A that followed, it was quite possible to feel that one really had gotten to know Strouse from his birth in Doylestown Hospital in 1947 to the present. Though he remained a resident on Church School Road in his formative years, he is descended from a large family that goes back as far as 1688 with the Rittenhouse family of printers in Philadelphia.
The 1965 graduate of Central Bucks High School followed up his learning with a B.A. from American University, in Washington, D.C., where he had the opportunity to work with mentor, Judge Edward (Pete) Biester, as a congressional intern.
After college, at age 26, he achieved the status of youngest chief of staff in the House of Representatives, followed by chief of staff in the House of Representatives during the Vietnam war and Watergate eras.
He shared stories of his training as a savory chef who attended The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia and La Varenne in Paris as well as establishing and co-owning two boutique hotel-restaurants in Bucks County, Sign of the Sorrel Horse, a “shot and beer bar” when he and his partner first purchased it, and Evermay on the Delaware, where Philadelphia Inquirer food editor Elaine Tait visited and ensured the success of the B&B.
As a student of world-renowned chef, James Beard, he found a strong willed taskmaster who did not share recipes. Asked what his favorite dish is as a restaurant owner, his quick response was “quenelles with lobster cream sauce” (French for a fancy dumpling).
Another question came from the audience concerning his role of mayor and the number marriages he performed.
“Three hundred eighty in eight years,” he quickly responded. Happy to add to this, he said, “As mayor emeritus I can continue to marry people for the rest of my life.”
His community engagement includes previous terms as treasurer and then president of the boards of the County Theater, Planned Parenthood of Bucks County, the Bucks County Tourist Commission, and multiple government commissions and boards as well.
Strouse currently serves as chair of the Board of the Central Bucks Regional Police Foundation and serves on the boards of the Bucks County Historical Society, the Doylestown Historical Society, and the County Theater.
The mayor emeritus made it clear that he never actively sought out the position of mayor but rather was approached to run for the position.
When questioned about his next venture he responded, “I don’t like the ‘R’ word,” his substitute for retirement, so we will just have to wait and see.
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