Roland J. Scheuss, assistant secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin Cylinder Foundry Company, has been one of the most active young men of Racine in efforts to benefit the city along various lines and his work has at all times been prompted by a most public-spirited devotion to the general good. He was born in Racine, December 21, 1889, a son of Jacob and Anna Marie (Goedeke) Scheuss, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter of Germany. His ancestry in the maternal line has been traced hack to 1463. The parents came to Racine in childhood and the father has always been identified with shoe manufacturing interests here.
Roland J. Scheuss obtained a public school education, and since entering business circles has spent eight years in the employ of the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company and now holds the office of assistant secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin Cylinder Foundry Company. He is regarded as an energetic and reliable young business man and his sterling characteristics are such as make for business progress.
Aside from this Roland Scheuss is much interested in the future development of Racine, has studied the question of city building and of civic improvement and has labored effectively and earnestly to promote interests of that character. He has sought to give to Racine certain restricted residential districts, limiting the space devoted to business houses in those districts which are preeminently residential. He has also put forth earnest effort to segregate the factory buildings instead of allowing factories to be built in residence sections and also segregate factories in districts relative to their respective trades. The results of such work are most far-reaching. If such a plan would be adopted, it would cause stability in real estate values such as cannot be known under present-day conditions, when the building or establishment of a factory in a district can bring about a great depreciation in the worth of property. The value to the factories, too, would be immense if this idea of segregation were carried out, thus localizing centers and saving time and space. While working toward high ideals his methods are most practical. He is also interested in community social centers and the splendid work which is being done through such organizations for the benefit of all concerned. For many years he has been a member of the local Young Men’s Christian Association, Racine Lodge, No. 18, F. & A. M., the Racine City Club, the Racine Commercial Club, the Eighth Ward Booster Club and the Racine Law and Order League, is a charter member of the Wisconsin Boys’ Camp at-Phantom Lake, Wisconsin, Camp No. 30, and a committeeman, Jefferson School Boy Scouts of America and for five years has been the treasurer of the First Baptist church. He attended the Civilian Military Training Camp at Plattsburg, New York, in September, 1916.