Scope and Content Note
The papers of Wendell Berge (1903-1955) span the years 1907-1950, with the bulk of the material dating from 1920 to 1947. The papers are organized into the following series: Daily Calendars and Diaries , Personal Correspondence , George W. Berge Business Papers and Correspondence , General Correspondence , Speech and Article File , Subject File , Printed Matter and Clippings , and Oversize .
The papers emphasize the period from 1930 to 1947, when Berge served sequentially as special assistant to the attorney general, chief of the Appellate Section of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, first assistant and head of the Antitrust Division, and finally as assistant attorney general. The material for the years from 1941 to 1947 fully covers his activities as assistant attorney general.
The Daily Calendars and Diaries contain calendars and lists of agenda items for each working day from 1935 to 1947, and diaries from 1935 to 1947 consisting largely of summary sentences, people seen, and telephone calls made for each working day.
The Personal Correspondence with relatives, friends, and business associates covers almost continuously the years 1919-1945 and in most cases includes both letters received and carbon copies of letters sent. There are gaps, however, for the periods from July 1925 to November 1926, March 1929 to November 1934, and for the years from 1945 to 1955. A large section of the General Correspondence consists of memoranda and letters sent and received in the period of his government service, and reflects his attitude and work during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt and throughout World War II. Among the correspondents are Herbert Brownell, Oscar L. Chapman, Marquis W. Childs, Jonathan Daniels, Oscar R. Ewing, Felix Frankfurter, Robert Houghwout Jackson, and Earl Warren.
The George W. Berge Business Papers and Correspondence , kept by Berge’s father, contains bills, receipts, letters, leases, rental agreements, loan papers, and newspaper clippings.
The Speech and Article File includes Berge’s speeches and articles in handwritten or typewritten drafts and in their finished and often published form. This group of material begins with his early compositions as a member of debating groups in high school, and proceeds through his university years and his business and government career. These files include also some correspondence relating to content and arrangements for speeches and articles, and in some cases source material also. Personal and newspaper comments are often included.
Printed Matter and Clippings contains material directly relating to Berge and his work in the Department of Justice and to specific cases handled by the Antitrust Division. Oversize consists of clippings organized by subject and photographs.