Moe Berg collection
Scope and Contents
This collection is organized into three series, each representing a facet of Berg's life. Series I contains information on Berg's career and association with baseball. The series contains contracts, correspondence, telegrams, memorabilia, and fan mail. Series II contains information on Berg's work with the United States government. The series mainly contains correspondence, passport, memos, and telegrams pertaining to specific missions and Berg's job performance. Series III contains information on Berg's personal life including numerous clippings and articles written on Berg, personal correspondence, and letters of sympathy written to Berg's sister Ethel after his death.
Dates
- Creation: 1921-1978
Language of Materials
English .
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions but viewing materials does require an appointment. Please contact the Giamatti Research Center, research@baseballhall.org, 607-547-0330.
Conditions Governing Use
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum provides use copies of materials to facilitate private study, scholarship, and research. The Museum welcomes you to use materials in our collections that are in the public domain and to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law and with proper citation. Permission to publish materials must be obtained from: Giamatti Research Center, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 Phone: 607.547.0330 E-mail: research@baseballhall.org
Biographical / Historical
Morris "Moe" Berg was born on March 2, 1902 in New York City to Russian immigrants. A private and erudite man, Berg is known as a ballplayer, linguist, lawyer, and international spy.
While attending Princeton University, Berg was a shortstop on the baseball team. He graduated with a degree in modern languages and then attended classes at the Sorbonne in Paris. Later, Berg received his law degree from Columbia University in 1930.
Berg started his career in professional baseball as a shortstop, but spent most of his career behind the plate as a catcher. He played for the Brooklyn Robins (1923), Chicago White Sox (1926-1930), Cleveland Indians (1931, 1934), Washington Senators (1932-1934), and the Boston Red Sox (1935-1939). After his playing career, Berg coached for the Red Sox.
Because of his connection with baseball and his linguistic skills, Berg was invited to tour Japan on two different occasions. In 1932, Berg visited Japan with Lefty O'Doul and Ted Lyons on a trip arranged by Herb Hunter to teach baseball at various universities throughout the country. Hunter arranged a second trip for a group of All-Stars to tour and play exhibition games against a Japanese All-Star team in 1934. Although Berg was a mediocre catcher, he was invited on the trip and took photographs of Tokyo that were later allegedly used by the United States government to help plan the Doolittle Raid.
After his baseball career, Berg worked for the United States government in civilian positions. First, he worked for Nelson A. Rockefeller at the Office of Inter-American Affairs in South America. Then he worked with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) where his assignment was to gain access to European scientists to determine their country's atomic capabilities. One mission required Berg to determine whether or not Germany's top physicist, Werner Heisenberg, was close to developing the atomic bomb. If so, Berg was ordered to assassinate the scientist. For his services, Berg was awarded the Medal of Freedom that he rejected.
In his later years, Berg lived off his friends and family. He lived with his sister Ethel until his death on May 29, 1972 in Belleville, New Jersey.
Full Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (One legal document box)
Full Extent
0.46 Cubic Feet
Abstract
This collection contains the papers of Moe Berg, who was a professional baseball player, linguist, lawyer, and international spy. Berg's papers are in the form of correspondence, contracts, telegrams, passport, memorabilia, and clippings.
Arrangement
This collection is divided into three series. Series I Baseball, 1921-1973; Series II Government, 1932-1946; Series III Personal, 1923-1973.
Physical Location
Manuscript Archives, Aisle 7, Range d, Shelf 5
Separated Materials
BA MSS 262 Contract collection: Brooklyn, National League contract, 6/27/1923; Chicago, American League contract, 2/14/1930; Cleveland, American League contract, 4/13/1931, 8/01/1934; Washington, American League contract, 3/07/1933, 1/10/1934.
- Title
- Guide to the Moe Berg collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jenny McMillen, intern, reviewed by Andrew Newman and Anne McFarland. Further reviewed and updated by Claudette Scrafford in June 2017.
- Date
- August 2005
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archives Repository