Berl I. Bernhard (#28)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1958-1972
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
Note to Researchers
List of Series
Series Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1958-1972, [bulk 1958-1963]
Lawyer, government official. General Attorney, Staff Director, Executive Staff Director, Commission on Civil Rights (1958-63); campaign aide to Senator Edmund S. Muskie (1971-72). Memorandums, correspondence, and speech files relating to his government and political work, to the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, to the District of Columbia Board of Higher Education, and to the John F. Kennedy Library oral history program.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed October 1978, Mr. Bernhard has retained copyright to his writings during his lifetime. After his death, all copyright passes to the government of the United States. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they plan to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Berl Bernhard of Washington, DC, in January 1975 (Acc. 1975-039); and May 1977 (Acc. 1977-022).

Extent
About 17,850 pages (9 linear feet, 2 linear inches ; 10.5 cubic feet)

Withdrawn Items
16 items withdrawn.
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person.  All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Date Opened
November 1988.

Processed by
Julie Williams, under the supervision of Megan Desnoyers, 7/15/87 and Donna L. Hanlon, 11/14/88

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
Berl I. Bernhard Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Library

The Personal Papers of Berl I Bernhard (1929-  )

Biographical Note

Collection Overview
The papers of Berl I. Bernhard contain material generated during his tenure on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the. Democratic National Committee's Special Equal Rights Committee, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the District of Columbia Board of Higher Education, the John F. Kennedy Library, and Edmund Muskie's 1972 presidential campaign. The papers span the period 1958-1972. The bulk of the material is from the period 1958-1963, when he served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The papers include correspondence, memoranda, minutes, oral history interviews, speeches and speech materials, reports, bylaws, course materials, newspaper clippings, articles and other printed material. Items deemed valuable in the files have been replaced with photocopies of the originals. The collection has been arranged in six series by the Library.

Note to Researchers
The collection is most valuable in documenting the activity of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. The Civil Rights Calendar Index provides information about events relating to civil rights issues allover the United States. It contains correspondence with Erwin Griswold, dean of the Harvard University School of Law; Dr. John A. Hannah, chairman of the Commission; and Martin Luther King's civil rights appeal to President Kennedy during the Emancipation Proclamation Centennial. Included also is an interview with former FBI agent, Jack Levine, which discusses the operation of the FBI, its attitude toward civil rights, and information regarding the conduct of civil rights investigations. Especially important are the speech files which provide information on Bernhard's views on public service, federal employment, racial discrimination, desegregation, civil disobedience and other civil rights concerns as well as views held by political colleagues. The series also contains speeches by John A. Hannah; George M. Johnson, Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; Harris Wofford, Jr., Special Assistant to the President; and President John F. Kennedy. The John F. Kennedy Library series is particularly important for information concerning the preparation and conduct of the oral history interviews that Bernhard completed with Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins. Although an interview with Ben Bella was planned, it did not take place. For further information on Civil Rights, researchers may also want to consult the 56 page Berl I. Bernhard oral history interview recorded by the John F. Kennedy Library's oral history program.

List of Series
Series 1. Commission on Civil Rights, 1958-1963
Series 2. John F. Kennedy Library, 1964-1965
Series 3. Democratic National Committee, Equal Rights Committee, 1965-1968
Series 4. D.C. Board of Higher Education/Federal City College, 1966-1967
Series 5. Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1968-1969
Series 6. Muskie Campaign, 1968-1972

Series Description  

Series 1. Commission on Civil Rights, 1958-1963.
Boxes 1-16.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains newspaper and magazine articles, reports, correspondence, speeches, and speech material relating specifically to the Commission's activities and generally to Civil Rights in the United States in general. Also included are a summary of important events in the Civil Rights Movement, and the minutes and proceedings of Commission meetings.

Series 2. John F. Kennedy Library, 1964-1965.
Boxes 16-17.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains newspaper clippings, brochures, guest list for a reception, and information concerning the preparation and conduct of oral history interviews with Ben Bella, Thurgood Marshall, and Roy Wilkins. The Ben Bella interview did not take place.

Series 3. Democratic National Committee, Equal Rights Committee, 1965-1968 .
Boxes 17-18.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains correspondence, newsletters, reports, proceedings of committee meetings, and state laws and other guidelines governing the activities of political parties. Also includes a two chapter draft manuscript on Civil Rights for A Thousand Days  by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., submitted for Bernhard's review.

Series 4. D.C. Board of Higher Education/Federal City College, 1966-1967.
Boxes 18-20.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains bylaws, reports, course materials, proceedings, miscellaneous printed material, correspondence, and testimony and hearing proceedings regarding establishment of Federal City College and legislation on education.

Series 5. Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1968-1969.
Box 20.
Arrangement: chronological.

This series contains memoranda and letters from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Series 6. Muskie Campaign, 1968-1972.
Boxes 20-21.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains campaign ideas, guidelines, disclosures, reports on expenditures, solicitations, correspondence, and interviews of Senator Muskie.