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Descriptive Summary
Creator:	Berg, Moe
Title:	Moe Berg Medal of Freedom, papers
Dates:	undated, 1946; 2009
Abstract:	This collection contains photocopies of documentation regarding professional baseball player and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) secret agent Moe Berg's nomination for a Congressional Medal of Freedom and correspondence from Berg declining the honor.
Languages:	The collection is in English.
Quantity:	1 folder
Identification:	P-924
Repository:	American Jewish Historical Society

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Biographical Note

Moe Berg (1902-1972)

Moe Berg was a professional baseball catcher who played for 15 seasons in the American League with various teams from 1923-1939. In addition to his baseball skills, Berg was known as the "brainiest man in baseball," having graduated from Princeton University as well as Columbia Law School and was fluent in several languages. During World War II, Berg began a career as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services or OSS, which later became the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1946, the United States War Department nominated Berg for a Medal of Freedom, which he turned down.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains photocopies of documentation regarding professional baseball player and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) secret agent Moe Berg's nomination for a Congressional Medal of Freedom and correspondence from Berg on declining the honor.

Included is War Department Office of the Assistant Secretary of War memorandum outlining Berg's service dated September 25, 1946, correspondence between Col. Wm. R. Quinn and Howard Dix, head of the OSS Technical Service at the time of Berg's service (dated September 26, 1946), copies of the Medal of Freedom citation text, and correspondence from Quinn to Berg relating the awarding of the honor and Berg's subsequent letter to Quinn declining the Medal. The collection also contains a letter from Berg's brother, Irwin, regarding donating the documents to the American Jewish Historical Society from 2009.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged as a single series.

• Papers of Moe Berg, undated, 1946; 2009

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: reference@ajhs.org

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Related Material

P-853 Morris Berg Office of Strategic Services employment application, 1943.

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Moe Berg Medal of Freedom, papers; P-924; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

Donated by Irwin Berg, 2009.

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Access Points

• Subject Names:

  • Berg, Moe, 1902-1972
  • Dix, Howard
  • Quinn, William W.

• Subject Organizations:

  • Office of Strategic Services (Washington, DC)

• Subject Topics:

  • Medal of Freedom

• Subject Places:

  • Newark (N.J.)
  • Washington (D.C.)

• Document Types:

  • Correspondence
  • Memorandum

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Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Moe Berg Medal of Freedom Papers, undated, 1946; 2009.
English.
1 folder.
Scope and Content: See collection Scope and Content Note.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
1	1	Moe Berg Medal of Freedom-related Correspondence; Irwin Berg Correspondence	undated, 1946; 2009

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