Access >> View Finding Aid

The Philip I. and Muriel M. Berman Papers: Collection I

Overview  |  I. A-C.  |  I. D.  |  I. E-F.  |  I. G-H.  |  II.  |  III. A-D.  |  III. E-G.  |  IV.  |  V.  |  VI.  |  VII-VIII.  |  IX.  |  PDF Version

SERIES II.A Fleetways

Fleetways, Inc., was incorporated as a Pennsylvania corporation on February 18, 1965, and dissolved on May 3, 1990. Its directors were Philip I. Berman and Muriel M. Berman. It acquired properties suitable primarily for trucking terminals in and near Allentown, Bethlehem, Philadelphia, and York (all in Pennsylvania), as well as Albany, New York and Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Terminals on these properties were then rented or leased to trucking companies. Chief among these properties was the Berman Industrial Park, acquired in 1965 as undeveloped farmland immediately northwest of the intersection of U.S. Route 22 and Pa. Route 512. Divided into eight lots, this property was occupied by a variety of businesses. The lots still owned by Philip Berman in 1992 were sold by him to Gary J. Assetto. Philip Berman held the mortgage, and in 1994 transferred it as a gift to Lehigh University, for the support of the Berman Center for Jewish Studies. Similarly he gave to Ursinus College the mortgage on the Cinnaminson property in July 1993.

The Fleetways files (Series II.A), extending from 1964 to 1997, include numerous blueprint plans of sites and buildings, a few photographs of sites and buildings, deeds, mortgages, lease agreements, insurance policies, court documents, appraisals, proposals, invoices, financial reports, and correspondence. These files contain also some records of smaller but related enterprises of Philip Berman, such as Maxwell Associates, B.K.P. Associates, P.K.B. Associates, and Hubbard Road Associates (see files under Maxwell and B.K.P. in Box 105). The original partners in all four of these partnerships were Philip I. Berman, Jack Kushner, and Albert Pell.

Businesses represented in the Fleetways files include: All Phase Electric, Arrow Carrier Corp., Frederick Transport U.S., Groller Transportation, Hauser's Truck Service, March Development Co., PJAX (Pittsburgh Johnstown Altoona Express), Red Roof Inn (see Plans file for 1980 in Box 98 Folder 5), Right Way Transportation, Roadway Services, St. Johnsbury Trucking Corp., Yellow Freight System, and others. Various government agencies, law firms, contractors, and individuals are also represented throughout these files.

In general the Fleetways files have been kept as received, except that internally each file has been put in chronological order. Box 98 Folder 1 through Box 102 Folder 1 contain records of the Berman Industrial Park. Box 102 Folder 2 through Box 105 Folder 7 contain records of the other properties. Box 105 Folder 8 through Box 106 Folder 15 contain files on matters relevant to all the properties.

Box 98

Folders

1 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1964-1969

2 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1974

3 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1976

4 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1978

5 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1980

6 Berman Industrial Park -- Plans: 1984

7 Lot #3: 1976

8 Lot #3: 1977

9 Lot #3: 1982-1989

10 Lot #3: 1990-1992

11 Lot #4: 1969-1977

12 Lot #4: 1978

13 Lot #4: 1982-1988

14 Lot #4: 1989-1997

Box 99

Folders

1 Lot #6: 1975

2 Lot #6: 1991-1992

3 Lot #7: 1974

4 Lot #7: 1982-1990

5 Lot #7: 1982-1991 June

6 Lot #7: 1991 Feb., July, Aug.

7 Lot #7: 1991 Sept.-Dec.

8 Lot #7: 1992-1993

9 Lot #7: 1994

10 Lot #7: 1995

11 Lot #8 -- Plans: 1965

12 Lot #8 -- Specifications: 1965

13 Lot #8: 1982-1985

14 Lot #8: 1986

15 Lot #8: 1987-1988

Box 100

Folders

1 Lot #8: 1989

2 Lot #8: 1990 Jan.-Feb.

3 Lot #8: 1990 March

4 Lot #8: 1990 April-Dec.

5 Lot #8: 1991 Jan.-Feb.

6 Lot #8: 1991 March

7 Lot #8: 1991 April-May

8 Lot #8: 1991 June-Aug.

9 Lot #8: 1991 Sept.-1992

10 Miscellaneous: 1964-1965

11 Miscellaneous: 1966

12 Miscellaneous: 1967-1969

13 Miscellaneous: 1970-1979

14 Miscellaneous: 1980-1982

15 Miscellaneous: 1984-1989

16 Miscellaneous: 1990-1991

17 Miscellaneous: [1992?]

Box 101

Folders

1 Miscellaneous: 1992

2 Miscellaneous: 1992 Jan.

3 Miscellaneous: 1992 Feb.-May

4 Miscellaneous: 1992 June-Dec.

5 Miscellaneous: 1993-1995

6 Sale: 1989

7 Sale: 1992 March-July 1

8 Sale: 1992 July-Aug.

9 Sale: 1992 July 2-Aug. 5

10 Sale: 1992 Aug. 6 (a)

11 Sale: 1992 Aug. 6 (b)

12 Sale: 1992 Aug. 6 (c)

13 Sale: 1992 Aug.-Dec.

14 Sale: 1993

15 Sale: 1994 Jan.-June

16 Sale: 1994 July-1997

17 Sale -- Mortgage Related Documents, vol. I: 1993

Box 102

Folders

1 Sale -- Mortgage Related Documents, vol. 2: 1993

2 Albany: 1986-1989

3 Albany: 1990

4 Albany: 1991-1992

5 Northway 10 -- Correspondence: 1980

6 Northway 10 -- Closing Documents I: 1980

7 Northway 10 -- Closing Documents II: 1980

8 Northway 16 -- Correspondence: 1980 (a)

9 Northway 16 -- Correspondence: 1980 (b)

10 Northway 16 -- Correspondence: 1983 (a)

11 Northway 16 -- Correspondence: 1983 (b)

12 Northway 16 -- Plans: 1974

13 Northway 16 -- Plans: 1980

14 Northway 16 -- Layout Plans: 1980

15 Northway 16 -- Planting Plans: 1981

Box 103

Folders

1 Cinnaminson: 1988-1989 March

2 Cinnaminson: 1989 April-May

3 Cinnaminson: 1989 June

4 Cinnaminson: 1989 July-Dec.

5 Cinnaminson: 1990

6 Cinnaminson: 1991

7 Cinnaminson: 1992 Jan.-May

8 Cinnaminson: 1992 June (a)

9 Cinnaminson: 1992 June (b)

10 Cinnaminson: 1992 June (c)

11 Cinnaminson: 1992 Aug.-Oct.

12 Cinnaminson: 1992 Oct.-Dec.

13 Cinnaminson: 1993

14 Cinnaminson: 1994

15 Philadelphia: 1988

16 Philadelphia: 1989

17 Philadelphia: 1990 Feb.-May

18 Philadelphia: 1990 June-July

19 Philadelphia: 1990 Aug.-Dec.

Box 104

Folders

1 Philadelphia: 1991 Jan.-June

2 Philadelphia: 1991 July-Dec.

3 Philadelphia: 1992

4 Philadelphia: 1993-1997

5 Philadelphia – Lawsuit: 1991-1993

6 Schoenersville: 1988-1989 May

7 Schoenersville: 1989 June

8 Schoenersville: 1989 July-1990

9 York: 1988-1989 May

10 York: 1989 June

11 York: 1989 July-Sept.

12 York: 1989 Oct.-Dec.

13 York: 1990

14 York: 1991 April-July

15 York: 1991 Aug.-Oct.

Box 105

Folders

1 B.K.P. Associates: 1988-1990

2 B.K.P. Associates: 1991

3 B.K.P. Associates: 1992-1993

4 Groller Transportation: 1982-1984

5 Groller Transportation: 1985-1990

6 Maxwell Associates: 1987-1988

7 Maxwell Associates: 1989-1990

8 Leases -- Philadelphia: 1990

9 Leases -- Stott and Davis: 1990

10 Leases -- Yellow Freight: 1990

11 Leases -- P-JAX: 1991

12 Insurance: 1986-1989

13 Insurance: 1990

14 Insurance: 1991 Jan.

15 Insurance: 1991 Jan.-March

16 Insurance: 1991 April-Dec.

Box 106

Folders

1 Insurance: 1992 Jan.

2 Insurance: 1992 Jan.-Sept.

3 Insurance: 1993 Jan.

4 Insurance: 1993 Jan.-Dec.

5 Insurance: 1994

6 Insurance -- Lot # 4 -- Frederick: 1992-1993

7 Insurance -- Hauser's Truck Service: 1988

8 Insurance -- P-JAX -- [Lot # 4?]: 1990-1993

9 Insurance -- Right Way Transportation -- [Lot # 7]: 1991-1992

10 Insurance -- St. Johnsbury Trucking Co.-- [Lot # 8]: 1990-1993

11 Insurance -- Stott and Davis Motor Express, Inc. -- [Northway 16]: 1990-1992

12 Insurance -- Philadelphia: 1990

13 Insurance -- York: 1989-1991

14 Sold Properties -- Berman Industrial Park: 1982 (a)

15 Sold properties -- Other: 1982 (b)

SERIES II.B Hess's

The department store in Allentown, Pennsylvania, known as Hess Brothers, or Hess's, was founded on February 19, 1897, by Charles and Max Hess. In March of 1968 Philip Berman bought the store from Max Hess, son of the founder, and embarked on a program of expansion, while continuing and enhancing the store's tradition of high quality merchandise, community involvement, and special events. By the time Philip Berman sold the business to Crown America, Inc., in October 1979, Hess's had grown from a single downtown store to a chain of seventeen stores in two states. For the annual flower show it had attracted guests of honor such as Barbara Eden, Patsy Mink, Angie Brooks, Barbara Walters, and Virginia Graham; on other occasions it had welcomed Hubert H. Humphrey, Rosalynn Carter, Gina Lollobrigida, and Boy Scout representatives from Egypt and Israel, among many others. In September 1975 Muriel Berman opened The Gallery, known also as Hess's Fine Arts Gallery, where she exhibited and sold the work of first rate artists, including Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Francoise Gilot, Obican, Pablo Picasso, Shalom of Safed. The success of the store in the 1970's attracted the attention of The New York Times, Business Week, and other national publications, as well as the Harvard Business School.

The Hess's files include correspondence, incorporating a great variety of miscellaneous documents; a collection of printed announcements of Gallery shows; a collection of publications by Hess's from the years 1968-1990, such as the annual reports and the newsletter Hess's World; many miscellaneous printed items, most of which are newspaper and magazine articles; and some 90 photographic prints, mostly black and white, of the downtown store in Allentown, the staff, the special events, and The Gallery.

Much further information on Hess's will be found included in files elsewhere in the Berman Collection, as for instance in the Art Correspondence (Series I.F) and the Art Gifts (Series IV.H). A large number of related photographs are housed in Binders 23-27 of Series VI.A (Photographic Prints).

Box 107

Folders

1 Correspondence: 1959-1968

2 Correspondence: 1969-1974

3 Correspondence: 1975-1976

4 Correspondence: 1977 (a)

5 Correspondence: 1977 (b)

6 Correspondence: [1979?]

7 Correspondence: 1979 Jan.-Aug.

8 Correspondence: 1979 Sept.-Dec.

9 Correspondence: 1980

10 Correspondence: 1981-1985

11 Correspondence: 1986-1987

12 Correspondence: 1988

13 Correspondence: 1989

14 Correspondence: 1990-1995

15 Gallery Announcements (a): 1978-1982

16 Gallery Announcements (b): [n.d.]

17 Gallery Announcements (c): [n.d.]

18 Printed Items -- Annual Reports: 1969-1970

19 Printed Items -- Annual Reports: 1971-1973

20 Printed Items -- Annual Reports: 1974-1977

21 Printed Items -- Annual Reports: 1978-1979

22 Printed Items -- Hess's News: 1968-1971

23 Printed Items -- Selling is our Business: 1980

24 Printed Items -- The Wonderful World of Hess's: 1977

Box 108

Folders

1 Printed Items -- Hess's World: 1974-1976

2 Printed Items -- Hess's World: 1977-1979

3 Printed Items -- Hess's World: 1980-1985

4 Printed Items -- Hess's World: 1986-1990

5 Miscellaneous Printed: 1897-1964

6 Miscellaneous Printed: 1968 Jan.-May

7 Miscellaneous Printed: 1968 June-Dec.

8 Miscellaneous Printed: 1969 Jan.-April

9 Miscellaneous Printed: 1969 May-Dec.

10 Miscellaneous Printed: 1970

11 Miscellaneous Printed: 1971 Jan.-May

12 Miscellaneous Printed: 1971 June-1972

13 Miscellaneous Printed: 1973-1974 Jan.

14 Miscellaneous Printed: 1974-1975

15 Miscellaneous Printed: 1976

16 Miscellaneous Printed: 1977

17 Miscellaneous Printed: 1978 Jan.-May

18 Miscellaneous Printed: 1978 June-Dec.

19 Miscellaneous Printed: 1979

20 Miscellaneous Printed: 1980-1982

Box 109

Folders

1 Miscellaneous Printed: 1983-1985

2 Miscellaneous Printed: 1986-1990

3 Miscellaneous Printed: 1991-1996

4 Memorabilia (a): [n.d.]

5 Memorabilia (b): [n.d.]

6 Photos -- The Allentown Store: [n.d.]

7 Photos -- Flower Show: 1970-1971

8 Photos -- Special Events (a): [n.d.]

9 Photos -- Special Events (b): [n.d.]

10 Photos -- PIB and Irwin Greenberg: [n.d.]

11 Photos -- PIB and Staff: [n.d.]

12 Photos -- Art in Windows (a): [n.d.]

13 Photos -- Art in Windows (b): [n.d.]

14 Photos -- Art in Windows (c): [n.d.]

15 Photos -- Art in Windows (d): [n.d.]

16 Photos -- Art in Windows (e): [n.d.]

17 Photos -- Art in Windows (f): [n.d.]

18 Photos -- Art in Windows (g): [n.d.]

19 Photos -- Gallery -- Chagall Show (a): [n.d.]

20 Photos -- Gallery -- Chagall Show (b): [n.d.]

21 Photos -- Gallery -- Chagall Show (c): [n.d.]

22 Photos -- Gallery -- Miscellaneous: [n.d.]

SERIES II.C Lloyd's of London

On December 4, 1968, Philip I. Berman was officially elected an Underwriting Member of Lloyd's of London, the first American to be sponsored for membership following the decision by Lloyd's in February 1968 to admit members who were not British subjects. In 1974 Muriel Berman and their son Steven Berman were also elected members. The Lloyd's of London files, extending from 1961 to 1997, include a great deal of correspondence and related records of the Bermans' financial involvement with Lloyd's. They contain also, especially for the years 1990-1996 a vast quantity of ephemeral printed material generated during the protracted financial crisis of the firm.The researcher may wish to consult also the two books on Lloyd's included in Series VIII.C.

Box 110

Folders

1 1961, 1966

2-5 1968

6 1974 July

7 1974 July-1979

8 1980-1986

9 1987-1988 August

10 1988 August-1989

11-15 1990

16-19 1991 Jan.-April

Box 111

Folders

1-6 1991 April-Dec.

7-15 1992 Jan.-Aug.

Box 112

Folders

1-5 1992 Aug.-Dec.

6-17 1993 Jan.-July

Box 113

Folders

1-14 1993 July-Dec.

15-17 1994 Jan.-Feb.

Box 114

Folders

1-20 1994 March-Nov.

Box 115

Folders

1-9 1994 Nov.-Dec.

10-21 1995 Jan.-May

Box 116

Folders

1-21 1995 June-Dec.

Box 117

Folders

1 1995 Dec.

2-19 1996 Jan.-June

Box 118

Folders

1-13 1996 June-Dec.

14-15 1997 Jan.-Feb.

Overview  |  I. A-C.  |  I. D.  |  I. E-F.  |  I. G-H.  |  II.  |  III. A-D.  |  III. E-G.  |  IV.  |  V.  |  VI.  |  VII-VIII.  |  IX.  |  PDF Version

Last updated: