A Guide to the Beatrice (Beady) Berler Papers, 1920-1998

Biographical Note

Beatrice Adele "Beady" Berler was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Max and Clary (Bichman) Goldenblank on May 10, 1915. She moved to Texas when she was a young woman and married Albert Berler on May 15, 1945. She helped him with his construction business until she became a student at Trinity University. She graduated from Trinity University in 1960 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in history, and in 1963 received her Master of Arts in Foreign Language, also at Trinity.

In the 1950s, Brandeis University asked Jewish women from around the country to help create a library collection. The National Women's Committee was comprised of 65 chapters around the United States, with the chapter in San Antonio being led by Beatrice Berler. Berler also served as the President and Trustee of the National Women's Committee from 1971-1973. Every year the San Antonio chapter would hold a used and antique book sale to benefit the Brandeis University Library.

In 1972, after hearing a complaint that the prisoners at the El Paso Federal Prison did not have anything to read, Berler donated books to the prison. Hearing that those books weren't the type they wanted to read she sent more books, this time science fiction novels, mysteries, action novels, and other popular fiction. With that success she began to do the same at other prisons around the nation. Berler persuaded publishers from New York to donate to this program. She also donated Spanish books to the program for those who could not read English.

Later on in her life, Berler helped the library raise a total of $170,000 by suggesting that the city mail out library donation envelopes with City Public Service (CPS Energy) bills. After achieving this fundraising success, Mayor Henry Cisneros named Beatrice an official Benefactor of the City of San Antonio.

Berler was also an author and translator. She wrote The Conquest of Mexico: A Modern Rendering of William H. Prescott's History in 1988 and translated Azuela La Veracidad Historica in 1966. She co-translated several other works.

Berler died September 11, 2000.

Sources:

Who's Who in the South and Southwest, 25th edition. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who [etc].

Batiste, Amy."Professional Bookworm Shares Love of Reading".Texas Sesquicentennial. p. 41.

Lindee, Susan."A Book's Best Friend, Beady Berler has a Novel Idea for Those Who Like to Read."San Antonio Light, April 8, 1984: 26.

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Scope and Content Note

The collection spans the years 1920-1998 and the bulk of the material includes clippings, correspondence, book excerpts, scrapbooks, biographical information, college papers, awards, and photographs that document the life and career of Beatrice "Beady" Berler and Mariano Azuela. A significant portion of the collection is original and photocopied correspondence of Mariano Azuela, which Berler assembled for Epistolario y archivo: Recopilación, notas y apéndices de Beatrice Berler.

The collection is divided into three series: Career Files ,Personal Files, and Photographs.

The Career Files series includes awards, scrapbooks, correspondence, clippings, and a program. The series documents Berler's work on various book projects, as well as civic projects with the Brandeis University National Women's Committee and Friends of the San Antonio Public Library.

The Personal Files series includes biographical material, correspondence, college research papers, and a commencement program.

The Photographs series includes photographs of Beatrice Berler. In one photograph, Berler is pictured with Lady Bird Johnson, in another Berler is pictured alone, and other photographs are from an awards ceremony.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Beatrice (Beady) Berler Papers, MS 54, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received from Beatrice Berler in February 1997 (Acc. 1997-007), March 1999 (Acc. 1999-004), March 1999 (Acc. 1999-005), May 1999 (Acc. 1999-027).

Processing Information

Processed by Tatina Wulzer, Collections Assistant, April 2008.

Portions of the collection were cleaned and re-processed in June, 2011.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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