Norman Alf Berg Letters

Collection

Identifier: MS0449

Staff Only

Content Description

The Norman Alf Berg Letters consist of two letters to Norman A. Berg. One letter, dated January 5, 1998, is from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, granting Berg the honorary title of Chief Emeritus of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The other letter, dated February 12, 1998, is from Thomas A. Weber, Acting Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, congratulating Berg on receiving the honor.

Dates

Creation: 1998

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Biographical Sketch

Norman Alf "Norm" Berg (1918-2008) was born in Burlington, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1941, and later earned a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University. He began his 40-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) when he joined the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in Idaho. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed Berg as chief of SCS (later the National Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS), where he served until his retirement in 1982. During his tenure as SCS chief, he supervised the first National Agricultural Lands Study and drafted the Soil and Water Conservation Act. After retiring from USDA, he served as a senior adviser at American Farmland Trust. He was a charter member and fellow of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.