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Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers

An inventory of the papers at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University

Summary

Creator: Bernstein, Michael Stuart.
Title: Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers
Dates: 1985-2013
Size: 11 boxes, 11.25 linear feet
Abstract: The Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers contains materials relating to Pan Am Flight 103 victim, Michael Bernstein, his wife Stephanie, and their two children, Sara and Joseph.
Language: English
Repository: Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/pan-am-103

Biography

Photograph of Michael Stuart Bernstein

Michael Stuart Bernstein (1952-1988) was among the 270 victims of the 21 December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. He was a United States Justice Department attorney working within the Office of Special Investigations. A native of New York, Michael attended college at the University of Michigan, from which he graduated with distinction in 1973. He then went on to receive his Master’s degree in American History from Johns Hopkins University in 1975 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1979.

At the beginning of his career, Michael was an associate with Covington and Burling, a law firm in Washington DC. After six years at the firm he decided to pursue a career with the Department of Justice, investigating Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice. In 1988, he was appointed to Assistant Deputy Director of the Office of Special Investigations and was responsible for supervising major war crime investigations. He was returning from a trip to Vienna, Austria where he was in negotiations with the Austrian government about the deportation of a Nazi war criminal from the U.S. to Austria. Over the course of his career, he was personally responsible for the department’s deportation of seven former Nazis.

Michael left behind his wife Stephanie, children Sara and Joseph, as well as his mother Janet.

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Scope and Content Note

The Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers consists of the following series: Clippings, Correspondence, Memorials and awards, Michael S. Bernstein career files, Personal effects, Photographs, and Subject files.

Clippings are arranged chronologically, except when undated. They consist of articles written about Pan Am Flight 103 or Michael Bernstein.

Correspondence includes cards and letters of condolence, messages sent to Michael's supervisors at the Office of Special Investigations, letters directed to Stephanie Bernstein (wife), as well as communications related to the Libya and Pan Am 103 lawsuits.

Memorials and awards contains papers related to the various personal memorials and awards created for, or received by, Michael Bernstein and the Pan Am 103 victims. There are also copies of speeches that mention Michael as well as a bible given to the Bernstein family by the Lockerbie Air Disaster Trust in his memory.

The Michael S. Bernstein career files series consists of documents related to Michael Bernstein's professional career at Covington and Burling as well as the Office of Special Investigations. There are also copies of Michael's resume, information about past investigations he worked on, his name plate from his office door, and his trial attorney badge.

Personal effects contains Michael's luggage returned from the crash site at Lockerbie, Scotland.

Photographs is comprised of images of Michael and the Lockerbie Memorial.

Subject files includes documents pertaining to various court cases, the House of Representatives, and the United Nations Security Council. It also contains information about Michael Bernstein's estate and death, his personal effects recovered from the flight, and notes and writings by the Bernstein family.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Please note some materials in this collection are restricted and housed off-site. Due to their fragility, textile items in the Personal effects series are restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

TruthQuest newsletters and other materials related to the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. have been separated, and placed in the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. Collection. Materials related to Families of Pan Am 103/Lockerbie have been separated, and placed in the Families of Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Collection. General publications have been separated, and placed in the Pan Am Flight 103 Publications Collection.

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to Michael S. Bernstein Family Papers. Related collections include:

Syracuse University: College of Law Collection

Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. Collection

Families of Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Collection

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Selected Search Terms

Names

Bernstein family.
Bernstein, Michael Stuart.

Subjects

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- Case Studies.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- History.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States.
Terrorism -- History -- 20th Century.
Lockerbie (Scotland)
Nazi hunter.

Types of material

Clothing.
Correspondence.
Photographs.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers were donated by Stephanie Bernstein in 2016.

Processing Information

The Michael Stuart Bernstein Family Papers are fully processed. Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: Emily Rindahl
Date: 2016
Revision history: Mar 2018 - Inventory updated, stylistic changes (VSOM)

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Arrangement

Individual series are arranged in either chronological or alphabetical order as appropriate. Subseries have been created as necessary.

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Inventory

Clippings
Box 1 General 1988-2003, undated (2 folders)
Correspondence
Box 1 Committee for Solidarity with Mansur Kikhia 1993-1997
Box 1 Condolence cards and letters 22 December 1988-7 January 1989 (4 folders)
Box 2 Condolence cards and letters 9 January 1989-31 December 1998, undated (5 folders)
Box 3 Libya lawsuit 1990-2008 (2 folders)
Box 3 Libya lawsuit, separated materials 2004-2008
RESTRICTED: Please note this folder is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Box 3 Michael Bernstein 1987-1988
Office of Special Investigations
Box 3 Eli Rosenbaum 1988-1991
Box 3 Neal Sher (Director) 1988-1989
Box 3 Pan Am 103 civil case 1989-1996 (3 folders)
Box 3 Stephanie Bernstein (wife) 1988-2009
Memorials and awards
Box 4 Attorney General's 38th Annual Awards Ceremony 1990
Box 4 Bible undated
Box 4 Memorial book prepared for Janet Bernstein (mother) 1990
Box 4 Memorial cairn 1988-2013
Box 4 Michael Bernstein memorial panel 1989-1992
Box 4 Michael S. Bernstein Memorial Fund 1989
Box 4 Michael Stuart Bernstein Junior Research Award 1989
Box 4 Speeches and remembrances 1988-1990
Box 4 Temple Sinai 1989
Box 4 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 1990
Box 4 Yad Vashem medal 1989
Michael S. Bernstein career files
Box 4 Covington & Burling 1989
Box 4 Josef Eckert case 1988-1989
Box 4 Michael S. Bernstein name plate undated
Box 5 Office of Special Investigation 1986-1988
Box 4 Office of Special Investigations Criminal Division, trial attorney badge undated
Box 5 Resume and litigation experience undated
Box 5 Travel voucher and tickets 1988-1989
RESTRICTED: Please note this folder is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Personal effects
Box OS 1 Jacket 1988
RESTRICTED: Please note this box is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Box OS 2 Miscellaneous personal effects 1985-1988
Box OS 3 Shoes 1988
RESTRICTED: Please note this box is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Box OS 4 Suitcases 1988
RESTRICTED: Please note this box is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Box OS 5 Undergarments, shirts, and socks 1988
RESTRICTED: Please note this box is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Photographs
Box 4 Lockerbie memorial undated
Box 4 Michael Bernstein circa 1988
Subject files
Box 5 Aviation Security Improvement Act 1990-1991
Box 5 Department of State fact sheets November 1991
Box 5 House of Representatives, "U.S. Policy in the Aftermath of the Bombing of Pan Am 103" 1994
Box 5 La Belle trial circa 1997
Box 5 Libya 1991-2003
Box 5 Libya lawsuit undated
Box 5 Michael S. Bernstein estate 1989-2003
Box 5 Next of kin questionnaire undated
Box 5 Notes written by Stephanie Bernstein undated
Box 5 Official documents on Michael S. Bernstein death 1988-1990
Box 5 Pan Am 103 civil case circa 1989
Box 5 Pan Am 103 list of victims and family members undated
RESTRICTED: Please note this folder is restricted. Contact the archivist for more information.
Box 6 Return of property documents 1989-2002
Box 6 Scottish Court in the Netherlands identification badges undated
Box 6 United Nations Security Council 1998-2003
Box 6 Writings of Bernstein family members 1988-2000

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