LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Seymour Perry Berger,
father of the modern day baseball trading card

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Seymour "Sy" Perry Berger, of Rockville Centre, New York, a
man whose innovative designs and business savvy sparked the imaginations
of millions of baseball-loving children and the boom for sports card
collectibles, died on Sunday, December 14, 2014, at the age of 91; and
WHEREAS, Sy Berger was one of three children born to Louis and Rebecca
Berger on July 12, 1923, in Manhattan's Lower East Side; he moved with
his family to the Bronx when he was a young boy; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed man proudly served his country as a member of
the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, after which, he
attended Bucknell University where he received his degree in accounting;
and
WHEREAS, While studying at Bucknell, Sy Berger became friends with
Joel Shorin, the son of one of the founders of the Topps Chewing Gum
Company; he was hired to work for Topps in 1947; and
WHEREAS, In 1951, Sy Berger helped take the company into the base-
ball-card market, and in autumn of that year, teamed with Woody Gelman
to design the 1952 Topps Baseball Card set on the kitchen table of his
apartment in Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, Sy Berger is credited with conceiving the prototype for the
modern baseball card; he designed large, beautiful cards in brilliant
color, which also featured team logos and autographs, as well as current
and lifetime statistics; these basic design concepts are still in use
today; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his revolutionary work in card design, Sy
Berger was a skilled businessman and negotiator; he became a fixture at
major league clubhouses, working tirelessly to sign baseball players to
contracts in his role as Vice President for sports and licensing at
Topps; and
WHEREAS, As a result of Sy Berger's creativity and determination, the
baseball card market continued to grow, selling millions annually by the
time of the collectibles boom in the 1980s and 1990s; and
WHEREAS, After helping Topps dominate the sports card market for more
than 40 years, Sy Berger retired from the company after a half century
of distinguished service in 1997, after which time he stayed on as a
consultant; and
WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous honors and accolades for his
outstanding work, Sy Berger was the subject of his own baseball card in
2004, as part of the Topps "All Time Fan Favorite" Series; furthermore,
he was inducted into the National Jewish Hall of Fame in 2012; and
WHEREAS, Sy Berger is survived by his wife, Gloria; their three chil-
dren, Maxine, Glenn and Gary; five grandchildren; and two great-grand-
children; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion Sy Berger leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the
passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served
and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Seymour Perry Berger, father of the modern day base-
ball trading card; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Seymour Perry Berger.