all Oral History
July 14, 2006

Harold Berman

Harold Berman's father, Hyman Israel Berman, was born in Russia and came to the United States through the port of Galveston in 1904 at about five years old, traveling with his mother and two brothers to reunite with his father, who was already in Seguin, Texas. The family faced hardship on arrival, including a quarantine at a Galveston hospital when the children fell ill. In Seguin, Harold's grandfather peddled goods and later ran a small grocery store. As the sons grew, they moved to Colorado City, where his father opened a variety store that became a charter Ben Franklin store. Harold's mother was born in London, lost her own mother at birth, grew up in Brooklyn, and came to West Texas, where she met and married Hyman in 1924. Harold was born in 1926, the first of three sons; his younger brothers were twins.

Growing up in Colorado City, Harold was one of only a handful of Jewish families in the area. Though there was no local synagogue, the family observed the High Holidays in nearby Sweetwater and hosted large Passover Seders in Colorado City. He recalled a warm, close-knit upbringing with an excellent small-town education, and he and his brothers excelled academically. His father served briefly as mayor of Colorado City, and his mother was well known and beloved in the community. Harold graduated high school at fifteen and entered the University of Texas in 1942, where he joined Alpha Epsilon Pi. Drafted at eighteen, he served in the Army, studied Japanese at the University of Chicago, and served as a censor at MacArthur's headquarters during the occupation of Japan. He later completed his undergraduate degree and graduated from Harvard Law School.

Harold came to Dallas, married, and began practicing law, eventually specializing in estate planning and probate while handling a wide range of cases over his career. He was deeply involved in the Jewish community, serving as national president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, joining B'nai B'rith, and becoming president of the Jewish Community Center, which he considered central to Jewish communal strength. He also served as president of the Columbian Country Club and helped pass Texas Greenbelt legislation benefiting private clubs. He was a longtime member of Temple Emanu-El and a member of the International Golfing Society, a worldwide fellowship of Jewish golf and country club leaders. Married three times and widowed twice, he was married to Lynn for nearly thirty years at the time of the interview. He had children and grandchildren and reflected with gratitude on a full and fortunate life rooted in family, faith, and community.