Norman Berson
{{Short description|American politician (1926–2019)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = Norman Berson
| state_house = Pennsylvania
| district = 187th
| term_start = 1969
| term_end = 1982
| predecessor = District created
| successor = Paul Semmel
| constituency =
| state_house2 = Pennsylvania
| district2 = Philadelphia County
| term_start2 = 1967
| term_end2 = 1968
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|11|19}}{{cite book|title=The Pennsylvania Manual|author1=Pennsylvania. Dept. of General Services|author2=Pennsylvania. Bureau of Publications|author3=Pennsylvania. Dept. of Property and Supplies|date=1971|volume=100|publisher=Department of General Services|issn=0275-8814|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=07FZAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=2015-08-24}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|12|7|1926|11|19}}
| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| spouse =
| children =
| residence =
| religion =
| website =
}}
Norman S. Berson (November 19, 1926 – December 7, 2019) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1967 to 1982.{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = House Members B | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/B.html}}
Formative years
Born in New York City, New York on November 19, 1926, Berson graduated from the George School in 1946,{{Cite web | url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=537&body=H |title = Norman S. Berson}}{{citation needed|date=October 2019|reason=Need to cite a reliable source to verify attendance at this school.}} before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University in 1950 and his Bachelor of Law (L.L.B) from Temple's Law School in 1953. A member of the United States Army during World War II, he served from 1945 to 1946."Norman S. Berson" (biography). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online July 12, 2019.
Professionally, he was then employed as an attorney."Norman S. Berson" (biography), Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Political career
A Democrat, Berson was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1966, serving a total of eight consecutive terms. Appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing in 1979, he served until 1982. He was not a candidate for reelection to the House in 1982."Norman S. Berson" (biography), Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
In 1977, Berson introduced a bill to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession.Stein, Anne Marie. "[https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-daily-pennsylvanian-apr-13-1977-p-1/ Decriminalization of Marijuana Likely in Future]." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Daily Pennsylvanian, April 13, 1977.
Later professional life
Serving as "of counsel" with Fineman Krekstein & Harris PC from 1981 to the present (as of summer 2019), he has also been a Director for RCM Technologies, Inc. (1987–present)."Norman S. Berson" (biography), Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Death
Berson died of Parkinson's disease on December 7, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age 93.{{cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/norman-berson-house-representative-philadelphia-obituary-20191208.html |title=Norman Berson, 93, longtime state representative and champion of liberal cause |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=2019-12-07 |accessdate=2019-12-10}}
References
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Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:Military personnel from New York City
Category:Lawyers from New York City
Category:Lawyers from Philadelphia
Category:Temple University alumni
Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly