The son of Russian immigrants, William Berns (1903-1962) grew up in a large family of six children—four daughters and two sons. William was unmarried and lived with his mother Milly at 19 East Eighty-eighth Street in Manhattan.

In the 1930s, William and his brother started their jewelry business Berns Brothers at 435 Madison Avenue, New York City. Before 1940, William Berns became the sole owner of the store and changed the firm’s name to Berns Jewelers.

In March 1943, Vogue magazine described Berns Jewelers small shop as a veritable treasure trove of precious jewelry and unique antiques. For example, a 16th-century French snuffbox adorned with diamonds, or a bedside clock with a diamond hoop, concealed in a gold globe, resting on the shoulders of a miniature Atlas, whose feet rest firmly on a topaz base.

The Will of William Berns

William Berns died in 1962, and his name became known nationwide only after his death. The jeweler’s will was the reason for this. Most newspapers across the United States and Canada reported on and widely discussed it. The Madison Avenue jeweler left his entire inheritance, approximately $250,000, to “the Treasurer of the United States of America.”

Although Berns had four sisters and a brother at the time of his death, his relatives understood the philosophical and patriotic meaning of his will.

A year before his death, William Berns wrote a will in which he stated, “I make this bequest in appreciation of the freedom and liberty afforded in this country to all citizens, irrespective of race, creed or color.”

Highly questionable information

According to a May 3, 1962, New York Times article, William Berns served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II. However, this information is highly questionable, as he was 11-15 years old during World War I (1914-1918).

During World War II, he successfully ran his store at 435 Madison Avenue. This was confirmed by jewelry advertisements that appeared regularly, almost monthly, in fashion magazines beginning in 1941. These magazines included Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle, and others.

Meanwhile, William Berns was a passionate numismatist and became a member of the American Numismatic Association in December 1955.

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