Nikola Tesla FBI Files - Page 33

O O et KENNETH M. SWEZEY ORMATION CONTAINED IS UNCLASSIFIED TE 2-2-80 BY people Mr. J. Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. Hoover: ट्र ✓ Mr. Tolson! M Peringan, K Mr. lnt Mr. Ha Mr. Mohr Mr. Parsons. 163 Milton Stretsen. Brooklyn 22, M. Tamm M. Sizno June 25, 156. Winterrowd * Tele. Room Mr. Hollaman._ Miss Gandy Back in 1943, the local Alien' Property Custodian searched through the belongings of the late electrical inventor, Nikola Tesla, stored in the Manhattan Storage Warehouse in New York City. Tesla had been a naturalized American for more than fifty years, so I believe that the search was made on the grounds that the property was to be sent to Yugoslavia, through Tesla's nephew and heir, Mr. Sava Kosanović (Mr. Kosanović had been Minister of State under the King's government, later became Ambassador to the United States from the present government, and is now a Minister serving in Belgrade). Herr Rilsand - Bord man byC 1/29/55. Tatach. 5-390 60 J 11 1955 According to the attorney who handled the Tesla estate, Er. Philip Wittenberg, the Alien Property Custodian assured him that nothing had been held. I have a letter from the Office of Alien Property, dated March 15, 1955, which confirms this statement. N.Y In gathering material to help in a nation-wide commemoration of Tesla's hundredth birthday next year---which will be participated in by leading scientific and engineering societies, museums, and universities---I have just discovered, however, that Tesla's solid gold Edison Medal somehow vanished during that search. to the As a friend who had known Tesla well during his last twenty years, I was with Mr. Kosanović Tesla's room in the Hotel New Yorker on the day he died A safe expert was called in to unlock Tesla's safe. Among its contents were several honorary degrees, a volume of greetings which I had gathered for him on his seventy-fifth birthday, a bunch of keys, and the Edison Medal. We kept out the book of greetings (I mentioned this at the time" to the assistant manager of the hotel and later to a Mr. Gorsuch of the Alien Property Custodian's office), but everything else, including the medal and the keys, was replaced and the safe was looked. те RECORDED 82/60-2237-5 104 was inspelled by the INDEXED Except when it Property Custodian, the safe was never reopened antil it ( EXP PROG. 27 1955 33