Drew Von Bergen was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on January 24, 1940, to Beulah Greene Von Bergen and John D. Von Bergen.[2] His grandfather, John Von Bergen, served as the Mayor of Scranton from 1909 until 1914.[2] His father, John Von Bergen, was a Scranton-based radio and television broadcaster.[2]
Von Bergen received his bachelor's degrees in secondary education, history and political science from the University of Scranton in 1961.[1][2] Von Bergen simultaneously began his journalism career while still attending still college. He was hired as a correspondent for the former Scrantonian-Tribune, covering nearby West Scranton and Dunmore, from 1959 until 1961.[1] Von Bergen enlisted in the United States Army from 1961 until 1963 following his graduation from the University of Scranton.[2] He was stationed at Fort Irwin National Training Center in California, where he served as the editor of the training station's newspaper.[2]
Von Bergen reported for United Press International (UPI) from 1963 to 1985.[1] He began his career at UPI as a reporter, based in Newark, New Jersey, in 1963 before transferring to UPI's office in Frankfort, Kentucky, where he served as its bureau chief.[2] In 1970, Von Bergen moved to UPI's bureau in Washington D.C., where he covered the U.S. Congress and politics, focusing on coal-producing states, such as Kentucky and West Virginia.[2] He would later become UPI's national reporter for labor and labor relations, as well as the news agency's night editor.[1][2]
Von Bergen was national officer of the Wire Service Guild, a union which represents employees of the news wire services, including UPI.[2] He chaired the Wire Service Guild's negotiating team which authorized the first employee strike in United Press International's history in 1974.[2] The strike, led by Von Bergen, last 23 days and resulted in a new, two-year contract which guaranteed pay increase of nearly six percent annually.[2]
In 1980, Von Bergen became the President of National Press Club, a major professional organization for journalists headquartered in Washington D.C., which had 4,700 members at the time.[1]
From 1985 until 1987, he served as the press secretary for former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio).[1]
He then became the director of public relations for the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) from 1987 until his retirement in 2010.[1] During his tenure, Von Bergen helped to establish the NALC's annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in 1991.[2] The yearly food drive, which takes place on the second Saturday of May, takes place in more than 10,000 cities and towns throughout the United States.[2] U.S. mail carriers pick up the donations for this food drive each year.[2]
Additionally, Von Bergen also served as the National Cherry Blossom Festival from 1995 until 1997.[2] In 1995, he led a delegation of Cherry Blossom Festival board members and participants on a friendship trip to Japan.[2]
Drew Von Bergen died from complications of congestive heart failure on December 18, 2017, at the age of 77.[1][2] A resident of Alexandria, Virginia, Von Bergen was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Dunmore, Pennsylvania.[1]