Joe Rand Beckett
Encyclopedia
Joe Rand Beckett was a veteran of World War I
, prominent lawyer
in Indianapolis, Indiana
, and a member of the Indiana Senate
representing Johnson County
and Marion County
in 1929, 1931 and the special session in 1932 as well as assistant attorney general for the state. Shortly thereafter, he led the drive to build modern housing for low income residents of Indianapolis to improve conditions in the city.
on March 2, 1891. His grandfather, Joe Smirthwinte Beckett was from Sheffield
, England
, and settled in Dearborn County, Indiana
, in about 1837. His mother was the granddaughter of Thomas Rand, an immigrant from Belfast, Ireland
, who fought in the Revolutionary War and settled in Dearborn County in about 1811.
Beckett graduated from Emmerich Manual High School
in Indianapolis in 1910 and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1914, where he studied architecture
. He attended the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis and was admitted to the bar in 1916. Shortly thereafter, he partnered with his father and they formed the law practice of Beckett and Beckett in Indianapolis.
, he was accidentally shot and killed by a playmate with a 38 caliber pistol.
in 1917, when he was commissioned a first lieutenant. He was promoted to captain of artillery an served overseas. Active in the American Legion
, he was past commander of the McIlvaine-Kothe Post. He also served as state legislative chairman of the Legion. He was an army reserve officer for several years advancing to the rank of major.
for including them in their estate plans.
Joe Rand Beckett was the Chairman of the Housing and Planning Committee and board member of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce instrumental in obtaining the loan for Indianapolis during the New Deal
era during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, prominent lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, and a member of the Indiana Senate
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
representing Johnson County
Johnson County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,209 people, 42,434 households, and 31,613 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile . There were 45,095 housing units at an average density of 141 per square mile...
and Marion County
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
in 1929, 1931 and the special session in 1932 as well as assistant attorney general for the state. Shortly thereafter, he led the drive to build modern housing for low income residents of Indianapolis to improve conditions in the city.
Family and background
Joe Rand Beckett was born the son of Wymond Joe Beckett and Florence Ohio Rand in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
on March 2, 1891. His grandfather, Joe Smirthwinte Beckett was from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and settled in Dearborn County, Indiana
Dearborn County, Indiana
Dearborn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 50,047. It is part of the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The county seat is Lawrenceburg.-History:...
, in about 1837. His mother was the granddaughter of Thomas Rand, an immigrant from Belfast, Ireland
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, who fought in the Revolutionary War and settled in Dearborn County in about 1811.
Beckett graduated from Emmerich Manual High School
Emmerich Manual High School
Emmerich Manual High School is a public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It is one of five traditional high schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools district.-Establishment and History:...
in Indianapolis in 1910 and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1914, where he studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. He attended the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis and was admitted to the bar in 1916. Shortly thereafter, he partnered with his father and they formed the law practice of Beckett and Beckett in Indianapolis.
Family Tragedy
Joe Rand Beckett and his wife had only one child, Joe Rand Beckett, Jr., who was born on May 6, 1918. According to newspaper reports, he was a bright, talented youth who was about to attend the Culver Military Academy in the Fall. Near dusk on May 29, 1932, while his parents were out of town in Oxford, OhioOxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, he was accidentally shot and killed by a playmate with a 38 caliber pistol.
Military service
A veteran of World War I, Mr. Beckett attended the first officers' training camp at Fort Benjamin HarrisonFort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. It is named for the 23rd United States President, Benjamin Harrison. Land was purchased in 1903, with the post being officially named for President Harrison in honor of Indianapolis being...
in 1917, when he was commissioned a first lieutenant. He was promoted to captain of artillery an served overseas. Active in the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, he was past commander of the McIlvaine-Kothe Post. He also served as state legislative chairman of the Legion. He was an army reserve officer for several years advancing to the rank of major.
Philanthropy
Joe Rand and Mary Ann Beckett are recognized by the Laura Githens Society of the Indianapolis ZooIndianapolis Zoo
The Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, first opened to the public in 1964. Its current home in White River State Park was opened in 1988 with a size of . The zoo hosts more than a million visitors each year and plays a role in worldwide conservation and research, including...
for including them in their estate plans.
Legacy
Lockefield GardensLockefield Gardens
Lockefield Gardens was the first public housing built in Indianapolis. Built during the years of 1935 to 1938, it was built exclusively for low income blacks in Indianapolis. The complex was closed in 1976, and a number of structures were demolished in the early 1980s...
- The headline in the Indianapolis Times in early September 1933 came as a surprise to most residents of the Hoosier capital: "$4,460,000 Loan Will Help City to Banish Slums." The accompanying story, datelined Washington, D.C., explained that tentative approval had been given for federal funds to "finance elimination of slums and construction of low-cost housing units in the Indianapolis Negro section." The proposed program, noted the reporter, had been "put through without publicity" by a planning committee of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, "the representatives of which manipulated secretly to obtain the approval of the federal works board."
- Precise details are lacking, but available evidence suggests that perhaps as early as fall 1932, and certainly by spring 1933, some Indianapolis residents were discussing housing conditions and what might be done to improve them in the Hoosier capital. One such individual was Joe Rand Beckett, a local architect and attorney, who, as his obituary put it years later, "pioneered in the building of modern housing for low-income groups". As a member of the board of directors of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Beckett reported in mid-May 1933 to his colleagues "on the progress to date of the Planning and Housing Committee," of which he was the chairman. —Robert G Barrows (June 2007)
Joe Rand Beckett was the Chairman of the Housing and Planning Committee and board member of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce instrumental in obtaining the loan for Indianapolis during the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
era during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency.