Robin Beard
Encyclopedia
Robin Leo Beard, Jr. was a Republican
member of the United States House of Representatives
from Tennessee
who served from 1973 to 1983.
's prestigious Montgomery Bell Academy
and Vanderbilt University
, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity
. He was a former colonel in the United States Marine Corps
Reserve. He later moved to Somerville
, a suburb of Memphis
.
. In 1972, he entered the GOP primary
for the newly-reconfigured seventh Congressional District. It was widely speculated that the district had been drawn in such a way as to put incumbent
Democrat
William Anderson
of Waverly
in a precarious position as punishment for his presumed liberalism
and his musings about running for vice president
in 1972. Also, many Democrats still remembered Anderson's 1962 gubernatorial bid as an independent against their nominee, Frank G. Clement
. The Democrats in the state legislature
shifted several Republican-trending portions near Memphis into the Sixth and removed several solidly Democratic areas.
In November, Beard defeated Anderson by twelve percentage points. Tennessee Democrats had not anticipated the depth of the massive Republican landslide fueled largely by the presidential candidacy of George McGovern
, who carried only five of Tennessee's ninety-five counties; the Republicans were able to win a majority in the state's congressional delegation for the first time since Reconstruction. However, Beard's victory was not considered an upset; the redrawn 6th was considered the only Democratic-held district in Tennessee in which a Republican had a realistic chance of winning.
Beard proved to be popular in much of his district, even though almost none of its residents had previously been represented by a Republican. Indeed, Democrats continued to hold most of the area's seats in the state legislature well into the 1980s. In part due to taking conservative
positions on almost all issues, and in part from his constituent services, Beard was reelected to four subsequent terms. His first reelection coincided with the 1974 nationwide Watergate debacle which ended the careers of many Republicans. Beard was frequently reelected by margins of over 30 percentage points, rivaling the totals usually scored by Republicans in East Tennessee
. His only serious threat probably came in 1976, when he was opposed for reelection by former Senator
Ross Bass
, who had represented the district from 1955 to 1964. However, Bass found himself running in a large amount of territory that he had never represented in Congress, and was defeated by over 34 points. Beard's blowout win over Bass was one of the few bright spots for Tennessee Republicans in a year in which state politics were largely otherwise dominated by Democrats, who regained more of the ground that they had lost four years earlier.
Beard did not run for a sixth term in the 1982 elections, opting instead to run for the Republican nomination to oppose freshman Democratic Senator
Jim Sasser
. While Beard won the primary
, he was a heavy underdog against Sasser from the beginning (even though Ronald Reagan
had carried Tennessee two years before), and his television
ads didn't help the cause. In one of the advertisements, Sasser was likened to a then-popular toy
mouse
which was wound up and started performing back flips, emphasizing Sasser's "flip flop" record according to Beard; in another, a fatigue-wearing Fidel Castro
look-alike lit his cigar
with what appeared to be American money, saying, "Gracias, Señor Sasser!" In the end, Beard lost in a massive 20-point landslide. This was a considerable embarrassment to the Tennessee GOP, especially considering that Republican Governor Lamar Alexander
was handily reelected. The Republicans would not win another statewide race until 1994, when they captured the governorship and both Senate seats.
Subsequent to his Senate defeat, Beard was appointed as a NATO deputy secretary-general and spent several years (1984–1987) in Belgium
, an experience that he enjoyed so much that he repeated it again later (1992–1995). He was subsequently quoted as saying that losing the Senate race was the best thing that had ever happened to him or his family, which he again found time for once removed from the constant travel and fundraising
associated with service in Congress. He later ran a Washington, D.C.
-based import-export business and was at one time a resident of Alexandria, Virginia
.
, South Carolina
, where he later ran for a seat on the county school board in 2006 (Arthur Ravenel, Jr.
, also a former U.S. Representative, ran successfully in the race). Shortly after filing for the race, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor
. Late in his campaign, he underwent surgery
and chemotherapy
treatments but stayed in the race, which he subsequently lost.
Beard died from the brain tumor after a little more than a week in hospice
care.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
who served from 1973 to 1983.
Early life
Beard was a graduate of NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
's prestigious Montgomery Bell Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
. He was a former colonel in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Reserve. He later moved to Somerville
Somerville, Tennessee
Somerville is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 3,094 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fayette County.-History:...
, a suburb of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Political career
In 1970, Beard was appointed Tennessee personnel commissioner by newly elected Republican Governor Winfield DunnWinfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
. In 1972, he entered the GOP primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the newly-reconfigured seventh Congressional District. It was widely speculated that the district had been drawn in such a way as to put incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
William Anderson
William Anderson (naval officer)
William Robert Anderson was an officer in the United States Navy, and a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1965 to 1973.-Early life and naval career:...
of Waverly
Waverly, Tennessee
Waverly is a city in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,028 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Humphreys County.-Geography:...
in a precarious position as punishment for his presumed liberalism
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
and his musings about running for vice president
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in 1972. Also, many Democrats still remembered Anderson's 1962 gubernatorial bid as an independent against their nominee, Frank G. Clement
Frank G. Clement
Frank Goad Clement served as Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967.-Early life:...
. The Democrats in the state legislature
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
shifted several Republican-trending portions near Memphis into the Sixth and removed several solidly Democratic areas.
In November, Beard defeated Anderson by twelve percentage points. Tennessee Democrats had not anticipated the depth of the massive Republican landslide fueled largely by the presidential candidacy of George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
, who carried only five of Tennessee's ninety-five counties; the Republicans were able to win a majority in the state's congressional delegation for the first time since Reconstruction. However, Beard's victory was not considered an upset; the redrawn 6th was considered the only Democratic-held district in Tennessee in which a Republican had a realistic chance of winning.
Beard proved to be popular in much of his district, even though almost none of its residents had previously been represented by a Republican. Indeed, Democrats continued to hold most of the area's seats in the state legislature well into the 1980s. In part due to taking conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
positions on almost all issues, and in part from his constituent services, Beard was reelected to four subsequent terms. His first reelection coincided with the 1974 nationwide Watergate debacle which ended the careers of many Republicans. Beard was frequently reelected by margins of over 30 percentage points, rivaling the totals usually scored by Republicans in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. His only serious threat probably came in 1976, when he was opposed for reelection by former Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ross Bass
Ross Bass
Ross Bass was an American florist, postmaster, Congressman, and United States Senator from Tennessee.- Background :...
, who had represented the district from 1955 to 1964. However, Bass found himself running in a large amount of territory that he had never represented in Congress, and was defeated by over 34 points. Beard's blowout win over Bass was one of the few bright spots for Tennessee Republicans in a year in which state politics were largely otherwise dominated by Democrats, who regained more of the ground that they had lost four years earlier.
Beard did not run for a sixth term in the 1982 elections, opting instead to run for the Republican nomination to oppose freshman Democratic Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Jim Sasser
Jim Sasser
James Ralph "Jim" Sasser is an American politician and attorney. A Democrat, Sasser served three terms as a United States Senator from Tennessee and was Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee...
. While Beard won the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, he was a heavy underdog against Sasser from the beginning (even though Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
had carried Tennessee two years before), and his television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
ads didn't help the cause. In one of the advertisements, Sasser was likened to a then-popular toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
which was wound up and started performing back flips, emphasizing Sasser's "flip flop" record according to Beard; in another, a fatigue-wearing Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
look-alike lit his cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
with what appeared to be American money, saying, "Gracias, Señor Sasser!" In the end, Beard lost in a massive 20-point landslide. This was a considerable embarrassment to the Tennessee GOP, especially considering that Republican Governor Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
was handily reelected. The Republicans would not win another statewide race until 1994, when they captured the governorship and both Senate seats.
Subsequent to his Senate defeat, Beard was appointed as a NATO deputy secretary-general and spent several years (1984–1987) in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, an experience that he enjoyed so much that he repeated it again later (1992–1995). He was subsequently quoted as saying that losing the Senate race was the best thing that had ever happened to him or his family, which he again found time for once removed from the constant travel and fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
associated with service in Congress. He later ran a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based import-export business and was at one time a resident of Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
Later life and death
Beard retired to Charleston CountyCharleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to a 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, its population was 330,368. Its county seat is Charleston. It is the third-most populous county in the state . Charleston County was created in 1901 by an act of the South...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where he later ran for a seat on the county school board in 2006 (Arthur Ravenel, Jr.
Arthur Ravenel, Jr.
Arthur Ravenel, Jr. is a businessman and a Republican politician from Charleston, South Carolina.-Early life:The Charleston-born Ravenel served in the United States Marine Corps from 1945 to 1946. He thereafter received a bachelor of science degree from the College of Charleston in 1950. He is a...
, also a former U.S. Representative, ran successfully in the race). Shortly after filing for the race, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. Late in his campaign, he underwent surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
treatments but stayed in the race, which he subsequently lost.
Beard died from the brain tumor after a little more than a week in hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
care.
External links
- Former Congressman Beard dies at age 67
- E. Thomas WoodE. Thomas WoodE. Thomas Wood is an American journalist, historian and freelance writer. He currently works as a reporter for NashvillePost.com, a local business and political news website in Nashville, Tennessee....
and Ken Whitehouse, Remembering Robin Beard. NashvillePost.comNashvillePost.comNashvillePost.com is an online news service covering business and politics in the Nashville, Tennessee metropolitan area. It is locally owned and available by subscription....
, June 20, 2007