(Nov. 12, 1914 – Sep. 15, 2000) Bill Beard grew up in Oregon City, but made most of his sporting impact on the Salem area as an athlete and businessman.

Beard played football, basketball and baseball at Willamette University of the Northwest Conference and was selected all-conference in football twice and baseball three times from 1935 to ‘37. He played professionally as a catcher for 10 seasons – before and after World War II, in the minor leagues, all on teams in the Northwest. He progressed enough to reach the Pacific Coast League and played 187 games for the Portland Beavers and Seattle Rainiers before settling down with the Salem Senators of the Western International League from 1949-51. He served as a player/manager for the Senators for one game in 1949. He retired in 1951 at age 36.

He played semi-professionally for the Drain Black Sox in the ‘50s, and opened Bill Beard Sporting Goods in 1960.
Beard was a long-time fundraiser for Willamette University’s athletic program and also officiated football and basketball games at the youth level in the Salem area. As a senior golfer, he won state championships 1977 and 1980.

He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Willamette University Hall of Fame in 1991.