(Nov. 12, 1914 – Sep. 15, 2000) Bill Beard grew up in Oregon City but made most of his sporting impact in 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 baseball professionally as a catcher for 10 seasons – before and after World War II. Bill signed a contract with the New York Yankees and had a tryout with the Washington Senators, but his pro career ended up all 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, a long-time staple of the Salem sports community for 30 years.
Beard was a long-time fundraiser for Willamette University’s athletic program and 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 Willamette University Hall of Fame in 1991.
