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Beard, Patrick W. "Pat"

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1983-92 (District 56B); House 1993-94 (District 57B)

Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Counties Served: Washington

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 9/9/1947

Birth Place: St. Paul, Minnesota

Birth County: Ramsey

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death: 2/7/2017

Gender: Male

Religion:

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names: Pat

City of Residence (when first elected): Cottage Grove

Occupation (when first elected): Steelworker, North Star Steel

EDUCATION

St. Paul Park High School; Secondary; 1965
University of Minnesota; Attended College; Quadna Mountain Summer Institute, Political Science
Joint Armed Forces Counter-Insurgency School; Postsecondary;

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Military: United States Armed Forces (Vietnam); 1968 to 19??

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Sharon
Children: Four children: Shawn, Mike, David, and Tim (sons)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

"Beard fought as a member of the Navy Seabees and the Navy Seals and earned three Bronze Stars and one Silver Star for heroism." (St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 13, 2017)

"In Vietnam, he saw U.S. Air Force planes flying overhead spraying Agent Orange to kill the forests that were hiding enemy soldiers." He died "of complications related to exposure to Agent Orange." (St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 13, 2017)

His funeral was held at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Cottage Grove.

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Total Days Served: 4382

SESSIONS SERVED

78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1993

Body: House

District: 57B

Elected: 11/3/1992

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/4/1993 to 1/1/1995
Oath Date: 1/5/1993

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker, North Star Steel

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Capital Investment
Governmental Operations and Gambling
Governmental Operations and Gambling: Government Structures and Reorganization
Governmental Operations and Gambling: State Government Finance Division
Labor-Management Relations (Chair)
Labor-Management Relations: Unemployment and Workers' Compensation

77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1991

Body: House

District: 56B

Elected: 11/6/1990

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/7/1991 to 1/3/1993
Oath Date: 1/8/1991

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce
Education
Education: Higher Education Division
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Gaming
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Gaming: Veterans Affairs Division (Chair)
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: Worker's Compensation and Unemployment Insurance
Regulated Industries

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76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1989

Body: House

District: 56B

Elected: 11/8/1988

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/2/1989 to 1/6/1991
Oath Date: 1/3/1989

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Consumer Affairs
Commerce: Small Business, Energy and Real Estate
Education
Education: Higher Education Division
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: Unemployment Insurance and Workers' Compensation (Chair)
Regulated Industries

75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1987

Body: House

District: 56B

Elected: 11/4/1986

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/5/1987 to 1/1/1989
Oath Date: 1/6/1987

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Commerce
Commerce: Consumer Affairs
Education
Education: School Facilities
Labor-Management Relations
Regulated Industries

74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1985

Body: House

District: 56B

Elected: 11/6/1984

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/7/1985 to 1/4/1987
Oath Date: 1/8/1985

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Education
Education: Higher Education Division
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation Division
Regulated Industries and Energy
Regulated Industries and Energy: Energy

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73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/1983

Body: House

District: 56B

Elected: 11/2/1982

Residence: Cottage Grove

Term of Office: 1/3/1983 to 1/6/1985
Oath Date: 1/4/1983

Counties Represented: Washington

Occupation: Steelworker, North Star Steel

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Committees:

Appropriations
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation, Semi-State Division
Environment and Natural Resources
Environment and Natural Resources: Game and Fish
Labor-Management Relations
Labor-Management Relations: General Labor Legislation

OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

Shaw, Bob. "Vietnam Vet, Six-Term Legislator Dies: Longtime Cottage Grove Resident Was Exposed to Agent Orange While in Service." St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 13, 2017.
Brennan, Amber. "Return to Steel Mill Offers 'Rest' from Legislature." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, March 25, 1994, p. 17.

News Sources

The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.

These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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