This week’s Rotarian spotlight is on a member who was born and raised right here in Cheyenne. He attended Central High School, home of the Indians graduating in 1963. Our special Rotarian’s first job was working for his father’s wholesale beer company in the warehouse. He was paid $88 dollars every two weeks.
After enjoying many Wyoming winter days in Arizona visiting his grandparents, following high school, he attended Arizona State University. He earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science. He then returned to Wyoming as the Vietnam War was breaking out. Soon thereafter he joined the Wyoming Air National Guard.
From childhood on, he had always had a desire to be a professional and had always wanted to help people resolve issues of all kinds. This led him to the decision to earn his law degree. So, while in the National Guard, he attended and graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law.
Following law school, he had a tremendous opportunity to serve as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Judge Ewing T. Kerr, District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. After a couple years of clerking, he moved into private practice. He said that “Judge Kerr did more for me than anybody, short of my own mother and father.” During his Clerkship, Judge Kerr encouraged him to join the Rotary Club of Cheyenne and sponsored him into the club in February of 1973.
In 1975, the Honorable William Beaman, was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, where he served with honor until January 31, 2011.
Judge Beaman has held several positions within Rotary over the years and recalls, perhaps with a touch of sarcasm, that he was assigned to “all sorts of great jobs in the beginning,” such as editor of the weekly COG and serving on the directory committee for years. In addition, he proudly served as both Club President and on the local Foundation Board. He enjoys the fellowship of Rotary and finds the weekly programs terrific. It is also the philanthropy of Rotarians that makes him proud to be affiliated with this club.
Given the opportunity to have his choice of a meal, Judge Beaman would choose a New York strip steak with creamed spinach.
Judge Beaman has had a lifelong fascination with cars. He also enjoys swimming, snow skiing, and spending some time away from Wyoming winters in Scottsdale, Arizona. He also enjoys keeping up with friends on the Federal bench and loved working with them all throughout his career.
Fellow Rotarians, please stand and honor our Rotarian of the Week, the Honorable Bill Beaman.
