Dr. William Miller Beardshear (1850-1902)

BEARDSHEAR

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 10/23/2011 at 11:22:32

From Story County Watchman August 8, 1902

SIMPLY GONE BEFORE.

We have theretofore noted the serious illness of Dr. Beardshear of the I. A. C., and nowe we say the the expected end came and yesterday the funeral was held from the residence on the college campus, there being a very large attendance. The services were by Dr. O. M. Cessna, one of the faculty, assisted by President Bookwalter of the Western College. After the services the hearse proceeded to the Cemetery drawn by six black horses, each of which was led by an officer of the College battalion in full uniform. The first team was led by Wayne Dinsmore and H. P. Ashby; the second by B. Hauser and Claude Campbell, and the third by Chas. Gray and Alec Gray. The hearse itself was covered with flowers, even the wheels, arbor vitae and cut flowers being used for the purpose.

The active pall bearers were selected from the college student, and were as follows: Grank Cessna, Rush Lincoln, Forest Overholser, D. W. Day, Earl Buchanan and John Wright.

Immediately following the hearse came the family and other prominent personages present, then came members of the G. A. R. and the Masonic fraternity, the latter whom deposited the evergreen upon the casket as per their ritual and the few words appropriate to the occasion delivered, after which the procession dispersed save the orders who were march to Morrell Hall and received the returning parties from the cemetery.

Flags were at half mast in all directins, and by order all business houses in Ames were closed for the occasion thus increaseing the number in attendance.

Flowers were in every direction some of the pieces being simply superb, the floral decorations being as follows. The bier on the veranda was banked with palms and cut flowers. The funeral car was draped in black, the sides covered with smilax and the wheels with arbor vitae and cut flowers. Floral designs were heaped about the casket.

In the same paper:

Ames Watchman.

Upon receipt of the news of the death of President Beardshear several flags were faised to half mast and so kept as a token of grief for the misfortune which has thus befallen the college. His place will be a hard one to fill. He died at 6:40 Tuesday morning after an illness of considerable duration.

[Update 01/18/2020. The following provided by Joy Moore.]

Source: Decorah Republican Aug. 7, 1902 Page 6 Col 2

A Great Loss to Iowa.
William M. Beardshear, president of Iowa State College at Ames, at 6:30 a. m. Tuesday, August 5th, from nervous prostration and heart failure which attacked him seriously at Minneapolis July 7th. Iowa loses thereby out of its greatest men-great physically, morally, intellectually and educationally. His place will not soon be filled.

Source: Decorah Republican Aug. 14, 1902 Page 1 Col 7

The Spirit of Dr. Beardshear.
One writer speaks of the lamented President Beardshear in this manner.
Dr. Beardshear had a high ideal for the future. His one thought was of the school with which he was connected. He saw it grow, during the twelve years of his administration, from 400 pupils to 1,000.
Money was not a great object with him. He drew a fairly good salary, lived in a pleasant home, but is by no means a rich man today. He has in the neighborhood of $10,000 of life insurance.
He has lectured on an average of from two to three times a week in all parts of Iowa and the United States, on themes varying from agriculture and stock raising to Indian affairs, literature and higher education. Many of these lectures were not remunerative. He rarely asked more than his expenses. His one thought—his ideal—was to increase the education of the masses, and especially of the young people of Iowa.
Iowa State College was uppermost in his thought, and after that the education of the boys and girls of Iowa.

Source: Decorah Republican Aug. 14, 1902 Page 5 Col 4

William M. Beardshear, president of the Iowa state agricultural college at Ames and one of the lending educators of the state, died at the age of 52 years.