Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia

Claudie Beard, born January 14th, 19001 near Arkadelphia, AR2 was a Negro baseball player with various teams from about 1921-1936.

Biography

Beard with Butte Colored Giants, 1934.

Beard grew up near Arkadelphia, AR, the son of Jordan and Silla (nee Sanders) Beard.3

Beard played with the Vapor City Tigers in 1921,4 the McGehee All-Stars in 1921,5 , the Memphis Red Sox in 1922,6 the Carroll Giants of Los Angeles, CA, in 1924,7 , perhaps the Tennessee Rats in 1928,8 the Fort Worth Black Panthers in the 1931 Negro Texas League,9 and the Butte Colored Giants from 1934-1936. He was also signed to play with the Cleveland Elites in 1926, though it's not apparent that he actually played with the team.10 He was nicknamed "Rabbit."11

Beard died in July, 1967 in Clark County, AR12 and was buried in Helms Cemetery in Clark County.13

1 Beard's WWI Draft Card.

2 1900 U.S. Census. Beard is listed as 4 months old, living in or near Arkadelphia.

3 1920 U.S. Census, 1930 U.S. Census and 1940 U.S. Census.

4 Chicago Defender, 1/22/1921

5 Monroe News Star, 6/14/1921

6 1922 Negro Southern League Rosters at NegroSouthernLeagueMuseumResearchCenter.org.

7 California Eagle, 6/4/1924

8 Mason City Globe-Gazette, 7/11/1928, p.15

9 San Antonio Light, 5/24/1931, p.2

10 Pittsburgh Courier, 4/10/1926, p.14

11 Montana Butte Standard, 8/21/1934

12 Social Security Death Index.

13 Information from phone call with Beard's son Claudie Beard Jr. The elder Beard's wife, Daisy, is also buried in Helms Cemetery, per Daily Siftings Herald (Arkadelphia), 11/28/1997.