HEC Founding Director Leo Roy Beard Dies at 91

ALEXANDRIA, VA — March 25, 2009. Leo Roy Beard, a world-renowned hydrologic engineer and founding director of the Institute for Water Resources Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), died in Austin, Texas on March 21, 2009 at the age of 91. Mr. Beard's career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spanned the years from 1939 to 1972. He retired as (founding) Director of HEC in 1972. The Leo R. Beard Visiting Scholar Program at HEC was founded in his honor.

Mr. Beard was well-known for his pioneering work on the application of statistics to hydrologic engineering. Following his retirement, he joined the University of Texas as Professor of Civil Engineering. He was a visiting professor at the University of California (Berkeley) and Utah State University. He lectured at universities and other organizations throughout the world.

Mr. Beard served as chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers Water Resources Planning & Management Division, President of the American Geophysical Union Section of Hydrology, Editor-In-Chief of Water International and Managing Editor of the International Journal of Hydrology. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1975.

In 2001 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for "a life-long and eminent contribution to the environment and water resources engineering disciplines through practice, research and public service." In 2007 he received the Ven Te Chow Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers "for advancing knowledge in hydrologic engineering in systems techniques for reservoir regulation, statistical methods for streamflow frequency analysis, flood hydrograph computation, and the development of computer-based methods for hydrologic computations."

More about the Leo R. Beard Visiting Scholar Fellowship

For many years, on an ad hoc basis, the Hydrologic Engineering Center invited prominent hydrologic and hydraulic professionals to take up residence at HEC in Davis to foster scholarly exchange. In honor of Leo Beard's work, this program was formalized to become the Leo R. Beard Visiting Scholar Program. Such scholars in residence are referred to as "Leo R. Beard Visiting Scholars." Mr. Beard had strong ties to scholars in the hydrologic engineering field.

More about the Hydrologic Engineering Center

The Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), an organization within the Institute for Water Resources, is the designated Center of Expertise for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the technical areas of surface and groundwater hydrology, river hydraulics and sediment transport, hydrologic statistics and risk analysis, reservoir system analysis, planning analysis, real-time water control management and a number of other closely associated technical subjects.

Learn more about: