Eugene Hugh Beaumont (
February 16,
1909 —
May 14,
1982) was an
American actor and
television director. He was also licensed to preach by the
Methodist church. Beaumont is best known for his portrayal of
Ward Cleaver, the husband of
June Cleaver (
Barbara Billingsley) and the father of
Wally (
Tony Dow) and
Beaver (
Jerry Mathers) on the
television series,
Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963).
Biography
Early years
Beaumont was born in
Lawrence,
Kansas, to Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H. Beaumont, a little over three months after the couple married. He is of French descent.
[Beaumont at rootsweb.com] After graduating from high school, he attended the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played
football. He later studied at the
University of Southern California, and graduated with a
Master of Theology degree in 1946. He married
Kathryn Adams in 1942 and they had three children. They divorced in 1974.
