Biography of Jerry L. Beasley, President of Concord University

Jerry L. Beasley became Concord University’s 17^th president, July 1, 1985.

Dr. Beasley has worked at Harvard University, the West Virginia Board of Regents, and two small church-related colleges, Waynesburg and West Virginia Wesleyan. In addition, he has served as consultant to numerous institutions of higher education as well as federal and state agencies that developed recommendations for policy improvements for higher education.

Professionally, he has served higher education in West Virginia and Pennsylvania as assistants to presidents and chancellors, director for planning, vice president for planning and development, and president.

He has been a member, past member or served in a leadership capacity on committees and other organizations whose goals were to improve the quality and accessibility of teacher education and community education as well as expand higher education’s commitment to economic and social development.

An original member of West Virginia’s Commission on National and Community Service, Dr. Beasley is a founding member of Campus Compact, a national coalition of college presidents dedicated to community service.

Beasley was a founding gubernatorial appointee of Mission West Virginia, and a member of the Clay Center board.

As Governor Gaston Caperton’s designee, Dr. Beasley chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Teacher Education, and also served on a national commission that studied teacher education. Dr. Beasley has chaired the West Virginia Association of College and University Presidents and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

He was selected by his fellow presidents to be the state’s representative to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and chaired that group’s Christa McAuliffe Awards Panel.

During his tenure, Concord attained its highest enrollment ever (3,055 in the fall of 2001), and developed the largest endowment of any West Virginia public college. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the physical plant at Concord saw several major changes and renovations.

During Dr. Beasley's administration, Concord has received national recognition for its progressive efforts. These include the student volunteer organization HAPIN, the Summer Academy and Teacher's Institute, enriching learning in West Virginia secondary schools, the Concord Quest for Scholars (a campaign to fund scholarships), and the “Bonner Scholars” program.

Beasley was instrumental in developing the Bonner Scholars program at Concord. The program provides scholarships or stipends to 80 students for community service work. Three Bonner Scholars have been Concord valedictorians since the program began, and the majority of students have been native West Virginians. Concord is currently the only public institution with the Bonner Scholars program.

Beasley and his administration acquired funding to endow an entrepreneurial program that is similar in organization and structure to the Bonner Scholars program, as well as a technology center.

Beasley is a member of the Concord United Methodist Church, Princeton Rotary Club and the Bluefield and Princeton Chambers of Commerce.

He graduated cum laude from Harvard University where he was recognized as a Harvard National Scholar. He then earned his Ed.M. from Harvard University and Ph.D. from Stanford University where he was a NIMH Fellow in Organizational Research. His studies at Stanford focused on innovations in state government.

A native of Hinton, Dr. Beasley is married to Jean Dressler Beasley who holds a baccalaureate degree from Marshall University and the J.D. from West Virginia University. They have three daughters: Heather Lauren, Sarah Elizabeth and Leah Ellen.