1850-1941
To the Scouts that knew him, he was "Uncle Dan". Like Seton
and Baden-Powell, he was an accomplished illustrator. He stood out
from the crowd due to his snow-white moustache and goatee. He was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio in 1850 but grew up in Covington, Kentucky where he learned
the many tales of Daniel Boone and the American pioneers.
He graduated from Wallace's Academy, as a civil engineer and
surveyor. He made insurance maps until he visited New York on vacation
and stayed to study art. His illustrations and articles graced
the pages of St. Nicholas Magazine (where Jungle Book first
appeared) and Youth's Companion. These articles and accompanying illustrations
were later compiled into books. He taught art from 1883 to 1890 at
the Women's School of Applied Design. Uncle Dan was chosen to illustrate
Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court.
To keep alive the spirit of the pioneers, he formed "The Society of the
Sons of Daniel Boone". This group grew to become the largest boy's club in
America. It developed into "The Boy Pioneers" in 1905. His writings
on the group appeared in Recreation magazine for which he was an Editor.
The boys were encouraged to keep an old unloaded gun as part of their
fort. A fort was a brandh of the club. The forts would keep records
of their good deeds n protecting forests and wildlife by cutting notches
in their gun stocks. The boys chanted:
Cut a notch, cut a notch, cut a notch soon,
For we are the Sons of Daniel Boone
He was quick to embrace the Boy Scout movement and was its
first
National Commissioner and Chairman of the Court of Honor.
It was his idea to Americanize the Boy Scout fleur-de-lis by adding the
American eagle and shield. His design for the emblem was granted a
design patent by the U.S. patent office on July 4, 1911.
Like James West, Beard was originally against a younger boy program for
Scouting and felt the term "Cub" derogatory.
He received the only gold Eagle badge ever awarded and the Roosevelt gold
medal for distinguished service. He was the president of the Society
of Illustrators and of the Camp Fire Club. Near Mt. McKinley in Alaska
is Mt. Beard that was named in his honor.
American Boy's Handy Book, 1882, 1903
The American Girl's Handy Book, 1887
The American Boy's Book of Sport, 1890
Moonlight and Six Feet of Romance, 1892
The Outdoor Handy Book , 1896
Jack of All Trades, 1900, 1904?
Field and Forest Handy Book, 1906
Animal Book and Campfire Stories, 1907
Boy Pioneers and Sons of Daniel Boone, 1909
Boat, Building, and Boating, 1912
Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties, 1914 ,
The American Boy's Book of Bugs, Butterflies and Beetles, 1916
The American Boy's Book of Sign's, Signals and Symbols, 1918
The American Boy's Book of Camp-Lore and Woodcraft, 1920
The American Boy's Book of Wild Animals, 1921
The Black Wolf-Pack , 1922,
American Boy's Book or Birds and Brownies of the Woods, 1923
Do It Yourself, 1925
Wisdom of the Woods, 1926, 1927?
Buckskin Book For Buckskin Men and Boys, 1929
Hardly A Man is Now Alive, 1939
Back to Boy Scouts of America History &
Traditions. Please help me to complete Scoutings history. E-mail
any comments, questions, information, or stories to:
randywoo@aol.com Many thanks
to my fellow Scout historians, the contributors that
make this site an interesting place to visit. This site is not sanctioned
by The Boy Scouts of America. Last update December 8, 1995
| 
