As we wind up our blog theme Model Parents, we concentrate on the career of Hugh Beaumont, the man many of us recall as Ward Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver.

Beaumont was born in Kansas in 1909. After high school, he enrolled in the University of Chattanooga where he played football. Later he studied at the University of Southern California, receiving his master of theology in 1946.

In 1941, Beaumont married actress Kathryn Adams. They were divorced in 1974. Hugh was a lay minister in the Methodist church, and during WWII he was a medic.

His passion for acting led him to appear in an impressive 99 films over his career. In the mid-1940s, Beaumont stepped into the shoes of private detective Michael Shayne in a string of five films — roles that showcased the quiet charisma and moral strength that would later define his most famous television character.

During the fifties, he transitioned to television where he had roles in many of the dramatic shows that were so popular then. In 1957 he got his big break with the role of Ward Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver. Beaumont also tried his hand at directing during the run of the show, directing 23 episodes.

The cast was a close one. Jerry Mathers shared his first memory of Beaumont which was not from Leave It to Beaver: “I actually worked with Hugh Beaumont even before we started shooting Leave It to Beaver. I was cast with him in a promotional film for Rose Hills Memorial Park. One thing I remember is that during a scene, I was supposed to cry on cue. Hugh asked me if I had ever done that before and I told him no. He said, ‘Put your face into your hands and laugh really hard.’ It’s an old actor’s trick because the sound of laughter and crying are very closely related. I tried and it worked.”

When Mathers came in for Hugh’s audition, he remembered the actor and they had good chemistry right from the start. Mathers said that he and Hugh had a wonderful relationship for his entire life. He fondly remembered Hugh coming over to his house to play cards with Jerry’s father and some of his friends.

During the sixties and seventies, Hugh was involved with community theater taking roles on several television shows including Lassie, Petticoat Junction, Marcus Welby MD, Mannix, and Medical Center. He also wrote several television screenplays and radio scripts, as well as short stories. His last role was in 1971 when he retired from entertainment to start a Christmas tree farm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Beaumont died in 1982 while visiting his son in Germany.

Beaumont always kept his integrity. He once said that “sometimes my work as an actor presents a conflict with my ideals as a clergyman. I don’t believe in the old saying that the end justifies the means and no money that I can earn as an actor can accomplish so much good that I would feel justified in vilating my ideals to earn it. , . . If the question ever arises in a serious way, of course, I would have to give up my acting.”

Hugh Beaumont was kindly remembered by everyone he worked with. He had dual careers with one foot in Hollywood and one in the church which isn’t always easy. He then took on a third profession selling Christmas trees. He seemed to be a man who enjoyed what he did and chose the right path for himself at each stage of his journey.