William Donald Beatty was born on August 10, 1907 in South Bend, Washington. He earned his B.A. in 1933 from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. in 1947 from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Beatty served in the U.S. Army during World War II (1942-1946). After his discharge from the Army, Dr. Beatty returned to Minnesota and accepted an appointment as an instructor in the history department. His specialty was in Latin American and American diplomatic history. He was promoted to professor and served as associate chair of the department from 1960-1966; he also served as University Senate recorder from 1966-1972. Dr. Beatty resigned from the University in 1973, due to health reasons. W. Donald Beatty died in April 1978.
From the guide to the W. Donald Beatty papers, 1960s-1970s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
