Charles Beard was born in Georgia and raised in Newport, Rhode Island. He enlisted in the United States Air Force during World War II, serving as a fighter pilot, after training at Tuskegee Air Force Base. In 1945, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Western Reserve University. In 1946, he served as a junior city planner for the City Planning Commission, and in the 1950s worked for the Cleveland Urban Renewal Agency. In the late 1950s, he was promoted to Chief City Planner for Cleveland, and in the 1960s, became the Director of Plan of Action for Tomorrow's Housing (PATH). From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, he held a position as a government liaison with the Federation for Community Planning. He also was founder of the Friends of Shaker Square and Fair Housing, Inc. He helped organize the North Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., in 1993.
From the description of Charles Beard papers, 1919-1975 (1945-1970). (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 42971849
