Colonel
Established the Beck PRIDE Center for America’s Wounded Veterans.
Buddy G. Beck is a native of southeastern Missouri and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery from Arkansas State University Army ROTC in 1958. Colonel Beck earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Arkansas State University, then went on to receive his Master's Degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a Fellowship for Post Graduate Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the Army War College in 1976 with the “Bicentennial Class”. Colonel Beck served in Korea, Germany, and Vietnam. He retired from the Army in 1984 after 26 years of distinguished service.
Since his retirement from the Army, Colonel Beck has held numerous senior leadership positions in the private sector. He founded and served as President and CEO of several successful companies. He also served on the White House National Security Council staff for both Presidents Ford and Carter. Colonel Beck is well-known as a leader in the field of technology and owns several patents. He is also a member of the Army Science Board. Colonel Beck worked at the forefront of secure advanced technology identity solutions to help safeguard America after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In 2007, Colonel Beck founded on the Arkansas State University campus the Beck PRIDE Center for America’s Wounded Veterans. (PRIDE - Personal Rehabilitation, Individual Development, and Education) The Beck PRIDE Center assists wounded veterans with counseling, physical and mental rehabilitation, and identifies services available to assist each individual veteran. The center assists veterans in their pursuit of a college education as well as helping them explore career opportunities. The Beck PRIDE Center is nationally recognized and is a primary reason Arkansas State University remains ranked among the top Military Friendly Schools in the United States. Colonel Beck serves on the Board of Directors for a dozen public and private companies and is a member on several National Security Boards as well as various non-profit organizations. He is instrumental in the development of programs that focus on stimulating entrepreneurialism, job creation, leveraging technology into business applications, and advanced government-to-industry privatization initiatives.
Colonel Beck is married to Charlotte and has been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Arkansas State University.
