Beeman Noal Phillips

For more than three decades, Beeman was a widely recognized leader in the development of doctoral education and training in school psychology. He founded and directed for 27 years the Ph.D. program in school psychology at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), the first such program in the US to be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Beeman was born on a hardscrabble farm in southwestern Indiana on May 4, 1927. He graduated from high school in Evansville, IN in three years and was selected for the Army Specialized Reserve Training Program. His active-duty service was at Fort Benning, GA, where he was honorably discharged in 1946. He received a BA in 1949 from Evansville College and was awarded a doctorate in 1954 from the department of Educational Psychology at Indiana University in Bloomington. From 1956 to 1998 he taught in the Department of Educational Psychology at UT where he retired as a Professor Emeritus.

During his tenure at the University, Beeman chaired the dissertation committees of 60 Ph.D. graduates and published six books and more than 100 journal articles. Beeman also served as President of both the Texas Psychological Association and the Division of School Psychology (APA), as well as serving for six years as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He was, for nine years, the Editor of the Journal of School Psychology. He was selected as the first recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Award in the College of Education and was the recipient of the Outstanding Education Alumnus Award from the School of Education, Indiana University at Bloomington. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Division of School Psychology (APA) and the Dorothy H. Hughes Memorial Award from New York University. He was a Fellow of APA and the American Association for Advancement of Science.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Beeman invested himself in the personal happiness and success of his family. He taught his children and grandchildren the value of education, hard work, and perseverance, and modeled these qualities in his life. He was a loving husband and father, and a doting grandfather. He was active in the worship and service of the church, first at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and then at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. Beeman’s beloved wife of 65 years, Sarah, passed away in 2018 in Austin, Texas. He is survived by his children (Gregory, Richard, and Kathryn); sister (Ruth); grandchildren (Carissa, Ariana, Sierra, Elaine, and Michael), and great-grandchildren (Richard and Vivian).

A memorial service in his honor will be held at St Martin's Church on Saturday February 25, 2023 at 11 AM. A private burial service will be held at Austin Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the St Martin’s Church Endowment Fund or a charitable organization.