Representative Harry Peter Beam

Harry Peter Beam (November 23, 1892 – December 31, 1967) was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1931 to 1942, completing six terms in Congress. His congressional service, which extended from the early years of the Great Depression through most of World War II, placed him at the center of a significant period in American history, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Illinois constituents.

Beam was born in Peoria, Illinois, on November 23, 1892. In 1899 he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois, where he spent much of his youth. He attended St. Mary’s School in Marshalltown, Iowa, and Holy Family School in Chicago, reflecting a Midwestern upbringing shaped by Catholic educational institutions. He went on to St. Ignatius College in Chicago (now Loyola University Chicago), from which he graduated in 1912. Continuing his studies at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, he earned his law degree in 1916.

In 1916 Beam was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Chicago. His early professional years were interrupted by national service during World War I. From May 1918 to December 1918 he served in the United States Navy as a seaman, first class, contributing to the war effort during the final months of the conflict. After returning to civilian life, he resumed his legal career in Chicago. He became active in local public affairs and, in 1923, was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the Superior Court of Cook County. That same year he began serving as assistant corporation counsel of Chicago, a post he held from 1923 to 1927, gaining experience in municipal law and government operations.

Beam’s growing prominence in Democratic politics and his legal background helped pave the way for his election to Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second Congress and to the five succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1931, until his resignation on December 6, 1942. During this period he served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing an Illinois district during the New Deal era and the early years of World War II. As a member of the House of Representatives, Harry Peter Beam participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the chamber, and represented the interests of his constituents in Illinois. During the Seventy-seventh Congress he served as chairman of the Committee on Memorials, reflecting a measure of seniority and responsibility within the House. His tenure in Congress overlapped with major national debates over economic recovery, social welfare, and wartime policy.

In 1942 Beam resigned from Congress after being elected as a judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago. He assumed his judicial duties that year and went on to build a long career on the bench. He was reelected to the Municipal Court in 1948, 1954, and 1960, indicating sustained public confidence in his judicial service. Alongside his judicial responsibilities, he remained engaged in the legal profession and continued his association with the law until his retirement in 1964.

Harry Peter Beam remained a resident of Chicago, Illinois, for the rest of his life. He died there on December 31, 1967. He was interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. His career encompassed service as a lawyer, naval serviceman, municipal official, six-term Member of Congress, and longtime municipal judge, marking more than four decades of involvement in public life.