Beau Biden

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Beau Biden


Biden in 2013

Office 44th Attorney General of Delaware





Term start January 2, 2007
Term end January 6, 2015
Predecessor Carl Danberg
Successor Matthew Denn





Born 1969-2-3
Born Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Died Template:Death date and age
Place of death Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.



Political party Democratic
Spouse Template:Marriage
Children 2




Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware. The oldest child of current U.S. president Joe Biden and Neilia Hunter Biden, he served as the 44th attorney general of Delaware from 2007-2015, and was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, serving in the Iraq War. In 2015, he died of brain cancer at age 46.

Early life and family

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Beau Biden as a child, c. 1980s

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on February 3, 1969. He was the first son of Joe Biden (who would become a U.S. senator, vice president, and president), and his first wife Neilia. On December 18, 1972, Beau's mother and infant sister Naomi were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping. Beau was just under four years old, and his brother, Robert Hunter, was just under three years old. Beau and Hunter were in the car when the crash took place and were critically injured but survived. Beau sustained multiple broken bones, while Hunter sustained injuries to his skull and severe traumatic brain damage.[1] They spent several months in the hospital, where their father was sworn into the Senate two weeks after the accident.[2][3][4]

According to some accounts, Beau and Hunter encouraged their father to marry again, even going so far as to ask him "when were 'we' going to get married".[5] In June 1977, his father married Jill Jacobs, who Beau welcomed as a stepmother. His half-sister, Ashley, was born in 1981.[6]

Beau Biden married Hallie Olivere in 2002. They had a daughter and son, Natalie Naomi Biden and Robert Hunter Biden II, in 2004 and 2006 respectively.[7][8]

Career

Biden graduated from Archmere Academy, his father's high school alma mater, and the University of Pennsylvania in 1991,[9] where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.[10] He was also a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, as was his father. After graduating from law school, he clerked for Judge Steven McAuliffe of the United States District Court of New Hampshire.[11] From 1995 to 2004, he worked at the United States Department of Justice in Philadelphia, first as Counsel to the Office of Policy Development and later as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office.[12][13]

Following the Kosovo War (1999), Biden was in KosovoTemplate:Efn and worked on behalf of the OSCE to train judges and prosecutors for the local judicial system.[14][15] In 2004, he became a partner in the law firm of Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Balick, where he worked for two years before being elected Attorney General of Delaware.[16]

At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, after Joe Biden was nominated for Vice President of the United States, Beau introduced his father. He recounted the auto accident that killed his mother and sister and the subsequent parenting commitment his father made to his sons, a speech at which many delegates wept.[17][18]

Military service

Biden joined the military in 2003 and attended The JAG School at the University of Virginia[19] as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard. He attained the rank of major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps as part of the 261st Signal Brigade in Smyrna, Delaware.[20][21]

Biden's unit was activated to deploy to Iraq on October 3, 2008, and sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, for pre-deployment training,[22] the day after his father participated in the 2008 presidential campaign's only vice presidential debate. His father was on the record as saying, "I don't want him going. But I tell you what, I don't want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years, and so how we leave makes a big difference."[23]

Biden traveled to Washington, D.C., from Iraq in January 2009 for the presidential inauguration and his father's swearing-in as vice president,[24] then returned to Iraq.[25] Biden received a visit at Camp Victory from his father on July 4, 2009.[26]

Biden returned from Iraq in September 2009 after completing his yearlong stint on active duty which included a 7-month deployment in the combat zone.[27] Biden had announced during his deployment that he would continue to actively serve as Delaware's attorney general by working in conjunction with his office's senior staff in Delaware,[28] although a member of his unit related Biden saying he had turned over most of his attorney general work to his deputy so as to focus on his duties in Iraq.[29]

For his service in Iraq, Biden was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.[30] After Biden's death, Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno delivered the eulogy at his funeral and presented a posthumous Legion of Merit for his service in the Delaware National Guard, stating "Beau Biden possessed the traits I have witnessed in only the greatest leaders."[31] He was also posthumously presented with the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross, which is "awarded for heroism, meritorious service and outstanding achievement".[32]

Political career

Biden giving his victory speech after being elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006, as his father and step-mother look on
Biden and Holly Petraeus in 2012

In his first bid for political office, Biden ran for attorney general of Delaware in 2006. Biden's opponent was a veteran state prosecutor and assistant U.S. attorney, Ferris Wharton. Major issues in the campaign included the candidates' experience and proposed efforts to address sex offenders, Internet predators, senior abuse and domestic abuse. Biden won the election by approximately five percentage points.[33]

After being elected, he appointed former Delaware Attorney General and International Judge Richard S. Gebelein as Chief Deputy Attorney General, and former assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Andrews was appointed as State Prosecutor. As Attorney General, Biden supported and enforced stronger registration requirements for sex offenders.[34][35]

Joe Biden resigned from the Senate following his 2008 election to the vice presidency. Governor Ruth Ann Minner named former Joe Biden aide Ted Kaufman to fill the vacant seat, but Kaufman made it clear that he would not be a candidate in the 2010 special election. It fueled speculation Beau would run at that time.[36] Biden's father stated after the announcement of Kaufman's appointment, "It is no secret that I believe my son, Attorney General, would make a great United States Senator just as I believe he has been a great attorney general. But Beau has made it clear from the moment he entered public life that any office he sought he would earn on his own.... [I]f he chooses to run for the Senate in the future, he will have to run and win on his own. He wouldn't have it any other way."[37]

File:Ed Kee and Beau Biden (8411848851) (cropped).jpg
Delaware's Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee and Biden in 2013

In October 2009, Biden stated that he was considering a run for the Senate and that he would make a final decision in January. On January 25, Biden confirmed that he would forgo a Senate run so as to better focus on the prosecution of Earl Bradley, a convicted serial child rapist.[38]

On November 2, 2010, he was easily re-elected to a second term as Delaware Attorney General, beating Independent Party of Delaware candidate Doug Campbell by a large margin.[39]

Biden was criticized for his handling of the prosecution of Robert H. Richards IV, an heir of the powerful Delaware-based Du Pont family accused of sexually assaulting his young daughter.[40] In 2008, Biden's office charged Richards with two counts of second-degree rape, charges punishable by a minimum of 20 years in prison, but later that year, his office entered a plea bargain with Richards in which Richards pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree rape and was sentenced by Judge Jan Jurden to eight years' probation.[41][40] Defending the plea bargain and Jurden's sentencing in a letter to The News Journal, Biden wrote "This was not a strong case, and a loss at trial was a distinct possibility" and said the judge "exercised sound discretion".[42]

Biden did not seek election to a third term as attorney general in 2014.[43] In the spring of that year, he announced his intention to run for governor of Delaware in the 2016 election to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Jack Markell.[44][45] At the time of this announcement, the cancer that would kill Biden in 2015 had been diagnosed (in 2013), but was in remission.[46]

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Illness and death

File:Beau biden funeral wilminton.jpeg
Biden's funeral Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, Wilmington

According to his father, Beau suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, which he was diagnosed with in 2001 after returning from service in Kosovo.[47]

For the final few years of his life, Biden suffered from a brain tumor.[48][49] In May 2010, he was admitted to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, after complaining of a headache, numbness, and paralysis. Officials stated that he had suffered a mild stroke.[49][50] Later that month, Biden was transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and kept for observation for several days.[50]

In August 2013, Biden was admitted to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme,[51] an aggressive type of brain cancer, after experiencing what White House officials called "an episode of disorientation and weakness".[52] A lesion was removed at that time. Biden had radiation and chemotherapy treatments and the cancer remained stable. On May 20, 2015, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, because of a recurrence of brain cancer. He died there ten days later, on May 30, 2015, at age 46.[53] His funeral was held at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 6, 2015.[54]

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Biden's funeral was attended by then President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Malia and Sasha, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, former US Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno, and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. At his funeral, he was awarded the Legion of Merit Award by General Odierno, for his services in the Iraq War. President Obama described Biden as "an original. He was a good man. He did in 46 years what most of us couldn't do in 146." At his funeral service, a solo rendition of the song "Til Kingdom Come" was performed by Chris Martin, the lead singer of the band Coldplay, of whom Beau had been a fan.[55][56]

Beau Biden was buried at St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware.[48] His gravesite is near the graves of his grandparents Joe Sr. and Catherine, his mother Neilia and his sister Naomi.[57]

Posthumous awards and legacy

File:Major Joseph R. "Beau” Biden III National Guard- Reserve Center Building Dedication Ceremony 160530-Z-QH128-367.jpg
The Delaware National Guard joint headquarters building in New Castle was renamed in Biden's honor after his death.

On November 4, 2015, Biden was posthumously awarded the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award, the highest honor given by the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation (HOBY), for his service to mankind.[58] A portion of the 21st Century Cures Act (2016) was named the "Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot" initiative after him.[59][60][61] A named scholarship was established at Syracuse University College of Law in 2016.[62]

In August 2016, Joe Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens and son Hunter attended a ceremony that renamed a southeastern Kosovar highway "Joseph R. 'Beau' Biden, III" to honour Beau's contribution to Kosovo for training its judges and prosecutors.[14][15][63] That year the Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, Delaware was named in his honor.[64] On November 14, 2017, Joe Biden published a memoir titled Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose, where he reflects on Beau Biden's illness and death.[65]

On March 2, 2020, Joe Biden mentioned Beau in a speech, comparing him to former South Bend Mayor, Pete Buttigieg, after Buttigieg endorsed Biden for the 2020 presidential election.[66][67][68]Template:BlockquoteThe Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, named for Biden, is in New Castle, Delaware; it was the site of a speech by Joe Biden the day before his inauguration where he stated "we should be introducing him (Beau) as president".[69][70]

On January 20, 2021, the day his father was sworn in as president, the band New Radicals reunited for the first time in 22 years to perform their 1998 hit song "You Get What You Give" during an inauguration performance. The song was a favorite of Beau's and at his 2015 funeral his sister Ashley recited the lyrics in her eulogy. The band had rejected offers to perform over the past 22 years but wanted to honor this day and honor Beau. "We pledged if Joe [Biden] won, we’d get together and play our little song both in memory and in honor of our new president’s patriot son Beau and also with the prayer of Joe being able to bring our country together again with compassion, honesty and justice for a change,” singer Gregg Alexander said prior to their performance.[71]

Notes

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References

  1. ↑ The Brain Tumor That Killed Beau Biden. The Daily Beast(June 2015).
  2. ↑ How Grief Became Joe Biden's 'Superpower'. Politico(January 25, 2019).
  3. ↑ Biden's prism of loss: A public man, shaped by private grief. Associated Press(August 18, 2019).
  4. ↑ Remembering Beau Biden. Politico(December 29, 2015).
  5. ↑ Jill Biden Heads Toward Life in the Spotlight. The New York Times(August 24, 2008). Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ A timeline of U.S. Sen. Joe Biden's life and career. San Francisco Chronicle(August 23, 2008). Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  7. ↑ Attorney General Joseph Robinette 'Beau' Biden III (DE). Vote Smart. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  8. ↑ Biden provides Catholic link, but renews abortion debate. USA Today(August 24, 2008). Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  9. ↑ Penn students were moved to tears by Joe Biden's stories of loss and grief on Thursday. The Daily Pennsylvanian(November 16, 2017). Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ Penn frat brothers recall Beau Biden with affection. The Philadelphia Inquirer(May 31, 2015).
  11. ↑ Beau Biden, late son of the vice president, clerked for a year in Concord. The Nashua Telegraph(June 2, 2015). Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ Beau Biden dies at 46; son of VP had life of adversity. Associated Press(31 May 2015). Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Joseph "Beau" Biden III - OVMA. veterans.syr.edu(7 February 2010). Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 'We owe you so much,' Kosovo to tell Biden as street named after late son. Reuters(15 August 2016). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Word On The Street Is That Kosovo Has A Love Affair With Americans(17 August 2016). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  16. ↑ Delaware law firm hires Beau Biden. Delaware State News(January 12, 2015).
  17. ↑ Biden shows more bark than bite. BBC News(August 28, 2008). Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  18. ↑ Biden Opens New Phase With Attack on McCain. The New York Times(August 28, 2008). Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  19. ↑ AG Biden being Promoted Sunday. WGMD News(November 4, 2011). Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  20. ↑ Joe Biden bids farewell to son, headed to Iraq. Los Angeles Times(October 4, 2008). Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  21. ↑ Delaware National Guard Office of the Staff Judge Advocate Webpage. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  22. ↑ Biden's Son Off to Iraq. The Washington Post(August 20, 2008).
  23. ↑ Biden's Son Headed to Iraq in 2008. ABC News(August 16, 2007). Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  24. ↑ Beau Biden gets D.C. duty, will attend inauguration(January 15, 2009). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  25. ↑ Poll shows Castle over for Senate. The News Journal(March 10, 2009). Retrieved March 17, 2009. Template:Dead link
  26. ↑ Iraqis Say Reconciliation Is an Internal Matter. The Wall Street Journal(July 6, 2009). Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  27. ↑ Vice president's son returns from Iraq. Army Times(October 1, 2009). Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  28. ↑ Template:Cite press release
  29. ↑ Beau Biden Lays Low Amidst Senate Talk. The Washington Post(October 23, 2009). Retrieved October 26, 2009.
  30. ↑ Beau Biden, son of vice president, dies of brain cancer. Military Times(May 31, 2015). Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  31. ↑ Odierno: Beau Biden had traits of 'greatest leaders'. The Hill(June 6, 2015). Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  32. ↑ Mourners Pay Respect to Beau Biden in Delaware. NBC News(June 4, 2015). Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  33. ↑ Template:Cite report
  34. ↑ Lawmakers Endorse Tougher Penalties On Sex Offenders(March 29, 2007).Template:Dead link
  35. ↑ Delaware's enhanced sex offender law starts. The News Journal(January 7, 2008). Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  36. ↑ Former Biden advisor picked as Senate replacement. CNN. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  37. ↑ Ted Kaufman: Biden's Replacement Picked. HuffPost(December 25, 2008).
  38. ↑ Beau Biden takes a pass on a Senate run. Los Angeles Times(January 25, 2010).
  39. ↑ State Of Delaware – Elections Results. delaware.gov. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Du Pont heir convicted of rape spared prison. CNN(April 2, 2014). Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  41. ↑ Delaware GOP turns up heat on AG Biden, Barrish, Chris. USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  42. ↑ Beau Biden defends handling of du Pont heir sex case, Barrish, Cris. The News Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  43. ↑ Denn takes race for Attorney General. The News Journal(November 5, 2014). Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  44. ↑ Beau Biden says he plans to run for governor in Delaware. CNN(April 17, 2014). Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  45. ↑ A message from Beau Biden. Beau Biden: Delaware's Attorney General. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  46. ↑ Beau Biden Dies From Cancer. WCAU(May 30, 2015). Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  47. ↑ Remarks by President Biden Addressing Service Members and their Families(2021-05-28). Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Beau Biden, vice president's son, dies of brain cancer. The Washington Post(May 30, 2015). Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Joseph R. Biden III, Vice President's Son, Dies at 46. The New York Times(May 30, 2015).
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Beau Biden awaits cancer results. The News Journal(August 21, 2013).
  51. ↑ Biden addresses possible link between son's fatal brain cancer and toxic military burn pits. PBS NewsHour(10 January 2018). Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  52. ↑ Brain cancers like Beau Biden's kill about 15,000 adults each year. The Washington Post(May 31, 2015).
  53. ↑ Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, dies of brain cancer. Fox News(May 31, 2015). Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  54. ↑ Funeral Service for Beau Biden. C-SPAN(June 6, 2015). Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  55. ↑ Chris Martin Performs Til Kingdom Come' for Beau Biden(June 7, 2015). Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  56. ↑ Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore
  57. ↑ Joe Biden visits son Beau's grave on Election Day morning. TODAY.com. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  58. ↑ HOBY will honor Honorable Joseph R. "Beau" Biden. hoby.org(September 24, 2015). Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  59. ↑ Remarks by the President and the Vice President at the 21st Century Cures Act Bill Signing(December 13, 2016). Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  60. ↑ AACR Commends President Obama for Signing the 21st Century Cures Act. American Association for Cancer Research(December 13, 2016). Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  61. ↑ Learn from Cures Act bipartisanship. Asbury Park Press(December 17, 2016). Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  62. ↑ College of Law Establishes Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship Fund. SU News(March 18, 2016). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  63. ↑ Trump and allies resume attacks on Biden's son as the Democrat surges(6 March 2020). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  64. ↑ Joe Biden speaks at Guard's naming of HQ after Beau. The News Journal(May 30, 2016).
  65. ↑ In Joe Biden's Memoir, Private Grief and Its Effect on a Public Life(November 13, 2017). Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  66. ↑ Biden: Buttigieg 'reminds me of my son Beau'. The Hill(March 2, 2020). Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  67. ↑ 'He reminds me of my son Beau': Biden emotionally accepts Buttigieg's endorsement. CNN. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  68. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  69. ↑ 12 Guard members removed from Biden inauguration. Chicago Sun-Times(2021-01-19). Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  70. ↑ Joe Biden honors late son Beau during emotional speech 1 day before inauguration. TODAY.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  71. ↑ Exclusive: Watch the Complete New Radicals 'You Get What You Give' Inauguration Performance. rollingstone.com(January 20, 2021).

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