J. Glenn Beall

James Glenn Beall (June 5, 1894 – January 14, 1971) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. representative (1943–1953) and a U.S. senator (1953–1965) from Maryland.

Early life and education J. Glenn Beall was born in Frostburg, Maryland, to Olin and Florence (née Glenn) Beall. He was a descendant of Colonel Ninian Beall, who immigrated from Scotland in 1658 as an indentured servant and eventually became a wealthy landowner. His maternal grandfather served as a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Early business and political career Beall briefly worked in a clerical capacity at the First National Bank of Frostburg. He subsequently worked in the insurance and real estate business in Frostburg and Cumberland, establishing the Beall Insurance & Realty Company in 1919. He served one term in the Maryland State Senate, where he represented Allegany County, from 1930 to 1934. He was subsequently re-elected to four more terms. During his 10-year tenure in the House, he served on the committees on the District of Columbia, flood control, roads and public works. His 449,823 votes were the largest number a Republican Senate candidate ever received in Maryland.

During his Senate career, Beall earned a reputation as a moderate Republican. 1960, and 1964, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Beall was narrowly re-elected in 1958 after defeating Democrat Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., the mayor of Baltimore and father of future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, by a margin of 51%-49%. However, he was heavily defeated in his bid for a third term in 1964; he lost to Democrat Joseph Tydings, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland (a position Beall's son George later held from 1970 to 1975), by a margin of 63%-37%. Beall's son, J. Glenn Beall Jr. in turn defeated Tydings for re-election in 1970. Maryland's other U.S. Senate seat had been held by Millard Tydings (the father of Joseph) from 1927 to 1951. As a consequence of this, Maryland was represented by a father and son of the Tydings family, and then a father and son of the Beall family, trading seats almost (with a break only from January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953) consecutively from 1927 to 1977 (Tydings 1927–1951, Beall 1953–1965, Tydings 1965–1971, and Beall 1971–1977), when the chain was broken by the re-election defeat of J. Glenn Beall, Jr. in 1976 by Democrat Paul Sarbanes, the father of U.S. Representative John Sarbanes.

Later life and death Beall returned to Frostburg, where he resumed his insurance business. He also served as president of the League for Crippled Children of Allegany County, of the Cumberland Fair Association, and of the First National Bank of Western Maryland.

Beall died at age 76, and is buried in the Frostburg Memorial Park.