Thomas W. Beasley

Thomas Wilson Beasley (born 1943) is an American lawyer, political activist and businessman based in Tennessee. He was chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 1977 to 1981.

In 1983, he was a co-founder of CoreCivic, formerly Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), a private prison management company. He was its president and chief executive officer from 1983 to 1987, and its chairman from 1987 to 1994. As of 2015, it has become the largest prison management company in the United States.

Early life Thomas W. Beasley was born on January 8, 1943, on a farm owned by his family from the late 1790s in Smith County, Tennessee.

He was educated at the Smith County High School in Carthage, Tennessee. While in law school, he rented a garage apartment from future Tennessee governor and U.S. senator Lamar Alexander. As governor, Alexander supported CCA's takeover of the Tennessee prison system and was also among the top recipients of CCA campaign donations.

Career Beasley worked as a lawyer for the law firm White, Regen, Burch, and Beasley from 1973 to 1977. Beasley is credited with getting Robin Beard elected to the United States House of Representatives. CCA received initial investments from Jack C. Massey, the founder of Hospital Corporation of America, Vanderbilt University, the Tennessee Valley Authority. Beasley served as its president and chief executive officer from 1983 to 1987, and as its chairman from 1987 to 1994. In the early 21st century, CCA had become the largest private prison management company in the United States. By 2016, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) along with Geo Group were running "more than 170 prisons and detention centres". CCA's revenues in 2015 were $1.79 billion.

Philanthropy Beasley was on the Tennessee Board of Regents and the board of trustees of Cumberland University, a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1997, Beasley endowed the Thomas W. Beasley Scholarship at the Vanderbilt University Law School for United States Army veterans. In 2006, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the law school. The Tom 'Wish' Beasley/Alumni Sports Center at Smith County High School is named in his honor.

Beasley was on the boards of trustees of the Tennessee Nature Conservancy and Leadership Nashville. He is a former member of the Nashville Rotary Club. In 2011, the State of Tennessee passed Resolution 248 in his honor.

Personal life He married Wendy Williams on December 29, 1973. They have three children Jeb, Matt, and Kristin Beasley.