HJ316: Celebrating the life of John C. Beyer.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 316

Offered February 25, 2020
Celebrating the life of John C. Beyer.
Patron-- Tran

WHEREAS, John C. Beyer of Great Falls, a respected economist, consultant, and philanthropist who touched many lives during his long and successful career, died on January 16, 2020; and

WHEREAS, John Beyer graduated from the University of the Pacific with highest honors and went on to earn master’s degrees and a doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; and

WHEREAS, in 1966, John Beyer joined the international firm Nathan Associates in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a consultant, economist, and expert witness and ultimately served as chief executive officer for three decades; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his 45-year career with Nathan Associates, John Beyer guided the application of economics to domestic and international problem solving and conflict resolution and developed a keen understanding of the impacts of structural adjustment, foreign exchange, and trade liberalization, as well as changes in pricing, taxes, and regulations; and

WHEREAS, as an expert witness, John Beyer provided critical testimony for international antitrust cases on a wide range of subjects and estimated damages related to violations of patent law; his assessment of damages for individuals subjected to forced labor in Nazi Germany during World War II was used in negotiations between survivors and German corporations; and

WHEREAS, John Beyer shared his knowledge with many other organizations, working at the Ford Foundation, serving as a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, and teaching economics at American University; and

WHEREAS, John Beyer also offered his leadership to the board of Five Talents, a charitable organization that helps impoverished people better support their families and communities through savings programs, financial literacy education, business training, and other forms of economic empowerment; and

WHEREAS, John Beyer’s legacy lives on at his alma mater the University of the Pacific, where he created myriad opportunities for students and faculty by establishing the John C. Beyer Chair in Economics, the Nathan Scholars Experiential Learning Endowment, and the John Beyer Endowed Fellowship in Economics; and

WHEREAS, John Beyer will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Jinny; his children, Sean, Darren, and Kiran, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of John C. Beyer; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John C. Beyer as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.