Dave Beck

Dave Beck (born June 16, 1894 in Stockton , California , † December 26, 1993 in Seattle ) was president of the American union International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1952 to 1957 .

His main achievement was driving the expansion of the "Teamsters" on the west coast of the USA , especially in Los Angeles .

In 1957 he had to face an investigative committee of the Senate ("Anti-Racketeering Committee"), refused to answer over one hundred questions and had to vacate his presidential post with the "Teamsters".

Vice President Jimmy Hoffa succeeded the Teamsters and at the end of the year Beck was sentenced to three years for embezzling US $ 1,900 in union funds. He served his sentence in Washington State Prison, was convicted of tax evasion in 1959 and was sent to prison again in 1962.

He was released early in 1964, but in the same year his successor Jimmy Hoffa was convicted and was serving a prison sentence from 1967 to 1971 for having misappropriated funds that were originally intended for the Central States Pension Fund . In the meantime, however, Frank Fitzsimmons , who in turn had been Vice under Hoffa, had negotiated a " deal " with President Richard Nixon , for whom he is said to have organized a million donation for his election campaign with the help of the Cosa Nostra .

In 1971 Dave Beck was finally pardoned and Hoffa was released early, but had to resign from his office for ten years, so that Frank Fitzsimmons could become the official president of the "Teamster" in 1973, which he had practically been since 1967 as a deputy.

Dave Beck survived them all - Hoffa disappeared without a trace in 1975, Fitzsimmons died of cancer in 1981 - and died at the age of 99.

Web links

• Biography on www.history.org

predecessor	Office	successor
Daniel J. Tobin	President of the “ Teamsters ” Union 1952–1957	Jimmy Hoffa