Beau Biden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beau Biden
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Biden in 2013
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| 44th Attorney General of Delaware | |
| In office January 2, 2007 – January 6, 2015 |
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| Governor | Ruth Ann Minner Jack Markell |
| Preceded by | Carl Danberg |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Denn |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Robinette Biden III
February 3, 1969 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | May 30, 2015 (aged 46) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Glioblastoma |
| Resting place | St. Joseph on the Brandywine |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Hallie Olivere
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | |
| Relatives | Biden family |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Syracuse University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Delaware Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 2003–2015 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 261st Signal Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (posthumous) Bronze Star Medal Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross (posthumous) |
Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician, lawyer, and military officer. He was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Beau was the oldest child of the current U.S. president, Joe Biden.
He served as the 44th attorney general of Delaware from 2007 to 2015. He was also a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and served in the Iraq War. Beau Biden passed away in 2015 at the age of 46.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Beau Biden was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on February 3, 1969. His parents were Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia. Joe Biden later became a U.S. senator, vice president, and president.
In December 1972, a car accident tragically killed Beau's mother and his baby sister, Naomi. Beau was almost four years old, and his brother, Hunter, was almost three. Both Beau and Hunter were in the car and were seriously hurt, but they survived. They spent several months recovering in the hospital. Two weeks after the accident, their father was sworn into the Senate from their hospital room.
Beau and Hunter encouraged their father to marry again. In June 1977, his father married Jill Jacobs. Beau welcomed her as his stepmother. His half-sister, Ashley, was born in 1981.
Beau Biden married Hallie Olivere in 2002. They had two children together: a daughter named Natalie Naomi (born in 2004) and a son named Robert Hunter II (born in 2006).
Education and Early Career
Beau Biden went to Archmere Academy, which was also his father's high school. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991. He then earned his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, just like his father.
After law school, he worked for a judge in New Hampshire. From 1995 to 2004, he worked for the United States Department of Justice in Philadelphia. He started as a legal advisor and later became a federal prosecutor. A federal prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government to bring legal cases against people accused of crimes.
Beau also worked in Kosovo after the 1998-1999 Kosovo War. He helped train judges and prosecutors for their local court system. In 2004, he joined a law firm before becoming the Attorney General of Delaware.
When his father, Joe Biden, was chosen to be the Vice President candidate in 2008, Beau proudly introduced him at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Military Service
Beau Biden joined the Delaware Army National Guard in 2003. He became a military lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He reached the rank of major.
His unit was sent to Iraq in October 2008. This was just one day after his father took part in a debate for the 2008 presidential campaign. His father said he didn't want Beau to go, but he believed it was important for the future.
Beau traveled from Iraq to Washington, D.C., in January 2009 for the presidential inauguration. He watched his father become Vice President, then returned to Iraq. His father visited him at Camp Victory in Iraq on July 4, 2009.
Beau returned home from Iraq in September 2009 after serving for a year. This included seven months in a combat zone. During his time in Iraq, he continued to serve as Delaware's attorney general by working with his senior staff.
For his service in Iraq, Beau Biden received the Bronze Star Medal. At his funeral, the Army Chief of Staff, Raymond Odierno, praised Beau's leadership. He also presented a special award, the Legion of Merit, for his service. Beau also received the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross.
Political Career
Beau Biden first ran for political office in 2006. He ran for attorney general of Delaware. He won the election by about five percent of the votes.
After he was elected, he appointed experienced lawyers to help him. These included Richard S. Gebelein and Richard G. Andrews.
When Joe Biden became Vice President in 2008, he left his Senate seat. Many people wondered if Beau would run for the Senate. His father said that Beau would have to earn any office on his own.
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In October 2009, Beau said he was thinking about running for the Senate. However, in January 2010, he decided not to run.
On November 2, 2010, he was easily re-elected for a second term as Delaware Attorney General. He won by a large number of votes.
Beau Biden did not run for a third term as attorney general in 2014. In the spring of that year, he announced he planned to run for governor of Delaware in the 2016 election. At this time, he had already been diagnosed with cancer, but it was in remission.
Illness and Passing
Beau Biden had a brain tumor for the last few years of his life. In May 2010, he was taken to the hospital after having a headache and weakness. Doctors said he had a mild stroke.
In August 2013, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme. This is a very aggressive type of brain cancer. He had surgery to remove a growth. Beau then had radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and the cancer remained stable for a while.
On May 20, 2015, he was admitted to a hospital in Maryland because the brain cancer had returned. He passed away there ten days later, on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46.
His funeral was held at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 6, 2015. Many important people attended, including then-President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
President Obama described Beau 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, Chris Martin, the lead singer of the band Coldplay, performed a song. Beau had been a fan of the band.
Beau Biden was buried at St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware. His grave is near his grandparents, his mother, and his sister.
Awards and Legacy
After his passing, Beau Biden received several honors. In November 2015, he was given the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award. This award recognizes service to humanity. A part of a law passed in 2016, called the 21st Century Cures Act, was named the "Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot" initiative. This initiative focuses on finding cures for cancer.
In 2016, a scholarship was created in his name at Syracuse University College of Law. Also in 2016, a highway in Kosovo was renamed "Joseph R. 'Beau' Biden, III" to honor his work there. The Delaware National Guard joint headquarters building in New Castle was also named the Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in his honor.
In 2017, Joe Biden wrote a book called Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose. In this book, he shares his thoughts on Beau's illness and passing.
On January 20, 2021, the day his father became president, the band New Radicals performed their song "You Get What You Give". This song was a favorite of Beau's. The band reunited just for this special occasion to honor Beau and the new president.
See also
In Spanish: Beau Biden para niños
