Celebrating the Legacy of Bill Beedles

We invite you to honor the legacy of Bill Beedles for his 40 years of extraordinary service to the University of Kansas. Make a gift to the Bill Beedles Students & Friends First Generation Award and include a few words of gratitude in the comment field of the gift form, which will be compiled and shared with his family. If you would like to submit a longer note or favorite story, please email jaynote@kuendowment.org.

Bill Beedles retired after 40 years of service to our KU community. Bill was known for his gifted ability to connect with students.He transformed the lives of all who knew him with his candor and upbeat spirit. To honor his legacy, we ask you to join us in establishing the Bill Beedles Students & Friends First Generation Award. 

Bill's family would like your efforts to support a first-generation college student in the KU School of Business. Although not well known, Bill was a first-generation college student himself. His legacy will reflect his commitment to providing equal opportunities to all students.

William L. Beedles, was a member of the faculty at The University of Kansas (www.ku.edu) since 1978, as a Professor of Finance.  He held various appointments in The School of Business including Director of Masters Programs, Faculty Coordinator of KU’s Center for Management Education, Director of Undergraduate Programs, and Acting Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.  Bill earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.  He also held teaching and research appointments at the Australian Graduate School of Management (Sydney), Indiana University (Bloomington), Kansas State University, Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), CIMBA (Paderno del Grappa, Italy), the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the University of Texas, and as a faculty member for the Law and Organization Economics Center teaching financial economics to state judges.  He is the author of dozens of research articles published in the professional and academic press, and the textbook Just Enough Finance for Non-Financial Managers.  

Beedles received numerous teaching awards including the MBA Teaching Excellence Award (Indiana), the Beta Gamma Sigma Outstanding Educator Award, the Graduate Business Council Outstanding MBA Educator Award, the Henry A. Bubb Teaching Excellence Award, the Mortar Board Outstanding Educator and the University of Kansas CTE Excellence in Teaching Award. He served as a director of the International Academy of Small Business Finance, a director of the Kansas City chapter of Financial Executives International, chair of the investment committee of Lawrence Public Library, and the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s Investment Committee Chair, Endowment Board member, and Pioneer Award recipient, and as an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

His professional teaching and research affiliations have included the Alaska Telephone Association, ALLTEL, American Business Women’s Association, American Century Investments, Anchorage Telephone Utilities, Associated Wholesale Grocers, BHA Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City, Cardinal Brands, Cerner Corp., Cessna Aircraft, Coastal Utilities, Cramer, Inc., Dillon Companies, Eby/Bickford, Farmland Industries, GBA Engineering, the General Services Administration, Hallmark Cards, Hills Pet Products, H. W. Lochner Engineering, Interstate Bakeries, John Deere, Kroger Co., National Cooperative Refinery Association, National Telephone Cooperative Association, North Carolina Telephone Association, Pioneer Financial Services, Sprint, Swope Community Enterprises, Teva Neuroscience, and the United States Telephone Association.  Contact at The School of Business, Capitol Federal Hall, 1654 Naismith Dr., The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, wbeedles@ku.edu; phone: 785.864.7530;