Beau Biden

Beau Biden was an American politician, attorney, and officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. The eldest son of President Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, he served as the 44th Attorney General of Delaware from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was widely viewed as a rising political figure before his death from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in 2015.

Early life and education

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III was born on February 3, 1969, in Wilmington, Delaware. He and his younger brother, Hunter Biden, survived the 1972 car accident that killed their mother and infant sister, Naomi Biden. He attended the private Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware, where he was a standout football player. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Pennsylvania and later received his Juris Doctor from the Syracuse University College of Law.

Legal and military career

After law school, Biden began his legal career as a law clerk for Steven J. McAuliffe, a judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. He later worked as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division and as a federal prosecutor for the United States Attorney for the District of Delaware. In 2003, he joined the Delaware Army National Guard as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He was deployed to Iraq in 2008 with the 261st Signal Brigade, earning the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Political involvement

Biden was elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006, defeating Ferris Wharton, and was reelected in 2010. As attorney general, he focused on prosecuting child predators, creating the state's first Child Predator Unit, and championed the state's Child Victim's Act. He also served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General. In 2010, he was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to co-chair the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General's Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. He was considered a leading candidate for Governor of Delaware in 2016.

Personal life and death

In 2002, Biden married Hallie Olivere, a former staffer for the American Lung Association; they had two children, Natalie and Hunter. In 2010, he suffered a mild stroke but recovered and returned to work. In August 2013, he was admitted to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after experiencing weakness and disorientation. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma and underwent surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. After a period of improvement, his health declined in 2015. He died on May 30, 2015, at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. His funeral was held at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Delaware, with eulogies delivered by President Barack Obama and others.

Legacy and honors

Biden was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit for his military service. The Beau Biden Memorial Highway in New Castle County, Delaware, was named in his honor. The Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children, established by his family, continues his work combating child abuse. In 2015, President Barack Obama announced the Cancer Moonshot initiative, later championed by his father, citing Biden's battle. His father often references his character and legacy in speeches, including during the 2020 Democratic National Convention and his presidential inauguration.

Category:1969 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Attorneys General of Delaware Category:Biden family Category:People from Wilmington, Delaware