Bean Family Portrait 1940

 

The youngest child of Otto and Alice Bean, Otto Bean, Jr. was born and raised on his family’s farm near Gideon, MO.  He attended Gideon Elementary and High School, before pursuing his interest in military service at the Western Military Academy.

 

Otto and Janet Bean marry in February of 1963During high school, Bean distinguished himself on the basketball court, earning statewide recognition and scholarship offers, but opted to work his way through the University of Missouri, majoring in Ag Business with an emphasis on Farm Management.  In 1960, he married his college sweetheart, Janet Stillman.

 

2nd Lieutenant Otto Bean, Jr.Bean served on active duty in the Army National Guard during 1962 - 1963 and attended Officer Candidate School in 1964. He was Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served until 1970, when he was transferred to the Army Reserve.

 

Otto Bean teaches his son Jason the finer points of driving a tractor. During this same time, he launched his own farming operation, based in the Punkin Center community. His two sons, Barry and Jason were born in 1963 and 1971.

 

Over the next four decades, Bean built a reputation as an innovative farmer, a successful agribusinessman, and a leader in the community. He has filled leadership roles in a number of Otto Bean, Jr. shares lunch with director Jake Fisher and Representative JoAnn Emerson at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center Field Day.statewide and national organizations, including Missouri Farm Bureau, University of Missouri, Cotton Board, Cotton Incorporated, National Cotton Council, Cotton Producers of Missouri, and the Agricultural Council of Arkansas. In 2002, he was named to the USDA Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee as an advisor on international agriculture, commodity, and trade policies.

 

Photo Courtesy Scott Seal, Portageville Missourian NewsOtto Bean, Jr. made history in 2002 when he was elected the first Republican to represent the 163rd district in the Missouri House of Representatives in over 120 years. He has spent the past two years representing the interests of the 163rd district.  As a member of the 92nd Assembly, he has worked to improve school funding, attract employers and increase revenues through business-friendly legislation, reduce waste and improve needed services in Medicaid and social services, and serve as a liaison between the 163rd district and the Jefferson City bureaucracy.