{{Short description|American politician (1938–2014)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | position = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|1|21}} | birth_place = Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. | high_school = Morris (Oklahoma) | college = {{Ubl|Murray State College| Central State|Northwestern}} | pastteams = * Green Bay Packers ({{nfly|1961}}) | pastcoaching = * Jenks High School (1977–1990) | highlights = * American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame * Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame }} '''Robert Perry Beaver''' (December 13, 1938 – July 11, 2014) was an American Muscogee politician and football coach. He was principal chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation from 1996 until 2003.
Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Beaver attended Morris High School in Morris, Oklahoma, and then went to Murray State College, where he was a junior college football All-American in 1958. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Central State College and his master's degree in education from Northwestern State University.<ref name="TWObit"/>
In 1961, playing under the name Bob Beaver, he was briefly a member of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0m1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=whAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3255%2C3570766 "Packers Sign 2 Free Agents"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505134252/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0m1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=whAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3255,3570766 |date=May 5, 2016 }}, Associated Press in ''Milwaukee Sentinel'', February 27, 1961.</ref><ref>[http://www.packershistory.net/1961PACKERS.html The 1961 Green Bay Packers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112215324/http://www.packershistory.net/1961PACKERS.html |date=2020-11-12 }} at packershistory.net (accessed 2015-01-10) (states that the Packers waived Beaver on August 6, 1961).</ref> He then moved into high school coaching. In 1977, he became the head coach at Jenks High School in Jenks, Oklahoma, where he led the team to its first two state championships in 1979 and 1982, and retired after the 1990 season. His career record was 109–53.<ref name="TWObit">Randy Krehbiel, [http://www.tulsaworld.com/obituaries/localobituaries/former-creek-nation-chief-jenks-football-coach-perry-beaver-dies/article_ceca75e3-efcc-5e13-8f0b-00c074ffe002.html "Former Creek Nation chief, Jenks football coach Perry Beaver dies"], ''Tulsa World'', July 15, 2014.</ref> He is a member of the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160307104933/http://www.americanindianathletichalloffame.com/perrybeaver.php Perry R. Beaver]}}, American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame (accessed 2014-07-15).</ref> and the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame.<ref>[http://www.oklahomacoaches.org/index.php/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-alphabetical/ Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame] (accessed 2014-07-15).</ref>
Beaver was elected to the Creek Nation Council in 1984. In 1985, he became second chief. Beaver served as principal chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation from 1996 until 2003. As chief he oversaw an expansion of tribal housing and development services.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140717193734/http://cowetaamerican.com/neighbors/muscogee-creek-nation-mourns-the-loss-of-former-chief-perry/article_b55703a8-096c-11e4-8a82-0019bb2963f4.html "Muscogee (Creek) Nation Mourns the Loss of Former Chief Perry Beaver,"] ''Coweta American'', July 11, 2014.</ref> He died at his home in Morris on July 11, 2014.<ref name="TWObit"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaver, R. Perry}} Category:1938 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Chiefs of the Muscogee Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football players Category:Muscogee Nation politicians Category:Murray State Aggies football players Category:Northwestern State University alumni Category:High school football coaches in Oklahoma Category:University of Central Oklahoma alumni Category:People from Morris, Oklahoma Category:Politicians from Muskogee, Oklahoma Category:Players of American football from Muskogee, Oklahoma Category:People from Jenks, Oklahoma Category:20th-century Native American politicians Category:21st-century Native American politicians Category:Native American people from Oklahoma