Dave Beck

This article is about the American labor leader. For the Dutch portrait painter, see David Beck.

Dave Beck (June 16, 1894-December 26, 1993) was an American labor leader, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1952 to 1957. Born in Stockton, California, he worked his way up in the Teamsters hierarchy and contributed significantly to expanding the union on the west coast of the US, especially in Los Angeles. In 1957, he was called to testify before the US Senate Anti-Racketeering Committee and questioned about misappropriation of funds. He refused to answer over one hundred of the committee's questions and soon resigned his post, succeeded by Jimmy Hoffa. Later that year, he was received a three year sentence in a Washington state court for stealing $1900 from the union. In 1959, he was convicted in federal court of income tax evasion. He went to prison in 1962, was paroled in 1964, and pardoned by US President Gerald Ford in 1975.