Moe Beardmore and Carey Beardmore Hamilton: Difference Makers in the Community
Builders of Bellevue University: Across the Years and Generations
In celebration of Bellevue University’s 50th Anniversary, we take time to recognize the many individuals and organizations that have helped to build the University into Nebraska’s largest private college or university. The late Maurice Y. “Moe” Beardmore was an exemplary builder of Bellevue University and his community. His daughter, Carey Beardmore-Hamilton, joined the Board in 1997 and is carrying on that tradition today.
Moe Beardmore and Carey Beardmore Hamilton: Difference Makers in the Community
Maurice Y. “Moe” Beardmore made his presence felt during his time on the Bellevue College Board of Directors. Beardmore, who was long-time president of Beardmore Chevrolet in Bellevue, began supporting then Bellevue College in 1978. He served on the Board of Directors from 1988 until his death in 1992 and was a strong advocate for the University in the community.
Beardmore, a veteran of World War II, returned home from service ready to make a difference on the home front as well. A Glasco, Kansas, native, he sold automobiles in Nebraska for nearly four decades, beginning with his first dealership in Oxford, Nebraska, in 1954. Included were 25 years at dealerships in Papillion and Bellevue. He was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame in 2016.
The University’s Maurice Y. and Patricia Beardmore Scholarship, named in honor of Moe and his wife, is awarded each year to a student pursuing a business-related bachelor’s degree. Their daughter, Carey Beardmore-Hamilton, who joined the Bellevue University Board in 1997, helped fund the scholarship. “My parents were very compassionate people who would rise to the occasion when the need arose,” Carey said of her parents. “They wanted to help give people a chance to succeed. This scholarship will continue their legacy, and I appreciate the University’s help.
“Dad saw the important work Bellevue University was doing with making it possible for deployed military personnel to continue their education, and for assisting adult students to realize their dream of a college education, knowing the impact it would have on their families,” Hamilton said. “He always made it clear that you give back to the community that supports you. I admired his strong commitment and try to emulate it today by also serving on the Bellevue University Board.”
Carey Hamilton is the fourth generation of the Beardmore family to own and operate new car dealerships. Like her parents, she is heavily involved in civic and community causes, often taking a leading role, and has served on a wide range of non-profit and for-profit boards of directors. She and her husband, Brian, have been auto dealers for well over four decades, beginning in 1982 with Hamilton Chevrolet Cadillac BMW in Grand Island, Nebraska. They purchased Beardmore Chevrolet of Bellevue in 1995. They continue to be strongly committed to serving and supporting the communities where their businesses are located.