Willard Bean
Willard Washington Bean was an American middleweight boxer and a missionary of the [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]. In 1905, Bean claimed the title of middleweight champion of the world. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of a number of significant properties for the LDS Church, including the Hill Cumorah.
Biography
Willard Washington Bean was born on May 16, 1868, the seventh of ten children, to George Washington Bean and Elizabeth née Baum.In 1875, when he was about seven years old, his family moved to Sevier County, Utah. They lived on the west side of the Sevier River, about three miles east of the village of Richfield. From 1894 to 1895 he studied at Brigham Young Academy. He then went on to be a Physical Education Instructor at the University of Utah for two years. He also served as a member of both the Salt Lake City and Richfield police departments, and edited the Richfield Reaper.
Bean married Gussie Dee née Felts in the Manti Utah Temple on May 3, 1899, and they had two children. She died on March 27, 1909. On September 18, 1914, he married Rebecca Rosetta Peterson, with whom he had another four children.
Boxing record
He had his boxing debut on September 4, 1897, losing on a points decision. His career lasted for 18 fights, with a record of eight wins, three draws, and seven losses. However these are only the recorded fights, it is likely that Bean fought in additional contests that haven't been acknowledged.In 1905, Bean claimed the title of middleweight champion of the world. Although it was not until 1910 with the formation of the International Boxing Union that world title fights were created, until that time champions were generally recognized by public acclamation. The World Middleweight boxing champion at the time was Tommy Ryan.