Bob Beyer

Robert Byrd Breyer is the oldest grandson of Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Bob was fortunate to know his grandfather before the Admiral passed in 1957 and meet some of his expedition members …. what stories they told! In 1973-74 Bob worked at the South Pole on the construction of the new Dome Station, part of the first civilian team to replace Navy Seabees. In 1974-75 he managed the South Pole construction camp operation. In November 1979 Bob returned to Antarctica with BAE I members Larry Gould and Norman Vaughan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Admiral’s flight to the South Pole in 1929.

Bob grew up in Los Angeles where he was an Eagle Scout and earned B.S. and MBA degrees from USC. Professionally Bob had a successful 35-year business development career in the commercial real estate and corporate finance sectors. Bob also produced websites (www.admiralbyrd.com), PowerPoints, and videos about the polar regions and presented to schools (Harvard, Ohio State, and many others), civic groups, book clubs, and private parties.

In 1985 the Port of Umpqua in Reedsport, Oregon, acquired the retired Antarctic research vessel Hero with the idea of establishing an Antarctica themed tourist attraction. In the early 1990s APS president Captain Brian Shoemaker became involved, and the project was named the Richard E. Byrd Antarctic Center. Bob procured sources for a feasibility study, museum architect, and tax-exempt financing but Reedsport failed to support the project, and it disbanded. To fill this void Bob would like to see the American Polar Society designate the establishment of a National Polar Museum as a strategic objective in the latter half of the 2020s decade to highlight the long and rich history of Americans in the polar regions.