(1874–1948), U.S. historian. Charles Beard was best known for his economic interpretation of the development of the United States. After graduating from De Pauw University in 1898, Beard studied at Oxford. His first book was ‘The Industrial Revolution' (1901). He taught at Columbia University from 1904 to 1917 and was a co-founder of the New School for Social Research in 1919. His most noted works were ‘An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States' (1913) and ‘Rise of American Civilization' (1927). (See also History.)