George John Beto (1916-1991) is best known for his contributions to criminal justice, but his fame is not limited to this field.
Walking George , authored by two of his former students, David M. Horton and George R. Nielsen, examines the entire life of Beto and his many achievements in the fields of both education and criminal justice - and how he wedded the two whenever possible. Beto initially studied to become a Lutheran pastor but instead was called to teach at Concordia Lutheran College in Austin, Texas. His successes there led him to revitalize a seminary in Springfield, Illinois, for three years, after which he left to become the director of the Texas Department of Corrections. Beto had no formal training in corrections, but during his years in Austin, he had served on the Texas Prison Board, a volunteer board that supervised the entire prison system. During his ten-year term as the director of the Texas Department of Corrections, Beto spearheaded many education and reform programs aimed at rehabilitating inmates. Most notable was his effort in 1969 to establish the Windham school district for educating inmates, the first of its kind at any prison in the United States. Beto’s predilection to show up on foot in front of a given Texas prison, at all hours of the day and night, ready for an inspection and tour, earned him the nickname
Walking George.
After retiring as head of the Texas prison system in 1972, he became a professor at Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice until 1991. His leadership and participation propelled it to become the most esteemed program in the country.