Edgar R. Beckley

Edgar R. Beckley was born in Alexandria, Virginia on May 2, 1836.¹ He is first listed as a waiter at the White House in the 1870 Federal Census, but it appears that he spent most of his career there as a messenger, carrying confidential messages around Washington, D.C. on horseback.² One newspaper report from 1896 celebrated his dedication while carrying a note from President Grover Cleveland’s private secretary to a congressman. Beckley’s horse fell, and both animal and rider sustained severe injuries. When onlookers rushed to Beckley’s aid, he simply responded: “Let me alone; just take care of the horse. I have a message from the President of the United States which I must deliver first, and then I will attend to my wounds and bruises.”³ Local newspapers often reported on Beckley’s commitment and delivery speed and praised him for riding “rain or shine, in all seasons” to the post office and other required delivery stops^.4 

Outside of work, he was involved in his local community and served as an officer in Alexandria’s African-American temperance club, which promoted abstinence from alcohol. He continued to work for the White House until 1908, when he was transferred to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.⁵ He worked there until his retirement in 1920. A staple in Washington, D.C., Beckley continued to call at the White House “to pay his respects and to renew old acquaintances.”⁶ Beckley died on December 15, 1924, and is buried at Washington Street United Methodist Church Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia.⁷