Leave it to Hugh Beaumont

Hugh Beaumont (Wikimedia Commons/ABC-TV)

Beaumont played Leave it to Beaver’s patriarch, Ward Cleaver, husband of Barbara Billingsley's June Cleaver. Ward Cleaver spent six seasons corralling his sons, Wally and Beaver, and gently reprimanding them for their weekly misbehavior.

Ward Cleaver was the father many children dream of – he remained calm and collected even when he was upset with his boys, and his punishments reasonably fit the crimes. Most importantly, he was there for his children and played an active part in their lives. More than a few children who watched Leave it to Beaver would have liked to have a dad who punished them when they did wrong, rather than one who was barely there at all.

In the Battle for the Best TV Father, there are several strong contenders – but Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver was certainly one of the all-time best.

Written by Linnea Crowther