A prolific writer, a much sought-after speaker, and a highly respected professor, Richard Beidleman is one of Colorado College's most notable faculty members. He taught zoology from 1957-1968 and biology from 1968-1988. His research interests centered on the role of natural scientists in frontier America and Australia, and he helped author high school and junior high school biology textbooks, among approximately 250 other published works. The Colorado Springs community knows him best as a dedicated environmental activist who fought for many years for such causes as the preservation of the White House Ranch and the Garden of the Gods Park, the prevention of strip mining along Front Range quarries, and the successful League of Women Voters lawsuit against the City of Colorado Springs regarding the Palmer deeded parks. He served on the Colorado State Parks Board for eight years, including three and a half years as its chairman and succeeded, among other things, in obtaining Muehler Ranch as a state park. The Beidleman Environmental Center at Sondermann Park was established in his honor by the City of Colorado Springs.