By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mr. Beumer

Irvin Franklin Beumer, the first layman named a vice president at Xavier University, died Sunday. The Hartwell resident was 84.

As vice president of business and finance and secretary at XU, Mr. Beumer "established a business and financial foundation that will remain his legacy," said Richard Hirte, his successor.

Though he retired 20 years ago, Mr. Beumer was still "excited to watch the campus grow and change," said his wife, Mary Ellen Beumer. "Knowing that he played a big part in it made him very happy."

Mr. Beumer was born on Jan. 12, 1919. He was a member of Roger Bacon High School's Class of 1937 and graduated from XU in 1941.

After college, he was commissioned at Duke University through the Army Officer Training School, where he was an instructor in Army finance. He completed his Army career at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis as a major. After the war, Mr. Beumer received a master's in English from Xavier.

In addition to his wife of 59 years, survivors include two daughters, Mary Ellen Humbert and Emily Gustafson; two sisters, Elvira Carroll and Doris Herrmann; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Mass of Christian burial is 10 a.m. today at Bellarmine Chapel, Xavier University.

Memorials: Irvin F. and Mary Ellen Beumer Fund, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati 45207.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com