Early Days
Born in New Plymouth Beetham attended New Plymouth Boys' High School from 1951–1955. He then went onto the Auckland Secondary Teachers College where he eventually acquired a BA (honours) in History and later an MA. After joining the Social Credit Party during the 1969 general election campaign he was elected as one of the vice presidents of the party in 1971. Also in 1971 he ran his first election campaign, an unsuccessfully attempt for a position as a Hamilton City Councillor. His rapid rise in the Social Credit ranks was complete when he was elected Leader in 1972. He presided over Social Credit's 1972 and 1975 election campaigns, in which they failed to get any members elected.
Read more about this topic: Bruce Beetham
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