text: in the old t.v series, leave it to beaver. what did ward cleaver, hugh beaumont, do for a living?   although we never learn exactly what he does down at the "salt mines", we do know that ward cleaver is a responsible businessman and an even more responsible parent. he is generally even-tempered, though he occasionally blows his stack with the kids or at the office when fred rutherford pushes him over the edge. an exceptional tv dad, ward doesn't gloat when he's right about something, and will always admit when he's wrong. he loves his family, and shows it by being attentive and levelheaded.  ward grew up on a farm and had a grandfather who was a civil war hero. he became president of his fraternity at state college (which he attended with bride-to-be june bronson) and was an engineer with the seabees during world war ii.