As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April __, 2002
                              Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                                THE BEARD COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         OKLAHOMA                                           73-0970298
(State or other jurisdiction of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)

                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
               The Beard Company Deferred Stock Compensation Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                William M. Beard
                             Chief Executive Officer
                                The Beard Company
                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                                 (405) 842-2333
 (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



                                   Copies to:

                               Jerry Warren, Esq.
                    McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation
                       Tenth Floor, Two Leadership Square
                               211 North Robinson
                       Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102-7103
                            Telephone: (405) 552-2244
                            Facsimile: (405) 235-0439


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
                                                       Proposed maximum       Proposed maximum          Amount of
  Title of securities to be        Amount to be       offering price per     aggregate offering       registration
          registered               registered(1)            share                   price                fee(2)
------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
<S>                               <C>                       <C>                   <C>                    <C>
Common Stock, par value .001333   312,500 Shares            $1.95                 $609,375               $56.06

------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
<FN>
(1)  In  addition  pursuant  to Rule 416(c) of the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as
     amended, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
     interests  to be offered or sold  pursuant  to The Beard  Company  Deferred
     Stock  Compensation  Plan.

(2)  Estimated  pursuant  to Rule  457(c)  and (h) solely  for the  purposes  of
     computing the  registration fee based upon the average of the bid and asked
     price of The Beard Company  common  stock,  as reported on the OTC Bulletin
     Board(R) on April 8, 2002.
</FN>
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
<TABLE>
<S>     <C>
Item 1. Plan Information (1)

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information (1)

-------------
<FN>

(1)  Information  required  by  Part  I to be  contained  in the  Section  10(a)
     prospectus is omitted from this  Registration  Statement in accordance with
     the Note to Part I of the Form S-8 and has been or will be sent or given to
     participants in the Plan as specified in Rule 428(b)(1).
</FN>
</TABLE>
                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

     The  following  documents  previously  filed  by the  Registrant  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference:

     1.   Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December 31, 2000,  as
          filed on April 2, 2001.

     2.   Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001 as
          filed on May 21, 2001, for the quarter ended June 30, 2001 as filed on
          August 14, 2001 and for the quarter ended September 30, 2001, as filed
          November  19,  2001 and the  Registrant's  Current  Report on Form 8-K
          filed on March 28, 2002.

     3.   The  description  of the  Registrant's  Common  Stock set forth in the
          Registrant's  registration  statement  on  Form  8-B  filed  with  the
          Commission  on October 5, 1993,  including  any  amendments or reports
          filed for the purpose of updating such description.

     All documents filed by the Registrant  pursuant to Sections  13(a),  13(c),
14,  and  15(d) of the  Exchange  Act prior to the  filing  of a  post-effective
amendment  which  indicates  that all  shares of common  stock  covered  by this
registration  statement  have been  sold or which  deregisters  all such  shares
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference and to be part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.  Any statement  contained in a
document  incorporated  or  deemed  to be  incorporated  by  reference  in  this
Registration  Statement will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes
of this Registration  Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this
Registration Statement or in any other subsequently filed document which also is
or is deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference to this  Registration  Statement
modifies  or  supersedes  such  statement.  Any such  statement  so  modified or
superseded  will  not  be  deemed,  except  as so  modified  or  superseded,  to
constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

     Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

     Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Not applicable.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.       Document
-----------       --------

4.1               Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation of Beard (formerly New
                  Beard) as filed with the  Secretary  of State of  Oklahoma  on
                  September 20, 2000. (This Exhibit has been previously filed as
                  Exhibit  3(i) to  Registrant's  Form 10-Q for the period ended
                  September  30, 2000,  filed on November 20, 2000,  and same is
                  incorporated by reference).

4.2               Registrant's By-laws as currently in effect. (This Exhibit has
                  been previously  filed as Exhibit 3(ii) to  Registrant's  Form
                  10-K for the period ended  December  31, 1997,  filed on March
                  31, 1998 and the same is incorporated herein by reference).

5                 Opinion of McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation

23.1              Consent of Cole & Reed, P.C.

23.2              Consent of KPMG LLP

23.3              Consent of McAfee & Taft A Professional  Corporation (included
                  in Exhibit 5)

99                Amendment  No.  Three  to The  Beard  Company  Deferred  Stock
                  Compensation Plan

Item 9. Undertakings

     (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1) to file,  during  any  period  in which  offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

               (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
          Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii) to reflect  in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising
          after the effective  date of the  Registration  Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
          in the  Registration  Statement.  Notwithstanding  the foregoing,  any
          increase  or decrease  in volume of  securities  offered (if the total
          dollar  value of  securities  offered  would not exceed that which was
          registered)  and  any  deviation  from  the  low  or  high  end of the
          estimated  maximum  offering  range  may be  reflected  in the form of
          prospectus  filed with the  Commission  pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
          the aggregate,  the changes in volume and price represent no more than
          a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate  offering price set forth
          in the  "Calculation  of  Registration  Fee"  table  in the  effective
          Registration Statement; and

               (iii) to include any  material  information  with  respect to the
          plan of  distribution  not previously  disclosed in this  Registration
          Statement  or  any  material  change  to  such   information  in  this
          Registration Statement.

     Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
the  Registration  Statement  is on Form  S-3,  Form  S-8 or Form  F-3,  and the
information  required  to be  included in a  post-effective  amendment  by those
paragraphs  is  contained  in periodic  reports  filed with or  furnished to the
Commission  by the  Registrant  pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;

          (2) that,  for the purposes of  determining  any  liability  under the
     Securities Act, each such post-effective  amendment shall be deemed to be a
     new Registration  Statement  relating to the securities offered herein, and
     the  offering  of such  securities  at that time  shall be deemed to be the
     initial bona fide offering thereof;

          (3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
     any  of  the  securities  being  registered  which  remain  unsold  at  the
     termination of the offering.

     (b) The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act,  each  filing  of  the
Registrant's  annual report  pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and,  where  applicable,  each filing of an employee  benefit plan's annual
report  pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is  incorporated  by
reference  in  this  Registration   Statement  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a  new
Registration  Statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be  permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the
Registrant,  pursuant to the foregoing provisions,  or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director,  officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action,  suit or proceeding) is asserted by any
such director,  officer or controlling  person in connection with the securities
being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter  has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent,  submit  to a  court  of
appropriate  jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  is against
public  policy as  expressed in the  Securities  Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds  to  believe  that it meets  all the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Oklahoma City, State of Oklahoma, on the 25th day of
March, 2002.

(Registrant)                               THE BEARD COMPANY

                                       By: HERB MEE, JR.
                                           Herb Mee, Jr.
                                           President and Chief Financial Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     We,  the   undersigned   officers  and   directors  of  The  Beard  Company
(hereinafter the "Company"),  hereby severally constitute and appoint William M.
Beard  and Herb  Mee,  Jr.,  and each of them,  severally,  our true and  lawful
attorneys-in-fact  with full  power to them and each of them to sign for us, and
in our names as officers or directors,  or both, of the Company,  a Registration
Statement  on  Form  S-8  (and  any  and  all  amendments   thereto,   including
post-effective  amendments)  to  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  relating  to The Beard  Company  Deferred  Stock  Compensation  Plan
granting unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  and each of them, full power
and  authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing  requisite  and
necessary  to be done in and about the  premises,  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes  as he or she  might  or  could  do in  person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming  all that said  attorneys-in-fact  and  agents,  or any of them,  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the 25th day of March, 2002.

Signature                                         Title
---------                                         -----
WILLIAM M. BEARD                         Chairman of the Board, Chief
William M. Beard                         Executive Officer and Director

HERB MEE, JR.                            President, Chief Financial Officer
Herb Mee, Jr.                            and Director

JACK A. MARTINE                          Controller and Chief Accounting
Jack A. Martine                          Officer

ALLAN R. HALLOCK                         Director
Allan R. Hallock

HARLON E. MARTIN, JR.                    Director
Harlon E. Martin, Jr.

FORD C. PRICE                            Director
Ford C. Price
<PAGE>
                                Index to Exhibits
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit No.       Document                     Method of Filing
-----------       --------                     ----------------
<S>    <C>                                     <C>
4.1    Restated Certificate of Incorporation   Incorporated herein by referenced
       of  Beard  (formerly  New  Beard)  as
       filed with the  Secretary of State of
       Oklahoma on September 20, 2000.

4.2    Registrant's  By-laws as currently in   Incorporated herein by referenced
       effect.

5      Opinion    of   McAfee   &   Taft   A   Filed herewith electronically
       Professional Corporation

23.1   Consent of Cole & Reed, P.C.            Filed herewith electronically

23.2   Consent of KPMG LLP                     Filed herewith electronically

23.3   Consent    of   McAfee   &   Taft   A   Filed herewith electronically
       Professional Corporation (Included in
       Exhibit 5)

99     Amendment  No.  Three  to  The  Beard   Filed herewith electronically
       Company  Deferred Stock  Compensation
       Plan
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "bcforms8492002.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 16336}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BEARD CO /OK", "cik": "0000909992", "assigned-sic": "2810", "irs-number": "730970298", "state-of-incorporation": "OK", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-85936", "film-number": "02606535"}, "business-address": {"street1": "5600 N MAY AVE", "street2": "STE 320", "city": "OKLAHOMA CITY", "state": "OK", "zip": "73112", "phone": "4058422333"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "5600 N MAY", "street2": "STE 320", "city": "OKLAHOMA CITY", "state": "OK", "zip": "73112"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "BEARD INVESTMENT CO", "date-changed": "19930730"}}
As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April __, 2002
                              Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                THE BEARD COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         OKLAHOMA                                           73-0970298
(State or other jurisdiction of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)

                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
               The Beard Company Deferred Stock Compensation Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                William M. Beard
                             Chief Executive Officer
                                The Beard Company
                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                                 (405) 842-2333
 (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:

                               Jerry Warren, Esq.
                    McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation
                       Tenth Floor, Two Leadership Square
                               211 North Robinson
                       Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102-7103
                            Telephone: (405) 552-2244
                            Facsimile: (405) 235-0439

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
                                                       Proposed maximum       Proposed maximum          Amount of
  Title of securities to be        Amount to be       offering price per     aggregate offering       registration
          registered               registered(1)            share                   price                fee(2)
------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
Common Stock, par value .001333   312,500 Shares            $1.95                 $609,375               $56.06

------------------------------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------------ ------------------
(1)  In  addition  pursuant  to Rule 416(c) of the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as
     amended, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
     interests  to be offered or sold  pursuant  to The Beard  Company  Deferred
     Stock  Compensation  Plan.

(2)  Estimated  pursuant  to Rule  457(c)  and (h) solely  for the  purposes  of
     computing the  registration fee based upon the average of the bid and asked
     price of The Beard Company  common  stock,  as reported on the OTC Bulletin
     Board(R) on April 8, 2002.
PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Item 1. Plan Information (1)

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information (1)

-------------
(1)  Information  required  by  Part  I to be  contained  in the  Section  10(a)
     prospectus is omitted from this  Registration  Statement in accordance with
     the Note to Part I of the Form S-8 and has been or will be sent or given to
     participants in the Plan as specified in Rule 428(b)(1).
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

     The  following  documents  previously  filed  by the  Registrant  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference:

     1.   Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December 31, 2000,  as
          filed on April 2, 2001.

     2.   Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001 as
          filed on May 21, 2001, for the quarter ended June 30, 2001 as filed on
          August 14, 2001 and for the quarter ended September 30, 2001, as filed
          November  19,  2001 and the  Registrant's  Current  Report on Form 8-K
          filed on March 28, 2002.

     3.   The  description  of the  Registrant's  Common  Stock set forth in the
          Registrant's  registration  statement  on  Form  8-B  filed  with  the
          Commission  on October 5, 1993,  including  any  amendments or reports
          filed for the purpose of updating such description.

     All documents filed by the Registrant  pursuant to Sections  13(a),  13(c),
14,  and  15(d) of the  Exchange  Act prior to the  filing  of a  post-effective
amendment  which  indicates  that all  shares of common  stock  covered  by this
registration  statement  have been  sold or which  deregisters  all such  shares
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference and to be part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.  Any statement  contained in a
document  incorporated  or  deemed  to be  incorporated  by  reference  in  this
Registration  Statement will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes
of this Registration  Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this
Registration Statement or in any other subsequently filed document which also is
or is deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference to this  Registration  Statement
modifies  or  supersedes  such  statement.  Any such  statement  so  modified or
superseded  will  not  be  deemed,  except  as so  modified  or  superseded,  to
constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

     Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

     Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Not applicable.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.       Document
-----------       --------

4.1               Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation of Beard (formerly New
                  Beard) as filed with the  Secretary  of State of  Oklahoma  on
                  September 20, 2000. (This Exhibit has been previously filed as
                  Exhibit  3(i) to  Registrant's  Form 10-Q for the period ended
                  September  30, 2000,  filed on November 20, 2000,  and same is
                  incorporated by reference).

4.2               Registrant's By-laws as currently in effect. (This Exhibit has
                  been previously  filed as Exhibit 3(ii) to  Registrant's  Form
                  10-K for the period ended  December  31, 1997,  filed on March
                  31, 1998 and the same is incorporated herein by reference).

5                 Opinion of McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation

23.1              Consent of Cole & Reed, P.C.

23.2              Consent of KPMG LLP

23.3              Consent of McAfee & Taft A Professional  Corporation (included
                  in Exhibit 5)

99                Amendment  No.  Three  to The  Beard  Company  Deferred  Stock
                  Compensation Plan

Item 9. Undertakings

     (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1) to file,  during  any  period  in which  offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

               (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
          Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii) to reflect  in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising
          after the effective  date of the  Registration  Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
          in the  Registration  Statement.  Notwithstanding  the foregoing,  any
          increase  or decrease  in volume of  securities  offered (if the total
          dollar  value of  securities  offered  would not exceed that which was
          registered)  and  any  deviation  from  the  low  or  high  end of the
          estimated  maximum  offering  range  may be  reflected  in the form of
          prospectus  filed with the  Commission  pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
          the aggregate,  the changes in volume and price represent no more than
          a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate  offering price set forth
          in the  "Calculation  of  Registration  Fee"  table  in the  effective
          Registration Statement; and

               (iii) to include any  material  information  with  respect to the
          plan of  distribution  not previously  disclosed in this  Registration
          Statement  or  any  material  change  to  such   information  in  this
          Registration Statement.

     Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
the  Registration  Statement  is on Form  S-3,  Form  S-8 or Form  F-3,  and the
information  required  to be  included in a  post-effective  amendment  by those
paragraphs  is  contained  in periodic  reports  filed with or  furnished to the
Commission  by the  Registrant  pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;

          (2) that,  for the purposes of  determining  any  liability  under the
     Securities Act, each such post-effective  amendment shall be deemed to be a
     new Registration  Statement  relating to the securities offered herein, and
     the  offering  of such  securities  at that time  shall be deemed to be the
     initial bona fide offering thereof;

          (3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
     any  of  the  securities  being  registered  which  remain  unsold  at  the
     termination of the offering.

     (b) The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act,  each  filing  of  the
Registrant's  annual report  pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and,  where  applicable,  each filing of an employee  benefit plan's annual
report  pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is  incorporated  by
reference  in  this  Registration   Statement  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a  new
Registration  Statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be  permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the
Registrant,  pursuant to the foregoing provisions,  or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director,  officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action,  suit or proceeding) is asserted by any
such director,  officer or controlling  person in connection with the securities
being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter  has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent,  submit  to a  court  of
appropriate  jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  is against
public  policy as  expressed in the  Securities  Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds  to  believe  that it meets  all the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Oklahoma City, State of Oklahoma, on the 25th day of
March, 2002.

(Registrant)                               THE BEARD COMPANY

                                       By: HERB MEE, JR.
                                           Herb Mee, Jr.
                                           President and Chief Financial Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     We,  the   undersigned   officers  and   directors  of  The  Beard  Company
(hereinafter the "Company"),  hereby severally constitute and appoint William M.
Beard  and Herb  Mee,  Jr.,  and each of them,  severally,  our true and  lawful
attorneys-in-fact  with full  power to them and each of them to sign for us, and
in our names as officers or directors,  or both, of the Company,  a Registration
Statement  on  Form  S-8  (and  any  and  all  amendments   thereto,   including
post-effective  amendments)  to  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  relating  to The Beard  Company  Deferred  Stock  Compensation  Plan
granting unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  and each of them, full power
and  authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing  requisite  and
necessary  to be done in and about the  premises,  as fully to all  intents  and
purposes  as he or she  might  or  could  do in  person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming  all that said  attorneys-in-fact  and  agents,  or any of them,  may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the 25th day of March, 2002.

Signature                                         Title
---------                                         -----
WILLIAM M. BEARD                         Chairman of the Board, Chief
William M. Beard                         Executive Officer and Director

HERB MEE, JR.                            President, Chief Financial Officer
Herb Mee, Jr.                            and Director

JACK A. MARTINE                          Controller and Chief Accounting
Jack A. Martine                          Officer

ALLAN R. HALLOCK                         Director
Allan R. Hallock

HARLON E. MARTIN, JR.                    Director
Harlon E. Martin, Jr.

FORD C. PRICE                            Director
Ford C. Price
Index to Exhibits
Exhibit No.       Document                     Method of Filing
-----------       --------                     ----------------
4.1    Restated Certificate of Incorporation   Incorporated herein by referenced
       of  Beard  (formerly  New  Beard)  as
       filed with the  Secretary of State of
       Oklahoma on September 20, 2000.

4.2    Registrant's  By-laws as currently in   Incorporated herein by referenced
       effect.

5      Opinion    of   McAfee   &   Taft   A   Filed herewith electronically
       Professional Corporation

23.1   Consent of Cole & Reed, P.C.            Filed herewith electronically

23.2   Consent of KPMG LLP                     Filed herewith electronically

23.3   Consent    of   McAfee   &   Taft   A   Filed herewith electronically
       Professional Corporation (Included in
       Exhibit 5)

99     Amendment  No.  Three  to  The  Beard   Filed herewith electronically
       Company  Deferred Stock  Compensation
       Plan