As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 15, 2004
                                                  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 Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

            The Beard Company 2003-2 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

<TABLE>

                                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<CAPTION>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Proposed maximum       Proposed maximum          Amount of
  Title of securities to be        Amount to be       offering price per     aggregate offering       registration
          registered               registered<F1>          share<F2>               price                 fee<F2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                               <C>                       <C>                   <C>                    <C>
Common Stock, par value .001333   400,000 Shares            $1.28                 $512,000               $64.87

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<FN>
<F1>
     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 2003-2 Deferred
     Stock Compensation Plan.
<F2>
     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 June 14, 2004.
</FN>
</TABLE>

                                     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, 2003, as filed
     on March 30, 2004.

2.   Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2004 as filed
     on May 17, 2004.

3.   Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2004 and June 9, 2004.

4.   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.

     The Beard Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to
the fullest extent permitted by the Oklahoma General Corporation Act, a director
of The Beard Company (the "Company") shall not be liable to the Company or its
shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

     The Company's Bylaws provide that the Company will indemnify, to the
fullest extent permitted by the Oklahoma General Corporation Act, against all
expenses, liabilities and loss (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines,
ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably
incurred or suffered by the person in connection with a proceeding by reason of
the fact that he or she was an officer, director, employee or agent of the
Company. However, if the suit was initiated by such person, the Company will
only indemnify such person if the proceeding was authorized by the Board of
Directors of the Company.

     The Oklahoma General Corporation Act under provides that the Company may
indemnify each of its officers, directors, employees and agents against (a)
expenses, including attorney's fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with any
action, suit or proceeding brought by reason of his being or having been a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or of any other
corporation, partnership, joint venture, or other enterprise at the request of
the Company, other than an action by or in the right of the Company, provided
that he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the
best interest of the Company, and with respect to any criminal action, he had no
reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful and (b) expenses
(including attorney's fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in
connection with the defense or settlement of any action or suit by or in the
right of the Company brought by reason of his being or having been a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any other corporation,
partnership, joint venture, or other enterprise at the request of the Company,
provided that he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interest of the Company; except that no
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which such person shall have been adjudged liable to the Company, unless and
only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was decided has
determined that the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification
for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. The Company's bylaws
provide for similar indemnification. These provisions may be sufficiently broad
to indemnify such persons for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

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

4.1  Restated Certificate of Incorporation of The Beard Company (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 McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation (Included in Exhibit 5)

24   Power of Attorney (Included on signature page).

99   The Beard Company 2003-2 Deferred Stock Compensation Plan as amended. (This
     Exhibit has been previously filed as Exhibit "B" to Registrant's Proxy
     Statement filed on April 13, 2004 and the same is incorporated herein by
     reference).

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 15th day of
June, 2004.

(Registrant)                        THE BEARD COMPANY

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

<PAGE>
                                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 2003-2 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 dates indicated below.

Signature                              Title                           Date
---------                              -----                           ----

WILLIAM M. BEARD      Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
William M. Beard      Officer and Director                      June 15, 2004

HERB MEE, JR.         President, Chief Financial Officer and
Herb Mee, Jr.         Director                                  June 15, 2004

JACK A MARTINE        Controller and Chief Accounting Officer   June 15, 2004
Jack A. Martine

                      Director
Allan R. Hallock

HARLON E. MARTIN, JR. Director                                  June 15, 2004
Harlon E. Martin, Jr.

FORD C. PRICE         Director                                  June 15, 2004
Ford C. Price

<PAGE>
                                Index to Exhibits

Exhibit
  No.       Document                              Method of Filing
-------     --------                              ----------------

4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of  Incorporated herein by reference
      The Beard Company (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 reference
      effect.

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

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

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

24    Power of Attorney (Included on signature  Filed herewith electronically
      page).

99    The Beard Company 2003-2 Deferred Stock   Incorporated herein by reference
      Compensation Plan as amended.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "bcforms8-61504.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18481}]
{"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": "333-116507", "film-number": "04864657"}, "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 June 15, 2004
                                                  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 Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                           Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320
                              5600 North May Avenue
                          Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

            The Beard Company 2003-2 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
share
price                 fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par value .001333   400,000 Shares            $1.28                 $512,000               $64.87

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 2003-2 Deferred
     Stock Compensation Plan.
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 June 14, 2004.
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, 2003, as filed
     on March 30, 2004.

2.   Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2004 as filed
     on May 17, 2004.

3.   Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2004 and June 9, 2004.

4.   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.

     The Beard Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to
the fullest extent permitted by the Oklahoma General Corporation Act, a director
of The Beard Company (the "Company") shall not be liable to the Company or its
shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

     The Company's Bylaws provide that the Company will indemnify, to the
fullest extent permitted by the Oklahoma General Corporation Act, against all
expenses, liabilities and loss (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines,
ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably
incurred or suffered by the person in connection with a proceeding by reason of
the fact that he or she was an officer, director, employee or agent of the
Company. However, if the suit was initiated by such person, the Company will
only indemnify such person if the proceeding was authorized by the Board of
Directors of the Company.

     The Oklahoma General Corporation Act under provides that the Company may
indemnify each of its officers, directors, employees and agents against (a)
expenses, including attorney's fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with any
action, suit or proceeding brought by reason of his being or having been a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or of any other
corporation, partnership, joint venture, or other enterprise at the request of
the Company, other than an action by or in the right of the Company, provided
that he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the
best interest of the Company, and with respect to any criminal action, he had no
reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful and (b) expenses
(including attorney's fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in
connection with the defense or settlement of any action or suit by or in the
right of the Company brought by reason of his being or having been a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any other corporation,
partnership, joint venture, or other enterprise at the request of the Company,
provided that he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interest of the Company; except that no
indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to
which such person shall have been adjudged liable to the Company, unless and
only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was decided has
determined that the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification
for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. The Company's bylaws
provide for similar indemnification. These provisions may be sufficiently broad
to indemnify such persons for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

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

4.1  Restated Certificate of Incorporation of The Beard Company (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 McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation (Included in Exhibit 5)

24   Power of Attorney (Included on signature page).

99   The Beard Company 2003-2 Deferred Stock Compensation Plan as amended. (This
     Exhibit has been previously filed as Exhibit "B" to Registrant's Proxy
     Statement filed on April 13, 2004 and the same is incorporated herein by
     reference).

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 15th day of
June, 2004.

(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 2003-2 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 dates indicated below.

Signature                              Title                           Date
---------                              -----                           ----

WILLIAM M. BEARD      Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
William M. Beard      Officer and Director                      June 15, 2004

HERB MEE, JR.         President, Chief Financial Officer and
Herb Mee, Jr.         Director                                  June 15, 2004

JACK A MARTINE        Controller and Chief Accounting Officer   June 15, 2004
Jack A. Martine

                      Director
Allan R. Hallock

HARLON E. MARTIN, JR. Director                                  June 15, 2004
Harlon E. Martin, Jr.

FORD C. PRICE         Director                                  June 15, 2004
Ford C. Price
Index to Exhibits

Exhibit
  No.       Document                              Method of Filing
-------     --------                              ----------------

4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of  Incorporated herein by reference
      The Beard Company (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 reference
      effect.

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

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

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

24    Power of Attorney (Included on signature  Filed herewith electronically
      page).

99    The Beard Company 2003-2 Deferred Stock   Incorporated herein by reference
      Compensation Plan as amended.