Exhibit 31.1

                          CERTIFICATIONS FOR FORM 10-K

I, William M. Beard, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer,  certify
that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this annual report on Form 10-K of The Beard Company (the
     "registrant");

2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  annual  report  does not  contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
     make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
     statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this annual report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information included in this annual report,  fairly present in all material
     respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers  and I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

     (a)  designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to ensure  that
          material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its
          consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those
          entities,  particularly  during the period in which this annual report
          is being prepared;

     (b)  evaluated the  effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls
          and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of
          this annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

     (c)  presented   in  this   annual   report  our   conclusions   about  the
          effectiveness  of the disclosure  controls and procedures based on our
          evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5.   The registrant's other certifying  officers and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent  evaluation,  to the  registrant's  auditors  and the audit
     committee of  registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing  the
     equivalent function):

     (a)  all  significant  deficiencies  in the design or operation of internal
          controls  which could  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
          record,  process,   summarize  and  report  financial  data  and  have
          identified for the  registrant's  auditors any material  weaknesses in
          internal controls; and

     (b)  any fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management or other
          employees who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
          controls; and

6.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers and I have indicated in this
     annual  report  whether or not there were  significant  changes in internal
     controls  or in other  factors  that could  significantly  affect  internal
     controls  subsequent to the date of our most recent  evaluation,  including
     any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
     weaknesses.

                                         The Beard Company

Date:  March 28, 2005                    By:        /s/ William M. Beard
                                                      William M. Beard
                                                 Chairman of the Board and
                                                   Chief Executive Officer