Robert K. Beck was born in Centerville, Iowa on July 17, 1915. He graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1937. In 1943, Beck became the editor/publisher on the Daily Iowegan and Citizen in Centerville. He was also an owner of the Centerville radio station KCOG. In 1967 he added the Weekly Corydon Times-Republican to his newspaper holdings. From 1943 to 1965, Beck was involved in various newspapers in California. A past president of the Iowa Press Association, he was awarded their Iowa Master Editor-Publisher in 1963.

Beck was active in Republican politics in the state. He served in the state legislature for one term in the 1950s and twice sought the party's gubernatorial nomination in the 1960s. He was a member of the Iowa Highway Commission from 1955 -- 1965. In 1972, Beck was named chairman of Iowans for Right to Work.