As he was preparing to graduate from high school, the United States entered World War II, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
[4] Educated at the University of Michigan (COE: BSE, MS, PhD),[5] Beyster worked as a scientist for Westinghouse Atomic Power Division on the company's nuclear submarine program in the 1950s.
Initially the company's focus was on projects for the U.S. government related to nuclear power and weapons effects study programs.
In 2012, SAIC split into two companies, one retaining the original name, and the other (known as Leidos) which performs projects for commercial and government customers related to information technology, systems integration and eSolutions, national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics.
While Beyster was still at SAIC, the company backed and provided design technology to a number of U.S. entries in the America's Cup race.
Beyster is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from CONNECT program of the University of California, San Diego's "for providing 25 years of outstanding service to the community."
[13] In 2019, RV Bob and Betty Beyster, a 42-foot research vessel that bears their names, joined the fleet at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.