He defected to the United States in 1963 and became a professor (later, emeritus) of electrical engineering at the University of Colorado.
He published his own monthly newsletter, Access to Energy, which since September 1993 has been written by biochemist Arthur B. Robinson.
In 1981, he took early retirement with emeritus status, in order to devote himself fully to what he saw as the defense of science, technology and free enterprise, through his newsletter, Access to Energy.
These included The History of π, Einstein Plus Two, and The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear (with an Introduction by Edward Teller).
Beckmann spoke at the 1990 San Francisco Conference of International Society for Individual Liberty (ISIL), where he received a standing ovation for his speech in which he attacked "sham environmentalists".