Justice Donald W. Beatty was born to Arthur and Ruth Beatty in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is married to Angela Chestnut Beatty and is the proud father of three children, Brandon, Austine and Morgan. He is a member of the Mount Moriah Baptist Church located in Spartanburg, South Carolina where he serves as a trustee.

He attended public schools in Spartanburg County and received his bachelor's degree in 1974 from South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina. After graduating from South Carolina State University, Justice Beatty served in the military as an army commissioned officer. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina and received his juris doctorate degree in 1979.

Admitted to the practice of law in South Carolina in 1979, Justice Beatty was engaged in a private practice before he was elected to the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in August 1995 and served there until elected to the Court of Appeals in April, 2003. He was elected to the Supreme Court in May of 2007. Justice Beatty served on the 7th Circuit Fee Dispute Resolution Committee, Sentencing Guidelines Commission, and the Committee to Review South Carolina Drug and Common Laws. Justice Beatty also served on the Judiciary Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Justice Beatty has served with numerous community organizations including the Piedmont Legal Services Board of Directors, Spartanburg Residential Development Corporation, BB&T Advisory Board, BMW Minority Advisory Board/BMW Construction Project, Vice Chairman and Chair-elect of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. He was elected to Spartanburg City Council in 1988 and served until 1990 when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives where he served until 1995.