Sigma Nu Hall of Honor
2023 Inductees
On July 1, 2023, at the 70th Grand Chapter, the Sigma Nu Fraternity Hall of Honor Committee announced Brother James Owens (Charleston) and Brother Brad Beacham (Texas Christian) as the 87th and 88th Hall of Honor members. The Hall of Honor is The Legion of Honor’s highest distinction. To be selected, a brother must have distinguished himself in his field in a manner to bring credit to the Fraternity and must have rendered distinctive service of vital consequence to the progress and well-being of the Fraternity. Upon the Fraternity’s 154th anniversary, only 86 Brothers had been inducted into the Hall of Honor. We congratulate Brothers Owens and Beacham on this singular honor and extend a hearty Hi Rickety to both for their exceptional leadership and service to Sigma Nu’s honorable Mission.
James A. Owens (Charleston) - Iota Rho #101
James A. Owens (Charleston)
Brother Owens was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. He began his Sigma Nu journey at the College of Charleston, where he was initiated into the Iota Rho Chapter as initiate #101. While at the College of Charleston, he met the love of his life, Lucia, during freshman orientation and served Iota Rho as a collegiate chapter Commander.
After graduating in 1987, James was hired by then Executive Director Mo Littlefield (Maine) and joined the Sigma Nu Fraternity staff as Assistant Executive Director. For the next ten years, he served in various staff positions until he was appointed in 1997 as Co-Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer.
Brother Owens served faithfully in this role until 2001, when he was tapped to serve as the Executive Vice President of the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation.
In 2006, he left the Sigma Nu Staff team to join Pursuant Ketchum as Senior Vice President of Client Solutions, where he led the national sales and consultant strategy team across higher education and more than 70 national fraternity and sorority organizations.
In 2015, he joined the Boy Scouts of America National Foundation as the Senior Philanthropic Manager, leading a team of professional fundraisers on the solicitation of ultra-high-net-worth prospects.
This Brother served on the High Council of Sigma Nu as Vice-Regent from 2010-2014.
R. Bradley "Brad" Beacham (Texas Christian) - Lambda Epsilon #43
R. Bradley Beacham (Texas Christian)
Born in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and raised in West Texas – where he became a proud graduate of Permian High School – Brother Brad Beacham was initiated into the Lambda Epsilon Chapter at Texas Christian University in 1987 as Initiate #43. After serving as Commander of Lambda Epsilon Chapter at TCU, Brad was hired by then Executive Director Mo Littlefield (Maine) and Associate Executive Director David Sturgeon (Western Kentucky) in 1990 and joined the Sigma Nu Fraternity staff as an Educational Field Consultant.
Shortly after moving to Lexington, Virginia, Brother Beacham met his now-wife, Jennifer Jay Beacham. They have raised four amazing children – Jackson (Texas Christian), Addie Jay (Phi Mu), Judson, and Mary Jude.
In 1997, Brad was appointed Co-Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Fraternity, becoming sole Executive Director in 2001.
He became CEO of the newly-created Fifth Point Properties in 2009 and President of the Educational Foundation in 2018.
Brad has built an incredible legacy within the interfraternal community serving as the President of the Fraternity Executives Association, President of FIPG, on the board of directors of the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee, on the board of directors of Hazing Prevention Network, and a founding member of the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition.
His involvement, counsel, and leadership within the North American Interfraternity Conference, better known as the NIC, have been invaluable to the modern-day fraternity movement.
The NIC is the trade association representing 56 national and international men’s fraternities on campuses across the United States and Canada. The NIC is committed to supporting the opportunities for young men to seek and form positive, enriching fraternal bonds.
On behalf of Sigma Nu, Brad has served as a member of the NIC Governing Council since 2016, a member of the Executive Committee since 2017, Chairman of the Government Relations Committee, a member of the Research and Audit Committees, a member of the Alcohol Commission, Nominating Committee, Assessment Coalition Committee, and Chairman of the Committee to review options for use of investment earnings. Brother Beacham was a founding member of the Raphael Group, which led to the reimagining and recreation of the NIC in 2015.
Brad has received accolades for his interfraternal service, recognizing his outstanding service to and leadership of Sigma Nu and the Greek-letter movement and community.
For the past 25 years, Brother Beacham has cultivated, developed, and retained the best Fraternity staff in the business – a staff that today boasts a collective 243 years of service.
Brother Beacham’s years of service to Sigma Nu Fraternity make him the longest-tenured Executive Director in the history of Sigma Nu Fraternity. His tenure has led to a period of increased accountability toward fulfillment of the Fraternity’s Mission, enduring financial strength, and governance excellence.