Some 139 awards were received by nearly 80 chapters and individuals at the 187th General Convention, a true testament of success across Beta’s Broad Domain this past year. Among them, 39 chapters received the newly redesigned Francis H. Sisson Award and 21 the coveted John Reily Knox Award for chapter excellence. Check the full list of award winners below!
John Reily Knox Award
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
20th Time
University of San Diego
17th Time
Truman State University
16th Time
Miami University
14th Time
Centre College
12th Time
Creighton University
12th Time
Georgia Institute of Technology
12th Time
University of Idaho
12th Time
The University of Texas at Austin
6th Time
University of Kentucky
6th Time
Elon University
4th Time
University of Utah
4th Time
California Polytechnic State University
3rd Time
Texas A&M University
3rd Time
University of Iowa
3rd Time
Iowa State University
2nd Time
University of Miami
2nd Time
University of Toronto
2nd Time
Washington State University
2nd Time
Sacred Heart University
1st Time
Temple University
1st Time
Francis H. Sisson Award
Georgia Institute of Technology
29th Time
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
27th Time
University of Georgia
25th Time
Truman State University
24th Time
University of Idaho
23rd Time
University of Kansas
23rd Time
Miami University
20th Time
Centre College
19th Time
University of San Diego
19th Time
Case Western Reserve University
18th Time
Texas A&M University
17th Time
University of Toronto
16th Time
University of Utah
15th Time
University of Washington
15th Time
Wabash College
14th Time
University of Iowa
13th Time
Oklahoma State University
11th Time
The University of Texas at Austin
11th Time
Creighton University
10th Time
Saint Louis University
10th Time
Westminster College
10th Time
Iowa State University
9th Time
John Carroll University
9th Time
University of Kentucky
9th Time
California Polytechnic State University
8th Time
Univeristy of Oregon
7th Time
University of South Carolina
7th Time
Washington State University
7th Time
Elon University
6th Time
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
6th Time
University of South Florida
6th Time
Furman University
5th Time
University of Miami
3rd Time
Florida State University
2nd Time
San Diego State University
2nd Time
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2nd Time
Boise State University
1st Time
Sacred Heart University
1st Time
Temple University
1st Time
Individual Awards
Francis W. Shepardson Award
John Hillhouse, Missouri ’69
Elected chapter president his senior year, John served in Vietnam after graduation, eventually returning to become a CPA — even acting as the personal accountant for none other than Walmart Founder Sam Walton, Missouri ’40 — and later managing partner of Price Waterhouse. Despite his corporate responsibilities, John has always found time for Beta, serving as his chapter’s longtime financial advisor and house corporation president and treasurer. His role helping build the Stephenson Annex in the 1990s and, more recently, Zeta Phi’s $10 million chapter house, cannot be overstated. He was named St. Louis Beta Alumni Club’s “Man of the Year,” and at the General Fraternity level served as district chief and treasurer of the Beta Theta Pi Foundation. In 2024, he was recognized as Beta’s house corporation volunteer of the year.
Francis W. Shepardson Award
Mike Wortman, Nebraska ’70
Embodying Beta’s principle of devotion to the cultivation of the intellect, Mike earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln before spending his life as a teacher and principal. This made him a natural fit when, in 1996, his home chapter was seeking a new counselor to coach its newly reorganized chapter. Mike’s calm, encouraging demeanor greatly influenced the Fraternity’s decision to pilot the Men of Principle initiative at Alpha Tau in 1998, which set the stage for what has become a nearly unparallelled chapter success story of the last 30 years. He was named the Dr. Edward B. Taylor Chapter Counselor of the Year in 2024 and serves as a member of his chapter’s house corporation board and alumni association. At the General Fraternity level, he has facilitated multiple sessions of the Wooden Institute, served with distinction on the Board of Trustees (2015-21) and is currently Beta’s Scholarship Commissioner.
Jerry M. Blesch General Secretary Leadership Award
Nicholas R. Bartlett, Texas ’27
Brother Bartlett has distinguished himself as one of Beta Omicron’s most respected and capable leaders through his service as vice president of internal programming, chapter president and vice president of brotherhood. Across each role, he has shown maturity, sound judgment, initiative and a deep commitment to strengthening the chapter while helping others grow as leaders. His leadership and character have made a lasting impact at Texas.
Jonathan J. Brant
Interfraternalism Award
Dr. Frank Cuevas
Vice Chancellor, University of Tennessee
Charles W. Warner
Fraternity/Sorority Advisor of the Year
Ashley Fitzpatrick, Delta Gamma
Dr. Edward B. Taylor
Chapter Counselor of the Year
James Karanikas, Maryland ’82
Regional Chief of the Year
Adam T. Schultz, Virginia Tech ’98
Southwest Region
District Chief of the Year
L. Paul Sommerfield, Centre ’90
District 36
Rookie District Chief of the Year
Dr. Jeremey Moore, Colorado ’21
District 35
Advisor of the Year
Alex B. Wallach, Case Western Reserve ’84
Emory University
House Corporation Volunteer of the Year
Jonathan P. Manns, Iowa State ’74
House Director of the Year
Sara Lovelace, Friend of Beta
University of Mississippi
Exemplary Campus Leadership Award
William A. Jobin Sparks, British Columbia ’27
Chapter President of the Year
Carson Katzmann, Illinois ’28
Outstanding Chapter Executive
Noah I. Levitt, Cincinnati ’24
NIC Awards of Distinction
Advisor of Distinction
Justin Rutherford, Northwestern ’00
Alumnus of Distinction
Jeff Johnson, Iowa State ’19
Chapter of Distinction
University of Arkansas
Laurel Wreath
Winter Leadership Conclave
Chapter Awards
John Holt Duncan Community Service Award
University of Mississippi
Charles Henry Hardin Leadership Development Award
Purdue University (Total Attendees – 19)
Wittenberg University (Highest Chapter Participation – 167%)
North Dakota Award for Excellence in Chapter Publications
Case Western Reserve University, Elon University, Oklahoma State University
H.H. Stephenson Jr. Award for Excellence in Historical Preservation and Research
Washington State University
Excellence in Risk Management
Wichita State University
Most Improved Chapter of the Year
University of Pennsylvania
Advisory Team of the Year
Case Western Reserve University
Outstanding Alumni Relations
Texas A&M University
Outstanding Alumni Association
Oklahoma State University Alumni Association
Outstanding Campus Involvement
The University of Texas at Austin
Outstanding New Member Education
Creighton University
Outstanding Recruitment Program
University of Mississippi
Singing Awards
Whitman Choral Cup
Oklahoma State University
Best New Song Competition
University of Utah
“Our Country Home” by Thomas I. Middleton ’25
Virginia Tech Awards for Academic Excellence
Stevens Institute of Technology
Highest GPA (3.88)
Stevens Institute of Technology
Most Improved GPA (3.67 to 3.88)
Region Leaders
University of Maryland, College Park
Mid-Atlantic Region
Texas Christian University
South Central Region
Centre College
South Region
Washington & Jefferson College
East Great Lakes Region
University of Miami
Southeast Region
Westminster College
North Central Region
University of San Diego
Southwest Region
University of Utah
Northwest Region
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
West Great Lakes Region
Stevens Institute of Technology
Northeast Region
No. 1 Fraternity on Campus
Centre College
Colgate University
Elon University
High Point University
John Carroll University
Lawrence University
Miami University
The Ohio State University
Saint Louis University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Texas Christian University
Truman State University
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Miami
University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of San Diego
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Utah
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Washington & Jefferson College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
