Announcing the 2026 Hall of Distinction Inductees and Outstanding Young Alum Award Winner

Marian Wilfert Beauchamp

Vice President, Beauchamp Foundation
BS Finance ’76

Marian Wilfert Beauchamp is a dedicated philanthropist who has supported LSU for more than four decades. Beauchamp earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from LSU in 1976 and her master’s degree in marketing from the University of Arizona in 1979. Following a brief career in retail sales, she joined the law firm Vinson & Elkins in Houston, specializing in urban development and municipal finance.

After retiring from Vinson & Elkins, Beauchamp and her husband, Gary V. Beauchamp, established the Beauchamp Foundation to direct their philanthropic efforts, including work to end homelessness in the Houston area, new outreach efforts in the arts and educational funding for both local Houston programs and at LSU.

In 2007, to honor her late father – a 1939 LSU graduate and one of the first LSU student entrepreneurs – Beauchamp and her husband established the J.C. Wilfert Scholarship in Business. The award supports full-time LSU undergraduate business students who need financial assistance to pursue their education. Through her sustained generosity, Beauchamp continues to create educational opportunities while honoring her father’s memory. Additionally, the Beauchamps enabled many E. J. Ourso College of Business students to study in Strasbourg, France through the Beauchamp Fellowship.

Thomas “Tom” King

Chairman, Atwell LLC
Operating Partner, Advent International
BS General Business ’85

Thomas “Tom” King has spent his career shaping the nation’s energy infrastructure through executive leadership, corporate governance and private equity investing. In his current roles as chairman of Atwell LLC, operating partner with Advent International, and board member at Puget Sound Energy and Woodway Energy Infrastructure Holdings, King collaborates with management teams to strengthen governance and build long-term value across the energy, engineering and infrastructure sectors.

Previously, King served as chief executive officer of National Grid USA, leading one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, and has held senior executive roles overseeing major natural gas and hydrocarbon pipeline infrastructure systems.

In addition to his executive leadership, King has contributed to the advancement of the energy industry through service with leading business and industry organizations, executive mentoring and governance initiatives promoting responsible leadership and operational excellence.

King earned a bachelor’s degree in general business from LSU in 1985. He later earned an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and completed the Executive Nuclear Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. King credits LSU and the E. J. Ourso College with laying the foundation for his professional accomplishments.

Dr. Robert “Bob” T. Justis

Professor Emeritus
Awarded posthumously

The late Robert “Bob” T. Justis was an academic pioneer who shaped the trajectory of entrepreneurship and franchising education across the globe. Justis’ distinguished career left an enduring impact across 27 years of service in higher education, culminating with his retirement from LSU in 2014.

During his tenure as chair of the LSU Rucks Department of Management and director of the International Franchise Forum, Justis earned the distinction of being called both "the father of small business" and "the father of franchising” – titles honoring his foundational role in developing these disciplines as formal academic fields. He also served as executive director of the Small Business Development Center, directly contributing to Louisiana’s economic development.

Justis developed management programs across 12 countries on four continents, establishing LSU as an international authority in franchising and entrepreneurship. He authored or co-authored five textbooks, and his educational contributions earned numerous accolades, including the Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from Founding Forward.

Justis earned his bachelor's degree and MBA from Brigham Young University and a DBA from Indiana University. He taught at Texas Tech University and the University of Nebraska before arriving at LSU.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007, he passed away on July 12, 2021.

Lauren C. Taylor

Director, Sports Marketing, ESPN
BS Marketing ’09
MS Kinesiology ’12

Lauren C. Taylor is an award-winning sports marketing and brand executive known for driving results across college athletics, media, and entertainment. Currently serving as director of college sports marketing at ESPN, Taylor's portfolio includes both the SEC Network and ACC Network.

Taylor began her career at LSU, where she led game production, brand marketing, and growth marketing for one of the country's most storied athletic programs. During her time in Baton Rouge, she spearheaded the return of Mike’s Kids Club and helped launch the Geaux Teal Ovarian Cancer Walk.

She subsequently held leadership roles at the University of Maryland, the Southeastern Conference, where she helped evolve the iconic "It Just Means More" campaign, and Emory University. Since joining ESPN in 2022, Taylor built ESPN's first direct-to-consumer marketing framework for college networks and contributed to the SEC on ABC brand launch. Her work and leadership have been recognized across ESPN and throughout The Walt Disney Company.

Taylor has demonstrated industry leadership through her service on the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Board of Directors from 2018 to 2022. She also served as an adjunct professor of sports marketing at the University of Alabama from 2016 to 2017. Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in kinesiology from LSU.