Jim Beckett

Dr. James Beckett is currently CEO of Beckett Interests Inc. of Dallas, Texas. He is the founder of Beckett Publications Inc., -- the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles publisher, and served as its CEO from 1984 until its sale in January 2005.

Dr. Beckett earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from Southern Methodist University in 1975. Prior to starting Beckett in 1984, he served as an Associate Professor of Statistics at Bowling Green State University and as vice president of a consulting firm in Dallas, Texas. While at Bowling Green he published his first baseball card price guides as “free-upon-request” pamphlets to, in his words, “bring order out of the chaos that existed” in the baseball card industry. These pamphlets led to annually published price guides and were the forerunners of Beckett’s monthly collectibles magazines.

Dr. James Beckett has had an active share building the hobby industry, attending the Collectibles Industry Summit since its inception in 1985. Dr. Beckett sold Beckett Publications to Apprise Media a reported $20,000,000 in January, 2005.

Dr. Beckett autographed 100 cards for the 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set. His card shows him wearing a game-worn Roberto Clemente jersey.

He currently serves on the board of directors of DRG, an Indiana-based magazine publisher. He has three children from his first marriage, and is currently married to the ex-daughter-in-law of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.