William Keogh, former associate dean at Law School, dead at 85

BY MEREDITH ALEXANDER

William "Bill" Keogh, former associate dean for admissions and financial aid and professor emeritus at the Law School, died quietly of natural causes at his home on campus Oct. 23. He was 85 years old.

Born in 1916 in New York City's "Hell's Kitchen" and the son of Irish immigrant parents, Keogh earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at Kansas State University in 1942. He received his law degree from Stanford 10 years later after entering the school under a special Army program. A 20-year Army veteran, Keogh served with anti-aircraft artillery and infantry units during World War II.

Keogh served as a judge advocate for three years after graduating from Stanford Law School and was chief of international law at the Army's European headquarters from 1955 to 1957. He was a military judge for the Army's Ninth Judicial Circuit from 1959 to 1961, when he took on the job of associate dean for admissions and financial aid at the Law School.

Keogh told an interviewer in 1971 that he was proud of the work he did attracting minority students to the Law School in his first term as associate dean, from 1961 to 1967. "I had started minority recruitment, from no identifiable minority applicants to 29, which was quite a job," he said.

He left the job to build a law office of his own in Palo Alto. Among other cases, Keogh defended young people who closed down a draft board in San Jose. His main expertise was in criminal law.

Keogh returned to his post as associate dean of the Law School in 1969, a role he filled until he became a full-time adjunct professor of law (for teaching) in 1978. Keogh specialized in clinical teaching and worked with Professor Michael Wald to lead a course in juvenile law.

Between 1973 and 1975, he served as chairman of the Campus Judicial Panel, which made disciplinary recommendations to the president on student Honor Code violations. In 1977, he was appointed by President Richard Lyman as University Defender for Honor Code and Fundamental Standard cases, and advised many students and faculty.

Keogh became a professor emeritus in 1981. He continued to practice law in the Palo Alto area with the firm he helped form, Keogh, Marer and Flicker, until 1985, and then headed his own practice, the Law Office of William T. Keogh.

Keogh is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, of Palo Alto, and children Michael of Scotts Valley; Mary Beth Barloga of San Leandro; Kathleen Berra of Menlo Park; Donald of Roseburg, Ore.; Elaine Deitch of Aptos; Dennis of Caldwell, Idaho; and David of Los Gatos.

A memorial service was held in late October. Donations may be sent to the Firemen's Benevolent Fund of New York City.