J. Michael Keeling – 50th Reunion Essay

J. Michael Keeling

1200 18th Street NW, Suite 1125

Washington, DC 20036

michael@esopassociation.org

202-680-0861

Spouse(s): Michaela H. Keeling (1969)

Child(ren): Alexandra H. Keeling (1975); J. Michael Keeling, Jr. (1979)

Education: Yale, BA; University of Texas Law School, JD

Career: Consultant–1970-1972: campaigns, Texas AFL-CIO; Texas Farmers Union; Texas Legislature; Chief of Staff, Cong. J.J. Pickle, 1992-1981; Lawyer-lobbyist, 1982-1990; President, ESOP Association, 1991 to present

Avocations: Employee ownership, visiting employee owned companies

College: Davenport

I only applied to Yale. My applying was fluky—my father was a small businessman owning service stations in Texas that sold Fina gasoline, which was the brand of American Petrofina, a subsidiary of Belgium Petrofina. Its CEO was a Yale graduate, not native to Texas, and when learning of my father’s death, asked his partner about his children—and was told two were already in college, but one, the youngest—me—was a junior in high school, and I was an excellent athlete and student. The CEO had the “fake” view that any good athlete who started on a Texas football team was just the kind of person Yale needed, if academically qualified. “False”—I did letter in football, but was not an outstanding football player. (Was a decent baseball player.) So long story short, I applied—did the interviews, etc.

Well, the general consensus in Kilgore, Texas, where I grew up—the heart of the East Texas Oil Field—was that it was awful I would go to school with a bunch of “Yankees.” My mother, however, not a college grad, had a bigger worldview, and endorsed my applying and going.

My two roommates, Jerry Sprole and Kim Morsman, were Darien, Connecticut, natives, and some may recall a national exposé of Darien parties with drunk, wild teens that summer of ’65. So my mother worried about their potential influence; we were roommates all four years of Yale.

Met my wife, Michaela Halik, at a mixer freshman year, and by end of sophomore year, we were on the road to marriage, now for 49 years.

Then to University of Texas Law School which I perceived as an anti-intellectual trade school. Hated the curriculum, and in early 1970 began to work for political campaigns, Texas Legislature, Farmers Union, AFL-CIO, and several other consulting assignments. (Had between junior and senior year at Yale worked in DC via connections at the White House, due to Yale Political Union, going to 10 Indian Reservations critiquing the War on Poverty on the reservations for the Economic Development Administration—a good résumé builder.)

Due to connections and good résumé, became chief of staff to President Johnson protégé Congressman J.J. “Jake” Pickle from early ’70s until summer of 1981 (a wonderful boss and excellent public servant). Then became a DC lawyer-lobbyist, and was hired to be CEO of The ESOP Association—my favorite client—in 1991, where I still work. (Represents employee-owned companies. I have visited 582 in my career, in all 50 states,).

Yes, two adult children—one a lawyer in New York City representing indigents, and one an employee of the Johns Hopkins Library.

Frankly, have no regrets of educational experience, work experience, family experience, or career. It’s the life.