Betty Ann (née Southwick) Keegan (January 23, 1920 – April 16, 1974) was an American politician. Born in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

, she received her bachelor's degree from

Rockford College Rockford or Rockfords may refer to: Places United States * Rockford, Illinois, a city, the largest municipality of this name *Rockford, Alabama, a town * Rockford, Idaho, a census-designated place * Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois, a United St ...

and did graduate work from

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. She was active in the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

and lived in

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

. Keegan served in the 6th Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1969. In 1972, she was elected to the

Illinois State Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the I ...

. Keegan died of cancer in Rockford, Illinois."State Sen. Keegan dies of cancer at 54," ''Chicago Tribune,'' April 17, 1974, section 3, pg. 15

Notes

1920 births 1974 deaths Politicians from Springfield, Illinois Politicians from Rockford, Illinois Rockford University alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Women state legislators in Illinois Democratic Party Illinois state senators 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians Deaths from cancer in Illinois Members of Illinois constitutional conventions {{Illinois-statesenator-stub