Frederick Paul Keppel (July 2, 1875 – September 8, 1943) was an

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n educator and executive in the field of

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. In education he served as dean of Columbia College, in government he served as Third Assistant Secretary of War, and in philanthropy he served as president of the Carnegie Corporation.

Biography

Early life and education

Frederick Paul Keppel was born on

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on July 2, 1875, into a family of Dutch and Irish ancestry. His father was the senior member of the international art firm Frederick Keppel and Company. Between

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

, Keppel worked for his father's print dealing business. In 1898 he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and later earned honorary doctorates from Columbia University,

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, Hamilton College,

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

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Early career

After his graduation in 1898 he had a brief experience in the editorial work of a publishing house, and then returned to Columbia University from 1910 to 1918, serving successively as assistant secretary, secretary, and dean of the college. During this period he wrote and published a book on Columbia University. From 1908 to 1918 he also served as secretary of the American Association for International Conciliation. In 1911 he was decorated by

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as Chevalier (Knight) of the Order of the Légion d'honneur. Also in 1911, he helped found

The New York Young Republican Club The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) is an organization for members of the Republican Party between the ages of 18 and 40 in New York City. The New York Young Republican Club is the oldest and largest chapter in the United States, founded ...

. When

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

began, he moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

to assist in the war effort. He established himself as an unofficial adviser in the office of the Secretary of War and was soon assigned to the position of Third Assistant Secretary of War — a position created expressly for him. He served in this position from 1918 to 1919 until he was sent to France in 1920 to act first as the director of foreign operations of the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

. From 1920 to 1921 he served as commissioner for the United States to the International Chamber of Commerce. He then returned to the United States to become secretary of the Greater New York Planning Board, and in 1922 he was elected President of the

Carnegie Corporation of New York The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Carnegie Corporation has endowed or otherwise helped to establis ...

Carnegie period

When Keppel became president of the Carnegie Corporation, it had not formulated a long-range program of action. Thus, Keppel was free, within the limits of the Corporation's charter, to develop a policy, a philosophy, and a program. He kept a small staff, and sought external help instead of employing experts within the Corporation. Keppel's annual reports at the Carnegie Corporation constitute an important contribution to the discussion of foundation policy. They have had a determining influence on the practice and philosophy of philanthropy as applied to intellectual and cultural needs and opportunities.Memoir presented to the

American Council of Learned Societies American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

at its annual meeting, 1944, and ordered to be included in the Proceedings of the meeting. His comments and observations were of particular interest to the

. Before the Association of American Colleges and Universities, in 1930, he insisted upon the importance to the United States of knowledge of

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, and upon the necessity of including

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American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

curricula In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

. During his presidency from 1922 to 1941, the Carnegie Corporation appropriated $86,000,000 to universities, colleges, museums, libraries, and scientific and educational studies. He was awarded Honorary Membership in the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

in 1942 In 1999, '' American Libraries'' named him one of the "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century" thanks to $30 million in donations to libraries and library projects.

Late career

In 1941, Keppel retired from his role as president of the Carnegie Corporation to become the vice-president of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

. In 1942 he was awarded Honorary Membership in the

. American Library Association, Honorary Membership. http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/176/all_years When America became involved in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

requested that he serve on the Board of Appeals on Visa Cases. He died on September 8, 1943, at the age of 68.

References

Notes

Sources

External links

* *
Finding aid to Frederick P. Keppel papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keppel, Frederick Paul 1875 births 1943 deaths American philanthropists Columbia College (New York) alumni Columbia University faculty United States Department of War officials People from Staten Island