Keith Ralph Hall (born June 30, 1947) was the 12th director of the
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a member of the United States Intelligence Community and an agency of the United States Department of Defense which designs, builds, launches, and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the U.S. f ...
(NRO).
Mr. Hall was appointed Deputy Director NRO and acting Director NRO concurrently in 1996, and promptly introduced financial management reforms culminating in a single NRO accounting system. He also convened an independent body of experts from the defense, intelligence, and corporate sectors to evaluate the future of the NRO.
Bringing the NRO to a financial sound position, Mr. Hall boosted the agency's credibility and made it a government-wide acquisition and contracting center of excellence. He strengthened the NRO's commitment to advanced research and development to revolutionize overhead reconnaissance architecture. Following his service at the NRO, Hall became a senior vice president at
Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (informally Booz Allen) is the parent of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., an American management and information technology consulting firm, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in Greater Washington, D.C., with 8 ...
.
Hall was born in
Rockville Centre, New York
Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 24,023 at the 2010 census.
Histo ...
and graduated from
Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school (grades 10–12) in the village of Valley Stream, New York on the South Shore of Nassau County. It is part of the Valley Stream Central High School District. Dr. Joseph Pompillo has ...
in June 1965. He earned a B.A. degree in history and political science from
Alfred University
Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...
in June 1969. Hall was commissioned as a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
intelligence officer in 1970, serving until 1979 and receiving two
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
*Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Med ...
s. He also received a Master of Public Administration degree from
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...
in June 1979.
Hall served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security from 1991 to 1995. While serving as director of the National Reconnaissance Office, he concurrently served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space from 1997 to 2001. Hall received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Alfred University in 1997.