[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 30, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E42]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM J. KEATING, A GREAT LIVING CINCINNATIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 2001

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William J. 
Keating, a dear friend and community leader who will be honored as a 
Great Living Cincinnatian by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce 
on February 9, 2001. He was selected for this honor because of his 
outstanding civic and business accomplishments, his awareness of the 
needs of others and his contributions that have increased the quality 
of life in Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio.
  Bill is a native Cincinnatian, and he has tirelessly worked to make 
our area a better place to live. He graduated from St. Xavier High 
School in 1945 where he was an All-American swimmer. Shortly 
thereafter, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and later was a 
first lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve, J.A.G. When Bill returned 
home after World War II, it took him only 4 years to earn his 
bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Cincinnati.
  Bill has had a most distinguished and successful career. In 1954, he 
helped to establish one of Cincinnati's premier law firms, Keating, 
Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L.; he was elected and served as a judge for 
the Hamilton County municipal and common pleas courts for nearly a 
decade; he was elected to Cincinnati City Council for two terms from 
1967 to 1970; and he represented the First Congressional District of 
Ohio from 1970 to 1973.
  After two distinguished terms in the U.S. Congress, Bill returned to 
Cincinnati to run our largest daily newspaper. He was chairman of the 
Cincinnati Enquirer from 1973 to 1992. During that tenure, he was 
alternately publisher of the Enquirer, chief executive officer of the 
Detroit Newspaper Agency, president of the Newspaper Division of 
Gannett Co., Inc., and Gannett's executive vice president and general 
counsel. In addition, Bill served as chairman of the Associated Press 
from 1987 to 1992.
  Bill also as given a great deal of his time to serve on the board of 
directors for several successful local companies and nonprofits, 
including Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank; The Midland 
Company; Metropolitan Growth Alliance; and the Cincinnati Arts 
Association. Other current and past leadership roles include: former 
chairman of the board of trustees, University of Cincinnati; board of 
trustees, Xavier University; former cochairman, Cincinnati Business 
Committee; and former chairman of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of 
Commerce.
  Always keeping busy, Bill most recently became chairman of the bid 
development for Cincinnati 2012, Inc., to help bring the Olympics to 
Cincinnati in 2012. He is a proud and devoted family man. He and his 
wife, Nancy, have 5 sons, 2 daughters and 27 grandchildren.
  All of us in the Cincinnati area thank him for his outstanding 
service, and we wish him the very best on his current and future 
endeavors.

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