John Keiser Papers, 1978-1993

John H. Keiser was born in 1937 and grew up in the small coal-mining town of Mt. Olive, Illinois. Dr. Keiser lived his life in academia, he received his undergraduate degree in history from Eastern Illinois University, and his master's and doctorate degrees in history from Northwestern University. He taught history for several years at Northwestern, Westminster College in Fulton Missouri, Eastern Illinois University, and University of Illinois, Springfield. Dr. Keiser became Acting President of the University of Illinois-Springfield before becoming President at Boise State University in 1978. John H. Keiser spent his time at Boise State University improving the campus however he could. He was heavily involved in with the Bronco athletics program and was the driving force to elevate the Bronco football program to membership at th eNCAA I-A level. Other accomplishments from Dr. Keiser include: the construction of the Morrison Center, restoration of the BSU Marching band, creation of the Hemingway Western Studies Center and the Frank Church Chair of Public Affairs, National Public Radio affiliation for KBSU, construction of the Simplot-Micron Technology Center and an addition to the Student Union, and the establishment of the colleges of Technology and Social Sciences and Public Affairs. He also secured funding for an addition to the Albertsons Library. Dr. Keiser went on to become president of Missouri State University in 1993 and eventually retired and returned to Boise in 2005. John H. Keiser passed away in January of 2016.