Kenneth Keating
Kenneth Barnard Keating (May 18, 1900 – May 5, 1975) was an American politician, diplomat, and judge from New York. A Republican, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1959, representing Rochester-area districts. He then was a U.S. Senator from New York from 1959 to 1965, where he supported desegregation and helped passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He introduced the idea that led to the Twenty-Third Amendment, giving residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections. Keating was defeated for reelection in 1964 by Robert F. Kennedy.
After the Senate, he served on the New York Court of Appeals from 1966 to 1969. He was U.S. Ambassador to India from 1969 to 1972, and then Ambassador to Israel from 1973 until his death in 1975. Born in Lima, New York, he attended Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, the University of Rochester, and Harvard Law School. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, rising to colonel and later brigadier general in the Organized Reserve.
Keating died of a heart attack in New York City and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was married twice, first to Louise DePuy (died 1968) and later to Mary Pitcairn Davis (married 1974). He is remembered for his long public service in Congress, the judiciary, and diplomacy, including his role in civil rights and U.S. foreign relations.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:29 (CET).