1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

WITH PHIS IN THE WORLD OF SPORTSKeene Leaves Rich Heritage at Oregon State AsHe Retires as Director ofOn June 30, Roy S. (Spec) Keene (Ore. State '20)walked out of the Oregon State athletic picture. Hehas been primarily responsible in the last seventeenyears for the Beavers' athletic program and his losswill be deeply felt. He was first attracted to OregonState as a student in 1916 and he earned hisdegree in animal husbandry in 1921. The legacythat he leaves OSU and state athletics is tremendous.He is being succeeded by A. T. (Slats)Gill (Oregon State '24), long-time varsity basketballcoach.Keene and athletics formed a natural partnershipat the old Salem high school, and before he graduatedin 1915 he had earned thirteen letters. Hishigh school accomplishments attracted more thanlocal interest and he gave some thought of goingto Pittsburgh, but he ended up choosing MissouriWesleyan at Cameron, Missouri. However, later hejoined the Oregon National Guard and when hereturned from service he elected to attend OregonState.It wasn't long before the Beavers beckoned andhe had an opportunity to become freshman coach.In the spring of 1926 Keene made his next move onthe road to success by moving to Willamette Universityin his hometown of Salem where he coachedfootball, basketball, and baseball and later served asathletic director and head of the department ofphysical education. It took World War II to endthat stay, which lasted from 1926 until 1942. Inthat period the Bearcats won ten football titles inseventeen seasons. In his final season, Willamettecaptured the "triple crown" in football, basketball,and baseball.He served as Lt. Commander in charge of thephysical fitness program for the 12th Naval Districtduring World War II. In the spring of 1947 hemade his final move to Oregon State as he wasnamed successor to another Phi Delt great, PercyLocey (Oregon State '23) as director of athletics. Inthe seventeen years that followed he made GillColiseum a reality seating 10,200. The need for anew football stadium was obvious and Bell Fieldwas replaced. This new football stadium was paidfor entirely by volunteer contributions.It has been a "stable reign" for Spec Keene atOregon State. He has only needed to hire two footballcoaches and two track coaches during hisseventeen year tenure. Of course. Brother Gill, amember of the All-Phi Basketball Board, was hisbasketball coach during this entire period.Keene's accomplishments are not only attachedto Oregon State. He has also served as chairman ofthe State Board of Parole; chairman of the Salemcity playgrounds; chairman of the American LegionBoxing Commission; chairman of the AmericanLegion baseball program; a member of the NCAA[33]AthleticsExecutive Committee for five years; and a memberof the NCAA Television Committee for six years.There are no buildings on the Oregon Statecampus named for Spec Keene. There is only theKeene complex which encompasses all athletic departmentfacilities. The deeds, not the name, havebeen his role in athletics at Oregon State.Denison (Iowa)Honors GordonDavis CupChairmanROBERT S. MALAGA, MichiganState '49, of Cleveland, Ohio, isChairman of the 1964 Davis CupChallenge Round, which will beplayed in Cleveland. The DavisCup is named for its donor, thelate Dwight F. Davis, Washington(St. Lotiis) '99.High SchoolLockeGordon Locke (Iowa '22), AIl-American halfbackat Iowa in 1921-22, presented his certificate fromthe National Football Hall of Fame to Denison(Iowa) high school at a dinner Friday night, July3, When the former football great was honored atthe Denison Country Club. Locke was a star memberof the first undefeated Denison high team in1913.Attending the dinner were several of Locke's 1921team-mates, including Craven Shuttleworth (Iowa'23), who also attended Denison high school. Lockeand Shuttleworth went on to become Phis atIowa and stars on the football team.Brother Locke, an attorney in Washington, D.C,has served the last two years as a member of theAll-Phi Football Board.