NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Purchase College-SUNY is pleased to announce the creation of The Peter Keller Fund, a new endowment in the School of the Humanities, dedicated by Mr. Keller’s daughter, Lisa Keller, Professor of History at Purchase, and her husband, Saky Yakas, managing partner at SLCE Architects. The fund will be a fitting tribute to Mr. Keller, a longtime resident of New Rochelle who was a distinguished journalist at the Wall Street Journal for more than 56 years and a voracious reader of history and literature.
Brooklyn-born Peter Keller studied at City College at night where he edited a student newspaper. After serving in World War II, he returned to New York where he quickly got a job at the Wall Street Journal. He worked his way up, holding several positions before eventually being named night news editor in 1966, a position he held for 25 years. Keller retired after September 11, 2001 and passed away at the age of 87 in 2005, leaving a legacy of several generations of intrepid reporters and editors.
Inspired by her father’s profession, Dr. Keller founded the journalism department at Purchase College in 1998 with the understanding that young journalists could best learn from those seasoned in the field. She directed the program until 2008, and continued to honor her father’s memory by supporting the students through the Peter Keller Journalism Scholarship Fund, which was created upon his death.
Lisa Keller said, “Once my father retired, I encouraged him to come on campus and take classes. One of the things he enjoyed most was meeting young journalism students. He was very interested in encouraging a new generation of reporters and helping them on their way. He knew that Journalism is a tough business and that students often need financial support to help launch their careers.”
The new endowment will provide support for several initiatives. The Peter Keller Journalism Award will be given annually to an outstanding junior or senior enrolled in the Journalism department. The Dina Reutershan Epstein Memorial Award will go to a junior or senior enrolled in the School of the Humanities who excels in community service, academic accomplishment, and the ability to overcome obstacles. The Peter Keller History Award will recognize one student in the History department for excellence in essay writing. The fund will also provide support for the Peter Keller History Lecture, to be given by a visiting History professor or Lecturer.
“We’re grateful to the Keller family for their dedication to the humanities and for providing the best training and support to the next generation of journalists,” said Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz. He continued, “As the world only becomes more complex, the country needs well rounded journalists now more than ever. This new fund will enable students to get the training they need to navigate this profession and world events.”