2014 — Keith Bailey

Keith Bailey may not have graduated from The University of Tulsa, but that didn’t stop him from helping the Alumni Association establish a national presence. While serving as chairman of the Board of Trustees, Bailey recognized the need to build TU’s alumni membership.

“We were very focused on Tulsa-based alums but not anywhere else, so we began the process of developing a complete list of alumni,” he said.

Bailey, the top executive of Williams Companies, retired in 2002. After earning a mechanical engineering degree and lettering four years in football and basketball at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, he worked in the energy transportation division at Conoco. His move to Williams marked the beginning of a Bailey legacy. His decade of leadership as president, chief executive officer and chairman generated substantial growth at Williams, and the company developed a strong partnership with the Tulsa Area United Way. With Bailey’s business sense and focus on community outreach, he was invited to join the university’s Board of Trustees in the late 1980s.

“The demands of the board were changing, and trustees were given an opportunity to become more involved in several dimensions of the university,” Bailey said.

While serving two years as chairman of the TU Board of Trustees, Bailey contributed to several campus projects that launched the university into a new phase of growth and development. He and the board oversaw the construction of TU’s first student apartments and the Reynolds Center. Bailey, who was instrumental in the hiring of President Bob Lawless, said, “Bob’s goal began the steady and dramatic improvement in TU’s national rankings.

“The university has turned outward, enabling it to grow in physical assets and academic stature. I’m happy to see that a lot of the seeds we’ve sown have taken root.”

Bailey’s list of professional and charitable leadership roles is extensive: member of the Collins College of Business Hall of Fame, the TU College of Engineering and Natural Sciences Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma and Tulsa Halls of Fame and the Golden Hurricane Club. He is a life member of Tulsa’s United Way, former chairman of United Way of America’s board of directors and has served on the Salvation Army’s national board. Bailey and his wife, Pat, are long-time supporters of Golden Hurricane Athletics, the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC), TU Presidential Scholars and the Friends of Finance series.

The Baileys have four children and 11 grandchildren. Their son John (BA ’96, MTA ’98) and daughter-in-law Cynthia (MBA ’96) are proud alumni.

Highly regarded for his university contributions, Bailey said he’s grateful for this latest recognition. “The J. Paschal Twyman Award, named for one of TU’s most beloved presidents, is the symbol of all the good qualities at TU, and that makes the award even more special.”