San Francisco County
Biographies
FRANCIS VALENTINE KEESLING
Francis Valentine Keesling, insurance official and attorney, was born in
Mr.
Keesling was admitted to the California State Bar in 1898 and has since
practiced in
Member of the National Guard of California, 1901-09, retiring as
Major. Commanded the Coast Artillery Battalion during
the San Francisco fire in 1906.
He was
chairman of Republican State Central Committee, California, 1914-16; director
of Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District (chairman of Building Committee,
1929-37); member of Board of Freeholders of San Francisco, wrote existing
charter of city and county, and chairman of Drafting Committee, 1930; chairman
of California Statewide Committee on Reorganization of State Government, 1936;
director of San Francisco Bay Area Council, 1945, and member of Executive
Committee, 1946-47. Chairman of San Francisco Charter Revision Committee,
1944-47; member of Council of National Municipal League, 1941-47; special
assistant to the Attorney General of United States in 1941 (hearing officer in
Northern District of California for appeals of conscientious objectors);
chairman of Civilian Council Officer Procurement, U.S.N., 1942-46.
Mr.
Keesling is a member of Board of Directors of San Francisco Y.M.C.A. and was
president, 1936-42; director of Better Business Bureau of San Francisco since
1949; director of Life Insurance Medical Research Fund, 1950-51; chairman of
National Committee of Stanford Law School Plan, 1950-51.
Member of
U.S.O. Council of San Francisco (chairman, 1941-42); American Life Convention
(chairman of legal section, 1915-16; member of Executive Committee, 1930-36;
president, 1933-34); Association of Life Insurance Counsel (honorary member,
chairman of Executive Committee, 1927-28; vice president, 1929-31; president,
1931-32); California Insurance Federation (president since 1942); American Bar
Association, State Bar of California (member of Committee of Bar Examiners,
1928-29; member of Board of Governors, 1929-30), Bar Association of San
Francisco (governor, 1928-29), American Judicature Society, Stanford Law
Society (president, 1932-33), Stanford Associates (member of Executive
Committee; member of Board of Governors, 1936-42), Stanford Alumni Association
(president, 1930); Sigma Nu (regent, 1906-08) and Phi Delta Phi Fraternities. Mason (33rd degree; past grand master, grand treasurer
since 1943, California). Clubs: Pacific-Union, Commonwealth (quarterly chairman,
1941; member of Board of Governors, 1943-47, and Executive Committee, 1947,
chairman program committee, 1949); San Francisco Golf (San Francisco);
California (Los Angeles).
Mr. Keesling married Haidee Grau November 19, 1903; children: Jacqueline (Mrs. William
T. Sesnon, Jr.), Francis V., Jr.,
William Hubert and Jeanne (Mrs. Thomas B. Laird, Jr.).
Home: 20
Presidio Terrace,
Offices:
Transcribed
by Marie Hassard 10 February 2014.
Source: Eminent Californians 1953, by Lee
E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Pages 177-178,
C. W. Taylor Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2014 Marie Hassard.
San Francisco County Biographies