NIU mourns loss of Kevin McKeough

True to his South Side Irish roots, Kevin L. McKeough always carried three things with him in life: a quick wit, a story and a passion for politics. The combination enthralled and inspired large lecture halls full of students learning the ins and outs of American government.

McKeough, a popular political science professor who retired in late 1999 after three decades of service to the NIU community, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, at his home in Geneva.

“According to his priest, Kevin believed in the Holy Trinity: the South Side Irish, the White Sox and the Democratic Party,” said Mikel Wyckoff, a friend and colleague in the Department of Political Science.

“He was an eloquent and formidable advocate, be it for his fellow faculty members or for classic liberal causes,” added Wyckoff, who in summing up the life of his friend had jotted down the words, “social justice.”

“Kevin had a strong appreciation for people on the lower rungs of the ladder, and he thought politics could be brought to bear to even out some of those injustices.”

McKeough earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1964. He studied and wrote about money and politics as a member of a research lab in Princeton, N.J., before moving back to Chicago to teach at Loyola University. In 1969, he began his career at NIU, where he taught a wide variety of courses, including the department’s introduction to American politics, which regularly drew 200 to 300 students.

A specialist in the areas of political parties, elections, interest groups, campaign financing and mass media effects on politics, McKeough often was called upon as political commentator on radio and TV in Rockford, DeKalb and Chicago. He seemed to know everyone in Illinois politics.

“Kevin McKeough was a character who had character,” said Joe Grush, a professor of psychology and associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “Ethics and morality were important to him, but he also had an unusual wit and was funny and delightful to be around.”

In the 1970s, McKeough and Grush collaborated on what became a landmark statistical study demonstrating the correlation between candidate expenditures and success at the ballot box. “Kevin was quite gifted intellectually,” Grush said. “He could have been among the best scholars, but he was more passionate about teaching and political activism.”

McKeough had dabbled in acting, which along with his life experiences contributed to his talent as a master storyteller, friends said. He so inspired students that many went on to academic and political careers.

“I was one of those students,” said Mary Lou Kearns, who served as Kane County coroner for 23 years and was the only female Democrat ever to hold a countywide-elected office in Kane.

Kearns earned her degree at NIU in nursing, but she also minored in political science, taking three courses taught by McKeough. He later ran Kearns’ first campaign and played large roles in her re-election bids. It was McKeough who, realizing Democrats were at a disadvantage in heavily Republican Kane County, came up with a strategy that emphasized Kearns’ medical background.

“I don’t think I could have been successful in all of my political campaigns without Dr. McKeough,” Kearns said. “He believed strongly in everything that had to do with American politics. He not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk.”

In the classroom, McKeough was up front about his political leanings. “Kevin could always get students laughing even when they didn’t agree with him,” said Daniel Kempton, chair of the NIU Department of Political Science. “He had a story to illustrate every point, and many of those stories came from many years involvement in the political process.”

Active on campus, McKeough was a member of the Faculty Senate from 1994-99 and served as faculty personnel advisor from 1995-98. Friends said he was especially well-suited for the latter position, given his eloquence as a speaker and his lifelong role as an advocate for the underdog.

Shortly after his retirement, the political science department established the Kevin McKeough Award, a $100 stipend given annually to a student who has made an outstanding contribution to the political process.

“Kevin was one of those people who believed you could use politics to make the world a better place,” Kempton said. “That’s why that award is named in his honor.”

McKeough also was visible on campus as a lector at the Newman Catholic Student Center. Outside of the university, friends said he was the consummate family man who doted on his children and grandchildren. He and his wife, Maureen, lived in DeKalb before moving to Geneva after his retirement.

In addition to his wife, McKeough is survived by his children, Kevin, Eileen (Brian), Brendan (Kelli) and Brian (Julie); a brother, Timothy; and his grandchildren, Merryn and Rory Madeleine.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St., SE, Washington, DC, 20003; to St. Ignatius College Prep, attention: Joan Kistner, 1076 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608; or to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60607. For more information, call (630) 584-0060.

1-18-05