On October 5, we will welcome General John M. Keane, United States Army, Retired, to the 2026 Signature Event.

General Jack Keane is widely recognized as one of our nation’s foremost authorities on foreign policy and national security. A distinguished military leader, accomplished strategist, and trusted voice on matters of global defense, he has devoted his life to the service of the United States and to the advancement of American security interests at home and abroad.

General Keane serves as Chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and has been a longtime member of the Secretary of Defense Policy Board, advising four Secretaries of Defense over the course of his career. He has also served an unprecedented three times on the Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy, including the 2018, 2022, and 2026 commissions, underscoring the continued confidence placed in his judgment and experience.

A four-star general, General Keane completed 37 years of public service in December 2003, culminating in his appointment as Acting Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In that role, he served as the Army’s chief operating officer, responsible for the leadership of 1.5 million soldiers and civilians across 120 countries and oversight of a $110 billion annual operating budget.

General Keane was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and played a significant role in supporting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the 9/11 wars General Keane conducted frequent trips to Iraq and Afghanistan on behalf of senior military and civilian defense officials. In 2006, he was invited to the Oval Office by President George W. Bush to discuss the war in Iraq, where he presented a strategic concept that became known as the troop surge and helped reshape American strategy.

A career infantry paratrooper and combat veteran of the Vietnam War, General Keane commanded the 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault) and the XVIII Airborne Corps, among the most distinguished formations in the United States Army. He was decorated for valor and distinguished throughout his career for leadership, courage, and excellence in command.

General Keane was commissioned through Army ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate at Fordham University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He later received a Master of Arts degree from Western Kentucky University and is a graduate of the Army War College and the Army Command and General Staff College.

General Keane has numerous awards reflecting his decades of distinguished public service to include over thirty civilian honors and awards. Among these, he was the first military leader to receive the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award, presented in 2018 at The Reagan Library. In 2020, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his extraordinary lifetime service to the nation. General Keane’s numerous military service medals and citations include two Defense and two Army Distinguished Service Medals, five Legions of Merit, the Silver Star, Bronze Star, three Vietnam Service medals, Combat Infantryman Badge, Air Assault Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and Ranger Tab, to list a few.

Born and raised in New York, General Keane is the son of an immigrant mother and a World War II Marine father. General Keane was married to the late Theresa Doyle for fifty-one years and has two sons, Daniel, who served eight years in the US Air Force and Matthew, who is deceased. General Keane has been married to Angela McGlowan since 2019. He continues to be regarded as one of America’s most respected and influential national security leaders.

Our Commitment to Active and Engaged Citizenship

When Bellevue University was founded in 1966, our visionary leaders recognized the importance of educating and reinforcing American values among following generations. 

To develop more informed and engaged citizens, all undergraduate students at Bellevue University complete a civics education course called the Kirkpatrick Signature Series. Students examine the bedrock of American values and explore charter documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the U.S. Constitution. They study American cultural traditions, historic societal changes, the interplay between the two, and their own responsibilities to assure a free, just, and productive society.                   

Bellevue University by the Numbers

The Signature Event is made possible through our generous sponsors:

Gilbert M. and Martha H. Hitchcock Foundation
Kirkpatrick Charitable Trust
Ethel S. Abbott Charitable Foundation
Michael L. Faust
Google
HDR, Inc.
Bob and Susan Knapp
Meta
Chris and Betsy Murphy
HUB International
WoodmenLife

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