Albert S. Keister Economics Scholarship Fund

The following biography was written at the time of this scholarship establishment; some information may not be up to date:

The late Albert S. Keister was a city councilman and a professor at UNC Greensboro for more than 30 years.

Dr. Keister came to Greensboro and North Carolina College for Women (now UNCG) to organize its Department of Economics. He remained with the school until his retirement in 1956. He also organized a four-year degree course designed for women who wanted careers as executive secretaries, taught evening classes for the college’s extension department and for the American Institute of Banking, and, during the summers, taught at the Rutgers School of Banking. Dr. Keister was also instrumental in establishing a credit union on the campus and, following his retirement, supervised the building of a Presbyterian House on campus and helped set up a campus program for Presbyterian students.

While on the UNCG faculty, Dr. Keister took an active part in Greensboro communuity affairs — a natural responsibility, in his view, for an economist and professor. In the Depression of the 1930s, a group of Greensboro businessmen and citizens urged him to run for the city council. He did and served three times – from 1932 to 1938. He was involved in the organization of the Guilford National Bank, and served on its Board of Directors through subsequent mergers which culminated in North Carolina National Bank. He continued to serve as a director of the Gate City Savings and Loan Assocation. During WWII, he served on the National Labor Relations Board.

Dr. Keister belonged to the Southern Economics Association and was president and editor of its publication, “The Southern Journal.” He did his undergraduate work at Otterbein College and later obtained his master’s degree from Columbia University and his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He taught at Cornell College in Iowa for nine years before obtaining his doctorate and coming to Greensboro.