Nannerl Overholser Keohane
USAEarly Life and Education
Born in Blytheville, Arkansas, Nannerl Keohane attended secondary school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She earned her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 1961 and a second bachelor's degree from Oxford University. In 1967, she received her PhD in political science from Yale University.
Academic Career
Keohane began her teaching career at Swarthmore College in 1967. She subsequently taught at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. From 1981 to 1993, she served as the president of Wellesley College, where she expanded the campus, promoted diversity, and enhanced student life.
Presidency of Duke University
In 1993, Keohane became the 13th president of Duke University. She continued her commitment to diversity and fundraising, leading the university to raise $2.36 billion in its endowment campaign, the fifth-largest in American higher education history.
Later Career and Honors
After leaving Duke in 2004, Keohane joined Princeton University as a distinguished visiting professor of public affairs. She is a prolific author, with works including "Philosophy and the State in France: The Renaissance to the Enlightenment," "Feminist Theory: A Critique of Ideology," and "Thinking about Leadership."
In 1995, Keohane was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She served as a trustee of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which engaged in a controversial decision to close Duke Gardens in 2008. Keohane is currently a member of the Harvard Corporation, the governing board of Harvard University.
