Leo J. Keena

Leo John Keena^[a] (April 12, 1878 – December 13, 1967) was an American college football player and diplomat.

Leo J. Keena
Keena cropped from 1897 University of Michigan team photograph
2nd United States Minister to South Africa
In office October 22, 1937 – August 13, 1942
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Ralph J. Totten
Succeeded by	Lincoln MacVeagh
United States Minister to Honduras
In office July 19, 1935 – May 1, 1937
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Julius Gareché Lay
Succeeded by	John Draper Erwin
Personal details
Born	Leo Japathet Keena (1878-04-12)April 12, 1878 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	December 13, 1967(1967-12-13) (aged 89) Knysna, Cape Province, South Africa
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Known for	Diplomat
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1898
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War

Early years

Keena was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1878, the son of James T. Keena and Henrietta (Boyle) Keena. His father was a lawyer who later became the president of the Peoples State Bank of Detroit.^[2]

University of Michigan

Keena played college football as a fullback and kicker for the University of Michigan from 1897 to 1899.^[3] He served in the United States Navy as a seaman on the auxiliary cruiser USS Yosemite during the Spanish–American War.^[4]

Diplomatic career

After receiving his degree, Keena became a diplomat for the United States in 1909.^[5] He was married in August 1906 to Eleanor Clarke. Keena's early diplomatic posts include service as U.S. Consul in Chihuahua, Mexico (1909–10), U.S. Counsel to Florence, Italy (1910–14),^[6] U.S. Consul General in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1914–15),^[7][8] U.S. Consul General in Valparaíso, Chile (1915–19), U.S. Consul General in Zürich, Switzerland (1919–20),^[9][10] U.S. Consul General in Warsaw, Poland (1920–22),^[11] U.S. Consul in Liverpool, England (1924–26), U.S. Counsul General in Havana, Cuba (1927–29), and U.S. Counsul General in Paris (1929–32).^[12][13] He was appointed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as the United States Ambassador to Honduras from February 1935 to May 1937 and as United States Ambassador to South Africa from July 1937 to August 1942.^[14]

Later life and death

After his assignment to South Africa, Keena retired from the Foreign Service in 1943. He died in Knysna in December 1967.^[15]

Notes

1. Although Keena's middle name is listed as "Japathet" in the University of Michigan yearbook, the Michiganensian, for 1899,^[1] later sources, including the State Department, refer to him by the middle name "John."