William J. Keville

William James Keville (September 29, 1877 – November 14, 1960) was an American National Guard officer who served as Adjutant General of Massachusetts during World War II. He also served as the United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts from 1921 to 1934.

William J. Keville
Born(1877-09-29)September 29, 1877
Somerville, Massachusetts
DiedNovember 14, 1960(1960-11-14) (aged 83)
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Buried
Belmont Cemetery
Belmont, Massachusetts
Service/branchUnited States Army seal United States Army
Years of service1897–1919
1943–1946
RankBrigadier general
Commands held101st Ammunition Train
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal
Other workAdjutant General of Massachusetts
United States Marshal

Military service

Keville enlisted with Company M of the 8th Massachusetts Militia Regiment in 1897. His unit was mustered into federal service the following year and he served at the regiment's headquarters during the Spanish–American War. In 1900 he was appointed regimental orderly. In 1905 he was promoted to first lieutenant and made quartermaster and commissary of subsistence.[1] In 1914 he was promoted to captain. The following year he was elected major of the company.[2] In 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.[3]

During World War I, Keville rose to the rank of colonel and served as the commander of the 101st Ammunition Train of the 26th Infantry Division.[4] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Honour. After the war, Keville declined a promotion to brigadier general and was placed on the retired list.[5]

United States Marshal

Keville was appointed United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts by president Warren G. Harding on March 11, 1921.[6] He was reappointed by president Calvin Coolidge in 1925 and Herbert Hoover in 1929.[7][8] In 1927, Keville took out a $38,000 personal loan to pay the salaries of federal court officers after the United States Congress failed to pass an appropriation bill before the session ended.[9]

Adjutant General

On April 12, 1943, Keville was appointed Adjutant General of Massachusetts by Governor Leverett Saltonstall.[10] His term expired in December 1945, but he remained in office until May 8, 1946, when Saltonstall's successor, Maurice J. Tobin, appointed William H. Harrison.[11]

Business career

Keville was a partner in the insurance and real estate firm of Eldredge & Keville and was president of the Waverly Cooperative Bank. From 1927 until his death in 1960, Keville was the chairman of the board of trustees of the Lawrence F. Quigley Memorial Hospital.[5]

Personal life

In 1908, Keville married to Frances Flaherty. They resided in Belmont, Massachusetts, where Keville served as a town meeting and school committee member.[5] They had three children, one of whom, Edmund V. Keville, was an associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.[5][12]

References
  1. "Four Military Companies Now in Cambridge". The Boston Globe. May 28, 1905.
  2. "Maj Perry Elected Lieutenant Colonel". The Boston Globe. April 4, 1915.
  3. "Perry Elected Colonel". The Boston Globe. March 31, 1917.
  4. "War Medal Granted Keville and Luther". The Boston Globe. March 6, 1923.
  5. "Gen Keville, Ex-YD Leader". The Boston Globe. November 15, 1960.
  6. Register of the Department of Justice and the Courts of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1922. p. 100. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  7. "William J. Keville is Renominated". The Boston Globe. December 8, 1925.
  8. "Keville Takes Marshal's Oath". The Boston Globe. January 2, 1930.
  9. "Keville Will Loan Uncle Sam $38,000". The Boston Globe. March 19, 1927.
  10. "Keville Replaces Sherburne as State Adjutant General". The Boston Globe. April 13, 1943.
  11. "Harrison Named Adjutant General, Replacing Keville". The Boston Globe. May 9, 1946.
  12. "Associate Justice Edmund V. Keville". Mass.gov.
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