The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting contributions of former student-athletes, coaches and administrative personnel. During the month, the PSAC will feature one person from each campus via social media on the PSAC social media accounts.

Shippensburg University's submission to the PSAC is the late Spencer Keyes '54, who was one of the selections to the PSAC's 150 Football Contributors in 2019. Keyes, an SU Athletics Hall of Famer, was a champion in every sense of the word. 

A native of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., Keyes was the face of Shippensburg State College football teams that produced a PSAC-record 20-game winning streak from 1951-54 – a record that still remains to this day. A two-time All-Pennsylvania Conference (PC) and All-Pennsylvania performer, Keyes scored 26 career touchdowns – including 16 touchdowns of 40 or more yards.

In 1953, Shippensburg went 8-0 and Keyes was both the leading rusher and scorer on the squad with 66 carries for 588 yards and nine touchdowns. The 1953 team became the first college to lead the nation in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense in the same season.

Keyes was a varsity letter-winner in football, basketball, baseball and track & field at Shippensburg. After graduating, Keyes became a life-long educator who specialized in revitalizing urban school districts. He began teaching at the elementary school and high school level in New York and New Jersey while also coaching football.

He moved to Baltimore in 1968 and three years later, became the youngest man ever and the first African-American to head the Baltimore city school system.

Dr. Keyes moved to New York after receiving his doctorate from UPenn in 1973 and later became the Administrator of the Division of Civil Rights and International Relations for the New York Education Department. He passed away in 2002 from prostate cancer at the age of 78.