National Football Foundation

In 1950, when the National Football Foundation was a fledgling organization looking to fulfill a dream — the eventual construction of the College Football Hall of Fame — Don Keough began his career with The Coca-Cola Company.

His 42-year stay with one of the world's most widely recognized business organizations saw him rise from an entry-level position to the presidency.

Determined to be a success in the business world, Mr. Keough worked his way up the ladder in the finest American tradition. His was a steady rise on the organizational chart. In 1971 he was named president of the Company's Foods Division. Following that he was named president of Coca-Cola USA and was later given responsibility for the Company's business in North and South America. In 1981 he was elected president, chief operating officer and a director of The Coca-Cola Company; and, in 1986 was named Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world's largest soft drink bottling organization.

Mr. Keough serves on the board of National Service Industries, Inc., the H.J. Heinz Company and The Washington Post. He is immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame (he remains a Trustee at Notre Dame) and serves as a Trustee of several other educational institutions. He is also a member of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Always a leader in community service, Mr. Keough serves on the board of a number of national charitable and civic organizations.

As the result of a lifetime of business and civic leadership, Mr. Keough has received many honors, including honorary doctorates from Notre Dame and his alma mater Creighton University.