Albert Galloway Keller

Who was Albert Galloway Keller?

Albert Galloway Keller was a sociologist, author, and student and colleague of William Graham Sumner.

Keller is best known as the editor of William Graham Sumner’s papers in many volumes published in the early 20th century by Yale University Press. He was scholar in his own right and wrote on German colonial policy, economic geography, and sociology.

Keller came from Springfield, Ohio. He graduated from Yale College in 1896 and received his Ph.D. from Yale in 1899. He immediately joined the social science faculty at Yale and was appointed professor in 1907, succeeding his mentor, and taught at Yale until 1942.

He was the first holder of the William Graham Sumner Chair of Political Science at Yale.

Yale's eclectic approach to social science during Keller's time is illustrated by the Festschrift for Keller which was edited by George Peter Murdock. The volume of essays was created in honor of Keller in celebration of his completion of 30 years as a professor. The work consisted of essays by 26 scholars who studied with Keller at Yale.

Professor Keller was the father of Deane Keller and the grandfather of Deane G. Keller.