Richard C. Keehn
A Biography by Karen S. Keehn
Created for Rich’s 40th High School Class Reunion, 1995

Richard in many ways is a Renaissance man. In his youth he excelled as a military man, serving in Korea, Germany and Viet Nam. His love of flying led to recognition by his peers as the #1 helicopter aviator and later as test pilot, instructor and examiner. During this time he began writing poetry and learned to play the five-string banjo, developing a repertoire of over 250 songs.

After his marriage to Karen in 1970, he left the military and began a new career in agriculture. In 1974, after the collapse of the wine-grape market, Rich, along with a handful of others, believed that growers would be better served from a base of combined strength. They met with Bank of America and each signed a personal guarantee of $10,000 to launch the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). He jokes that after one of the organizational meetings, he left the room to go to the bathroom and returned to find that he had been elected founding chairman. He served as chairman for three years and then as director.

In 1978-80, Richard and Karen built a unique 50,000 square foot solar-integrated winery on their vineyards in McDowell Valley. Rich was the general contractor for the building; he then developed the marketing program which began with limited distribution of 8,000 cases in 1980, to national/international distribution of 107,000 cases by 1994.

In 1984 Rich was appointed to the newly formed California World Trade Commission, but resigned in 1986 to become director of the California Board of Food and Agriculture. When he retired after 8 years, the CBFA saluted his years of service and charactered his reputation as “the John Wayne of the Food and Ag Board”.

During this time, Rich also served as director of the Vineyard Foundation, the Wine Institute, and as a delegate to the International Organization of Wines and Vines (OIV) during 1983, 1984, 1990, 1993, and 1994. In 1990 he was co-chairman for an International Colloquium on Rhone varietals in Napa, a conference of 22 producers from the Rhone Valley and 23 from California.

In 1993, Rich and his family decided to sell their winery building but retain the wine business and vineyards. Although difficult, this decision has allowed McDowell to focus on Rhone varietals, their benchmark wines, and replant old vineyards. Wine production was reduced to 40,000 cases, and their son, Bill Crawford, president of McDowell since 1988, has assumed control of daily business operations.

Rich has given generously of his time to agriculture while building his own business and raising a family of eight children. In the process, he has become an experienced builder, marketer, and gifted chef. His considerable efforts on behalf of agriculture, in particular, wine grapes, have contributed to a stronger, more competitive industry.

PERSONAL DATA

-Born October 2, 1936, Berkeley CA
-Married: Eight children, 6 daughters, two sons.
-Hobbies: Playing the banjo and folk singing, skiing, jogging, automobile technology, -reading, writing poetry, gourmet cooking, and fishing.

EDUCATION

- 1955 graduate of Burlingame High School, Burlingame CA
-1955-56 attended College of San Mateo
-1956-57 graduated No. 1 in six out of seven military schools
-3-1/2 years of college credits at various universities while in the military
-1965 Graduate, Aerospace Engineering, Aviation Safety, Aircraft Accident Investigation, University of Southern California.

WORK EXPERIENCE

-Military Service, 2957-1970; lived / worked 6-1/2 years in foreign countries. Numerous decorations for valor and outstanding service; two purple hearts.
-Recipient of U. S. Army “Aviator of the Year” 1965
-Regular Army Officer in Field of Aviation
-Experimental Test Pilot
-Chief Instructor, Instrument Examiners, Southern Germany and 11 Western States
-Aviation Safety Officer – Accident Investigator, 4th Armored Division Europe, Southeast Asia and Eleven Western States
-Military Liaison / Civil Affairs in Korea, Germany, Japan, France
-Company Commander, Viet Nam
-Commanding General Staff, 6th Army Headquarters, Director ROTC 22 universities, 11 Western States
-1972-1975, President / Chairman of the Board, Western Styles, Inc., Retailer of western clothing, saddles and tack
-Chairman of the Board, ADCO Redwood, Inc., Manufactured redwood products for national distribution
-1987-1995 Chairman of the Board, McDowell Cellars, Inc.,
-1970-1988 President, McDowell Cellars, Inc., and McDowell Valley Vineyards, Inc.

ACTIVITIES

-Founding Chairman of California Association of Winegrape Growers; Director
-District Director, Wine Institute, 1983
-Member of California World Trade Commission, Advisory Council, 1984
-Director, California State Board of Food and Agriculture, 1986-1993
-Co-Chairman, International Colloquium on Rhone Varietals, 1990
-U.S. Delegate to OIV Advisory Council, Paris 1983, Portugal 1984, Russia 1990, United States 1993, Paris 1994
-Wine Growers of California, Board of Directors (alternate)
-Member if OIV Advisory Council, Mendocino County Vintner Association, California Council of Growers, Mendocino County Farm Bureau, Wine Institute, AWARE

LOCAL NEWS ARTICLE 18 FEB 1982

People In Business / Newest Wine Area
(Photo of Richard and Karen Keehn)

FEDERAL APPELLATION: Tiny McDowell Valley at the southern tip of Mendocino County is California’s newest Federally approved wine-growing area.

The 700-acre valley, which has been planted with grapes off an on since before the turn of the century, has been designated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms as one of seven (to date) viticultural appellations in California. Another 30 applications are pending.

The designation was requested by Richard and Karen Keehn, owners of the valley’s only winery and almost half its vineyard acreage.

The Keehns – he’s 46 and she’s 43 – have been growing grapes for more than a decade but didn’t establish their McDowell Valley Vineyards until 1978. Production this year is expected to total 38,000 cases.

“Approval of our viticultural district,” says Karen Keehn, “means we can label our wines ‘Estate Bottled’ and have it really mean something to the consumer, since our winery and all our vineyards are in McDowell Valley.”

Bio Addendum (July 2005)

I regret that I can't attend our 50th Class Reunion. I am to be in Washington DC that same weekend.

Is anyone interested in what I've been up to? Nothing, really! My bragging days are over. Karen and I have a new home that we built in the hills west of Ukiah, and we would be delighted to host any of my former classmates should they care to get in touch.

I retired from the wine business and industry in 1998, and since then I have been traveling, gardening, cooking at Plowshares (a private local homeless shelter) and enjoying our eight children, their spouses, and many grandchildren (18). The saying "So many books, so little time" would sum it all up.

Send mail to my P.O. Box. Visit me at 7001 Boonville Road. Email: kskeehn@pacific.net

Kind regards,
Rich

July 2007

Another Internet link has surfaced opening another window into the life of classmate Richard Keehn. It is a posting titled "Night Hunter Operations" by Captain Richard C. Keehn, U.S. Army Aviation Digest – May 1969. It describes an operational concept directed against enemy forces and logistical traffic in the Mekong Delta during the Viet Nam War. It is quite long and one needs to be a military history buff to appreciate the detail. This was done under the auspices of A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, in support of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, U. S. Army.

The web address is http://members.aol.com/bear317b/nho.html