Speaking to diverse audiences
As evidenced by the wide range of his speaking engagements, Mark Keller was an exceptionally popular and in-demand speaker, welcomed by scholarly, professional, and lay audiences alike. From hospital workshops and professional development seminars for the alcohol industry to major national and international scientific conferences, Keller addressed diverse gatherings, contributing significantly to the evolving science of alcohol studies.
Committed to promoting shared definitions in the field, Keller often focused his lectures, presentations, and dinner talks on the most pressing and complex issues in alcohol research. Some were grounded in hard data, while many explored societal perceptions and attitudes toward alcohol. Regardless of approach, all were marked by abundant examples, scholarly depth, and insights drawn from his extensive experience reading, reviewing, organizing, and publishing alcohol literature.
Despite his erudition, Keller was known for his sharp sense of humor, which frequently surfaced in his professional talks. A prime example—though not a presentation—is his 1972 article, The oddities of alcoholics, which introduced what colleagues jokingly dubbed “Keller’s Law”:
The investigation of any trait in alcoholics will show that they have either more or less of it.
The article, reprinted multiple times, closes with a wry summary: “Alcoholics are different in so many ways that it doesn’t make a difference.”
Lectures, talks, and speeches
Mark Keller was frequently invited to speak by a wide range of groups—from small local organizations, such as Hillel chapters, to major international bodies. His global reach took him to scientific conferences across countries including Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and the former Yugoslavia.
While some of his presentations were published in conference proceedings and edited volumes, a recently discovered unpublished manuscript called Alcohol . . . Because: Mark Keller’s Unpublished Conference Presentations, offers a deeper look into his vast knowledge, sharp wit, and exceptional presentation skills.
As one of the most respected figures in the field, Keller was also a sought-after speaker at ceremonial events. Notably, in 1972, he spoke on behalf of the Jellinek Memorial Fund to posthumously present the field’s highest honor to Bill W.—the first and only time it was awarded to a non-scholar.
Speaking engagements, 1977
An engaging speaker, Keller was often invited to speak at diverse events
Griffith Edwards speaking at the Mark Keller Recognition Dinner
When Mark Keller retired in 1977, a spectacular array of guests came to New Jersey from all over the world to commemorate the event, captured in a photo album. One of the speakers was Griffith Edwards, who was just about to take over the British Journal of Addiction, the biggest competitor to JSA in the field at that time. As editor-in chief (1978-1983), Edwards, a psychiatrist-addiction researcher reshaped and modernized the journal to its current form, making it international and research-focused.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Smithers Building
In 1962, the vision and generosity of Brinkley Smithers made it possible for the Center of Alcohol Studies to relocate from Yale to Rutgers. Years later, when the Center required further expansion, Smithers—philanthropist and Summer School alumnus—once again stepped in to provide support.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Brinkley and Adele Smithers Hall, which nearly doubled the size of the original building, began with a symposium in October 1988. Mark Keller opened the event with a historical review of the Center and later served as the keynote speaker at the dinner, where he presented an overview of the evolving etiological models of alcohol and other drug problems—a topic thoroughly documented in the Keller Papers.
Mark Keller speaking in 1988
Editor emeritus Mark Keller was the keynote speaker at the Symposium at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Center's new addition in October 1988. Photo courtesy of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.