Young America’s Foundation is saddened to learn of the passing of David Keene, a proud YAF alumnus and longtime leader in the Conservative Movement.
Keene and YAF share long history in conservative activism. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Keene founded a Young Americans for Freedom chapter—which is still active today—and later served as YAF’s National Chairman.
While conservative students today still face a tremendous amount of hostility on college campuses, Keene founded the UW-Madison YAF chapter during a time when it was not only challenging but dangerous, courageously facing violence and radicals that eventually claimed innocent lives.
Throughout his life, Keene never forgot his roots in YAF. He remained a friend and mentor to generations of young conservatives and was honored in 2017 with our Legends of YAF Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the cause of freedom.
David Keene’s dedication to advancing conservative ideas and encouraging young people to stand boldly for their beliefs leaves a lasting legacy.
We mourn his passing and extend our condolences to his family and loved ones.
