“Larry McKeithan was a valuable colleague and a good friend. He was selfless in helping others, and he loved his students. There is a special bond that forms within the community of Law Enforcement, and Larry cared deeply for the growth and development of his students. He knew they were preparing for a job that would often show them the worst of people while requiring them to be their best always. He prayed for them, and he maintained friendships with students after they graduated.
“Larry contributed to the success of the criminal justice program. He was the longest-serving CJ professor after Mona Dunckel, who started the program in 1987. (She died in 2012.) He was the program coordinator, and he steered successful and useful program reviews from 2012 to 2020, led the value engineering process, and created the associates program in CJ. He worked to improve his own courses and his teaching. He loved teaching at BJU. He led the CJ summer camps.
“Larry earned a master’s in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security in 2009 from Tiffin University and was in his doctoral work in International Development at the University of Southern Mississippi.”
— Brenda Schoolfield, chair of the Division of History, Government, & Social Science
“Larry loved to teach and had an incredible, long-lasting impact on his students. A true example of Christlikeness, he sought to serve his students and colleagues alike. We’re thankful for all the years he dedicated to the ministry of BJU.”
— Renae Wentworth, dean of the College of Arts & Science
“Although my friendship with Larry goes back many years to when he was a young professor and I was a new chief of police in a local department, our time teaching together as colleagues was cut far too short. I will always regret I had so little time to work alongside him in our criminal justice program, but in that brief time, I observed so much of Larry’s style I hope to emulate in the time I am given.
“Larry loved his students and they loved him in return, and he had an easy-going approach to teaching we could all do well to emulate. I will be forever grateful for the part he played in my own journey toward the CJ program and for how he took me under his wing when I finally arrived. His experience, patience and coaching were critical in helping me get my bearings as a new professor. I will miss him greatly.”
— Lance Crowe, Division of History, Government, & Social Science faculty
“Larry McKeithan was one of the most joyful people I have ever met. He was that way as a student and as a colleague. He was generous with his time and would do anything to help anyone. Larry was a positive, godly influence on his CJ students and we will all miss his infectious smile.”
— Linda Abrams, Division of History, Government, & Social Science faculty
