May 30, 2007

Michigan State University student journalist Tom Keller has been named this year's recipient of the Big Ten Conference William R. Reed Memorial Award. The award is named in honor of former Big Ten Commissioner William R. Reed who served the conference for more than 20 years.
 
The conference annually honors the former commissioner by presenting this award to a student journalist from one of the 11 Big Ten campuses who, through his or her writing during the previous academic term, best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and dedication to the Big Ten and intercollegiate athletics which marked the life of William R. Reed.
 
A senior journalism major, Keller served as the sports editor and men's basketball reporter for The State News during the last academic year and has written for the newspaper since January of 2005, also covering the housing and sports administration beats. He is currently a sportswriting intern covering the Florida Marlins for MLB.com and also served an internship with the News and Record of Greensboro, N.C., from May to August of 2006. Keller placed 10th for the prestigious Hearst Journalism Award in the sportswriting division in 2006 and was also honored for writing The State News sports feature of the year in 2006 and 2007. He earned the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship and was also a member of the Honors College and Honors Students Actively Recruiting program.

A native of Macomb, Mich., he is the son of Todd and Jackie Keller.

William Reed began his tenure with the Big Ten in the service bureau in 1939. Promoted to assistant commissioner in 1951, he served in that capacity until being named the third Big Ten Conference commissioner in 1961. His term as commissioner lasted until 1971.