Keith Barton ’60

Born and raised in Summit, N.J., Keith prepared for Princeton at Philips Exeter Academy. There, he competed in swimming and debate. With us, he continued in freshman and varsity swimming, majored in history, and joined Wilson Lodge. On graduation he enlisted in the Navy in 1960 and attended Officer Training Corps from 1961 to 1963.  

Keith did graduate work in American history and diplomacy at Florida State University, earning a Ph.D. in 1974. He met and married Janice Sweeny, a chemistry major, at FSU in 1967. He then taught at Rollins College in Florida until 1980, when he left teaching to go into the life insurance business. He joined the Variable Life Insurance Co. in Overland, Kan., and specialized thereafter in working with academics to secure their futures. Janice became a chemistry professor at Washburn College in Topeka.  

Keith and Janice shared an enthusiasm for distance running. Keith reported in our 25th-reunion yearbook that they had completed more than 20 marathons to date, four of them run with his dog, Rusty. He retired from his insurance practice in 2008. They moved to Rockingham, Va., where Keith died Dec. 9, 2025. He is survived by Janice.