Theodore W. Kheel

Kheel was asked to step in and was so confident of a quick resolution of the dispute that he brought a pair of champagne bottles with him to the negotiations planning to celebrate.

[3] Kheel would later play a role in coordinating negotiations that led to a resolution of the New York City teachers' strike of 1968, in which the New York City Public Schools were closed for 36 days over a period of months after actions started by the United Federation of Teachers.

[2] In addition to his mediation roles, Kheel wrote a multi-volume text on labor law and the popular book The Keys to Conflict Resolution: Proven Methods of Resolving Disputes Voluntarily.

Kheel was one of the principals in Tom Mboya's efforts of the late 50s and early 60s to organize the "Airlift Africa" project that ultimately brought some 230 African students to the U.S. over the period 1960–63 to study on scholarship at Class I accredited colleges.

To promote the Rio summit Kheel enrolled the help of his friends and client artist Robert Rauschenberg to create a poster named the Earth Pledge, which was signed by hundreds of Heads of state, ambassadors, delegates, and prominent dignitaries.

[7] The proceeds of the sale of Rauchenberg's artwork were used to start the Earth Pledge Foundation, which went on to become an incubator of early stage sustainability solutions in the waste, architecture, fashion, and food systems, with projects that significantly accelerated the adoption of sustainability solutions in New York city.

[8] The Earth Pledge Foundation was managed by Kheel's protégée and environmental activist Leslie Hoffman from 1994 until 2011.

[2] His wife, Ann Sunstein, died in 2003 and had been an active member of the New York chapter of the National Urban League.