W. M. Keck Foundation

It was founded in 1954 by William Myron Keck, founder and president of Superior Oil Company (part of ExxonMobil since 1999).

From its founding until his death in 1964, the Foundation was led by William Myron Keck.

[1] Robert Addison Day, W. M. Keck's grandson, became its president and chairman in 1995.

[2] The Foundation provides grants in five broad areas: science and engineering research, undergraduate science and engineering, medical research, liberal arts, in Southern California.

Some of the more notable projects that have received funding from the Keck Foundation include: The Keck Foundation has been a long-time supporter of public television in Southern California, including underwriting the broadcast of Sesame Street on KCET since the 1970s.

W. M. Keck Observatory at dawn, Mauna Kea , Hawaii
The Keck II telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii projects a laser beam into the night sky to form an artificial guide star for adaptive optics . The galactic plane of the Milky Way is visible in the sky to the right of the image. The stars are trailed in this 3 minute fixed camera exposure due to the rotation of the earth.
Old pumpjack in the W. M. Keck Foundation Gallery, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Keck Array at the South Pole observatory, Antarctica.