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Mark Keller

Mark Keller (1907-1995) began his career with the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol as an editorial assistant and later became its editor as well as that of its successor, the Journal of Studies on Alcohol. Additionally, he published numerous journal articles, books, and chapters on various topics related to alcohol and literature documentation.  He was instrumental in developing the library at the Center of Alcohol Studies.  In 1977, he was named editor emeritus of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and professor emeritus of Rutgers University. 

In addition to his work with the Journal, Keller was also instrumental in advancing the scientific aspects of Alcohol Studies. He laid the framework for the development of the Alcohol Studies Library by establishing the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature (CAAAL), the first and most extensive alcohol-themed collection at its inception. Its manual offered the very first taxonomy and classification in the field. 

Keller edited the International Bibliography of Studies on Alcohol and many other special publications and monographs, as well as a pioneering dictionary on words related to alcohol. He also lectured and taught extensively all over the world. 

He donated his papers to the Center of Alcohol Studies. The Mark Keller Papers contain early and mid-20th-century correspondence between Keller and members of the alcohol studies community regarding seminars, conferences, committee meetings, and travel notes. Files contain notes on Keller’s views on disease concept, research, the relationship between alcohol and religion, and alcohol and various aspects of society.  The collection is also a treasure trove of information about the Keller’s involvement with the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and his reports to the Congress and the President.

Biography

Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on February 21, 1907, Mark Keller came from a humble background, where knowledge, skills, and books were highly valued. He immigrated with his family to New York in 1913. Listing his education as "private" on his CV, he had no formal education or any university degrees. The talented, well-read, and well-spoken Keller began working as an editorial assistant at various New York newspapers in 1924. His talent was soon noticed by Dr. Norman Jolliffe, the head of the medical service of the psychiatric division at Bellevue Hospital. Jolliffe hired Keller as a as a research secretary, a title of his own invention. His editing skills are noted and appreciated. 

In 1939, Keller moved to the New York University’s School of Medicine with Dr. Jolliffe. A grant from the Carnegie Corporation soon added E. M. Jellinek to their group. The goal was to create a review of the literature on “the biological effects of alcohol on man.” This marked Keller and Jellinek’s beginning in the field of alcohol studies. 

Both men soon moved to Yale University, in 1941-42, upon the invitation of Howard Haggard to work on the newly established Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol and continue the literature review. Keller quickly moved up the editorial ranks from editorial secretary in 1942 to managing editor in 1950 to editor-in-chief of the journal in 1959. His unique skills and talents contributed to the success of the first Center of Alcohol Studies. While still at Yale, Keller began compiling the annual Statistics on Consumption of Alcohol and on Alcoholism.  

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Mark Keller (Photo: Rutgers Alcohol Studies Archive)

In 1962, Keller moved to Rutgers University with the Center of Alcohol Studies. As the Center’s Document Division Director, he was responsible for abstracting and indexing world scientific literature on alcohol as well as documentation and publication tasks besides the journal, such as Classified Abstract Archive of Alcohol Literature (CAAAL), the International Bibliography of Studies on Alcohol, and other pamphlets and scholarly manuscripts. Throughout his career, Keller received numerous awards even following his retirement in 1977 from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Rutgers University. He continued to teach at numerous universities around the country and served on several government commissions. 

Keller died in 1995. Following his death, the NIAAA Mark Keller Honorary Lecture Series was established to honor researchers who make significant contributions to the field each year. Keller is best remembered for his influence on the field of alcohol studies. He was able to move the field from the post-Temperance period into modernity. He insisted on the inclusion of control groups in alcohol research and was very critical of research done at the time. His strict nature allowed the field to develop. Keller also fostered the growth of the world’s most complete alcohol-related library and the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature.

Career Highlights

A prolific editor, bibliographer, and scholar, Mark Keller was one of the people who defined modern-day alcohol studies since its inception at the end of the mid-1930s.  He began working in alcohol research in the 1930s and became a major contributor to the field over his long career.  

1907  Born February 21 as Mordechai Keller in Rudnitsa, Austro-Hungarian Empire, currently in Poland
1913  The Keller family immigrates to the United States; he enrolls in public school and switches to attend Rabbi Jacob Joseph School; his name changes to Max, then Marcus, and finally to Mark over time
1921  Continues to high school at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, switches back to public school at DeWitt Clinton High
1923  Frustrated with the slow pace of his classes, drops out of school
1923  Starts working for a small local newspaper published in English and Hebrew; learns to write articles at short notice; learns about marketing hands-on
1924  Starts working in a printing plant; learns about publishing and printing hands-on
1930  Marries Sarah (“Sally”) Vivienne Hirsh, December 30, in NYC. Name on marriage certificate: Marc F. Keller
1933  Hired at NYU Medical School at Bellevue Hospital by Normann Jolliffe, MD, as a research secretary
1939  Starts working with E. M. Jellinek on the Carnegie-funded project to review the scholarly literature “on the biological effects of alcohol on man”  
1941  Publishes editorials in HaMigdal (New York), a monthly in English and Yiddish under the name “M ben J” and M. Keller
1942  Joins Jellinek’s group that had moved to Yale, becomes editorial secretary of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol (QJSA)
1943  Appointed assistant editor of QJSA
1946  Invited to the Board of Directors of QJSA
1950  Appointed managing editor of QJSA
1950  As founding editor, launches Alcoholism Treatment Digest, a subscription-based weekly with short review articles on emerging topics in the alcohol literature written by Journal staff
1952  Begins compiling and publishing annual compendium, Statistics on Consumption of Alcohol and on Alcoholism
1953  Publishes, with E. M. Jellinek and Vera Efron, the Manual of the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature
1954  Co-authors, with Vera Efron, the “Alcoholism” entry in the Encyclopedia Americana 
1958  Starts publishing the Monographs of the Yale Center of Alcohol Studies as series editor
1958  Publishes The alcohol language. With a selected vocabulary, as part of the Alcoholism Research Foundation’s Brookside Monograph No. 2.
1959  Appointed editor-in-chief of QJSA, later renamed Journal of Studies on Alcohol (JSA)
1959-1960   Secures funding from the Smithers Foundation to publish the seminal book in alcohol studies entitled The Disease Concept of Alcoholism written by E. M. Jellinek, works with Jellinek as his editor and publisher
1960  Publishes The Disease Concept of Alcoholism, by E. M. Jellinek
1962  Moves to Rutgers University with the Journal and the Center of Alcohol Studies; becomes Document Division Director  
1963-1991   Instructor at the Rutgers Summer School of Alcohol Studies; teaches multiple courses in the various iterations of the Summer School
1963  Initiates the establishment of the Jellinek Memorial Fund after E. M. Jellinek’s death
1963-76        Elected President, Jellinek Memorial Fund, Member of Scientific Award Committee
1964  Publishes his seminal article Documentation of the alcohol literature; a scheme for an interdisciplinary field of study. Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol 
1965  Publishes, with E. M. Jellinek and Vera Efron, the CAAAL manual; a guide to the use of the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature
1966  Starts publishing the International bibliography of studies on alcohol as the editor of three volumes
1967  Receives North American Association of Alcoholism Programs Recognition Award 
1968  Publishes, with Mairi McCormick, A dictionary of words about alcohol
1969  Presents Some views on the nature of addiction. As the E. M. Jellinek Memorial Lecture, at the 15th International Institute on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism, June 9-18, 1969, Budapest, Hungary
1971  Serves as consulting editor on the First special report to the U.S. Congress on alcohol & health, from the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
1971  Presents A special-library information-center model for a societal-problem field, at the ISLIC International Conference on Information Science; Tel-Aviv, 29 August - 2 September 1971 
1971  Writes the entry “Drunkenness: Modern Times” in the Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol. 6. 
1974  Teaches at Columbia University
1974  Writes the entry “Alcohol consumption” in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 1.
1974-75        Invited as Visiting Scientist to U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; edits Alcohol and Health; Second Special Report to the Congress
1975  Serves as editor of the Second special report to the U.S. Congress on alcohol and health: new knowledge 
1976  Receives Hammond Award for Distinguished Medical Journalism from American Medical Writers Association, Metropolitan Chapter
1977  Retires as editor of Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Professor at Rutgers University
1977  Serves as Task Force Member on Presidential Commission on Mental Health, appointed by President Jimmy Carter
1977  Receives the Jellinek Memorial Award
1978  Appointed Editor Emeritus, JSA, and Professor Emeritus, Rutgers
1978  The “Mark Keller Award” is established by JSA, given to the most distinguished scholarly article published in JSA in the preceding year
1980  Becomes Adjunct Professor at Brandeis University
1981-83        Invited to return to JSA as Acting Editor for two years
1982  A dictionary of words about alcohol, second revised, enlarged edition is published, co-authored with Vera Efron and Mairi McCormick 
1983  Becomes Visiting Professor at Rutgers University 
1985  Oral history interview with Keller published in the British Journal of Addiction
1995  Dies August 12 in Brookline, MA
1995  NIAAA Mark Keller Honorary Lecture series established in October

Selected Publications

Additional Resources

The Mark Keller Papers curated by the Information Services Division of the Center of Alcohol Studies:

  • a collection of over 1,000 letters and documents, including correspondence or personal papers, from Yandell Henderson, several European scientists, Howard Haggard, Norman Jolliffe, Morris Chafetz (first director of NIAAA), and  many others
  • one of the finest collection of primary source materials in the entire field
  • a rich and irreplaceable scholarly resource
  • currently housed in the Rutgers University Libraries Annex (Location code: A79K02-A79K05)
  • partially digitized and available in RUcore, the Rutgers University Community Repository 

From the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives