Background
Keller, James G. was born on June 27, 1900 in Oakland, California, United States. Son of James and Margaret (Selby) Keller.
Keller, James G. was born on June 27, 1900 in Oakland, California, United States. Son of James and Margaret (Selby) Keller.
Student Saint Patrick’s College, 1920-1924.
In 1945 he founded of The Christophers, a Christian inspirational group which broadcast a weekly inspirational television show (of the same name) on American Broadcasting Company. American Broadcasting Company canceled the show in the mid-1960s. Keller continued to produce it, however, and it is still syndicated to local television stations. The Christophers also award the Christopher Awards each year, primarily to media that exemplify the human spirit, and have a weekly syndicated radio show.
Keller"s father was an Irish immigrant named James Kelleher, who changed his name to Keller to avoid anti-Irish sentiment.
His mother, Margaret Selby, was Irish on her mother"s side and Portuguese on her father"son James Junior. was born in 1900 in Oakland, California, the fourth of six children in a devout Roman Catholic household.
After a brief stint in the United States Army, Keller entered a seminary in Menlo Park, California. He spent the summer of 1922 doing orderly work and watching medical and surgical procedures at Saint Vincent"s Hospital in New York, in order to prepare himself for mission work in areas without medical care.
In 1923, he was ordained subdeacon and made a commitment to lifetime celibacy.
He then continued his education at Catholic University in Washington, District of Columbia, where he received his baccalaureate and, the following year, a master"s degree in medieval history. From a professor, Peter Guilday, he learned the importance of historical trends as opposed to individual occurrences. He was surprised when he was told to remain in California for a vacation while awaiting assignment.
Then he learned that French
Keller never received an overseas mission assignment. Keller starred in a 1951 documentary called You Can Change the World that was based on his teachings.
He went on to be the host of a 1950s and 1960s television show called Christopher Closeup.