George M. Keller

George Matthew Keller (December 3, 1923 – October 17, 2008) was the chairman of Standard Oil Company of California ("SoCal") in the 1980s, where he oversaw its merger with Gulf Oil to form Chevron Corporation in 1984.

Keller was born on December 3, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri. After his mother died while Keller was a youngster, he was raised by an aunt who fostered an interest in science. He developed a strong fascination with chemistry after visiting the DuPont exhibit at the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago in 1933.

Keller enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and ultimately graduated from the school in 1948. He left the school as a sophomore and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, serving as a meteorologist in Labrador. He chose a position at Standard Oil Company of California in San Francisco after graduation.

At Standard Oil, Keller's specialty was designing refineries. He rose through the ranks and had assignments that included the first discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia, made in 1938, for which Keller received a replica of the sword of Mohammed as a gift.

Keller became chairman of Standard Oil in 1981, succeeding Harold J. Haynes as chairman and chief executive officer. As the company's head, Keller fostered an informal management style and a more aggressive approach to risk.

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