"The scramble to get into college is going to be so terrible in the next few years that students are going to put up with almost anything, even an education." Barnaby C. Keeney

Barney Keeney first achieved fame as an HPHS runner. He was Greater Hartford champion in the 440-yard dash in 1931, and he won the state championship in that event in 1932. His winning time in the state meet, 51.4 seconds, surpassed the school record and the state record. He served as team captain in 1932, the year of his graduation.

He ran track at the University of North Carolina, where he graduated first in his class. He won the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Silver Star while serving with the 35th Infantry in World War II.

Barney Keeney went on to become a scholar in medieval history and eventually, president of Brown University, serving from 1955 until 1965. He was known among educators for his candor and directness and is credited with bringing Brown to prominence among Ivy League schools.

He had a close friendship with Larry Amann, his HPHS coach, that continued throughout his life. He would occasionally stop in to visit Coach Amann at the school on Forest Street, not far from his mother's residence in Hartford.

Barney Keeney died in 1980.