Keeler, Leonarde

Leonarde Keeler was born in 1903 in Berkeley, CA, the son of poet and naturalist Charles Keeler and artist Louise Bunnell. He attended UC Berkeley and UCLA before transferring to Stanford University to study psychology. His adolescent interest in police work and detection inspired him to develop, while in college, the "Keeler Polygraph"--an updated modification to previously existing lie-detection technology. He performed psychological research and experiments at various prisons and institutions, including the Institute for Juvenile Research in Chicago, before moving to Chicago permanently in 1930 to work at the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory headquartered at Northwestern University. He married Katherine Applegate, a fellow psychology student, in 1930. Frequently hired as a consultant in police investigations and court cases, he gave lectures and performed research relating to this work as well as criminology in general throughout his later life. He died of a stroke in 1945.

From the description of Leonarde Keeler papers, 1899-1973 (bulk 1923-1949). (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 26631910

Biographical Information

Leonarde Keeler was born in 1903 in Berkeley, CA, the son of poet and naturalist Charles Keeler and artist Louise Bunnell. He attended UC Berkeley and UCLA before transferring to Stanford University to study psychology. His adolescent interest in police work and detection inspired him to develop, while in college, the "Keeler Polygraph"--an updated modification to previously existing lie-detection technology. He performed psychological research and experiments at various prisons and institutions, including the Institute for Juvenile Research in Chicago, before moving to Chicago permanently in 1930 to work at the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory headquartered at Northwestern University. He married Katherine Applegate, a fellow psychology student, in 1930. Frequently hired as a consultant in police investigations and court cases, he gave lectures and performed research relating to this work as well as criminology in general throughout his later life. He died of a stroke in 1949.

From the guide to the Leonarde Keeler papers, 1899-1972, bulk 1923-1949, (The Bancroft Library)