Fall 2020 \ ACCESS ACM 18
Tom Keyser, J.D. is the
second recipient of the
ACM Distinguished
Alumni Award. He has been
practicing law in San Antonio for
the last 45 years. Tom and his son,
Shane, have been practicing together
since 2015, and currently
specialize in family
and criminal law
under the auspices of
The Keyser Law Firm.
According to his
sister, Susan Keyser,
who nominated
him for the award,
“Allegany College of
Maryland opened
many doors for
Tom.” She also noted
that her brother had
recently contributed a
scoreboard for the new
baseball field “as a way
of thanking the Allegany College of
Maryland for being there for him
when he needed a fresh start.”
After a short stint at then-
Frostburg State College and time
spent working on the B&O Railroad,
Keyser found direction at Allegany
Community College. His favorite
instructor was Professor Stanley J.
Dougan, who taught
at ACC/ACM for
three decades and
founded its Criminal
Justice Program.
Keyser also met
Harriet Hungerford on
campus in 1965. They
married five years
later in 1970.
ACM also gave him
the opportunity to
play the game he fell
in love with as a child:
baseball. Scouted by
the Baltimore Orioles
as seventh-round draft pick in 1967
while attending the college, he opted
for a scholarship to attend Southern
Illinois University. He never made it
to the 1968 College World Series. An
injury ended his dreams of playing
professionally as a catcher. Keyser
earned his BS from Southern Illinois
and worked as a teacher for several
years before receiving his JD from
St. Mary’s University in San Antonio
in 1974.
Keyser was elected in 2014 as
President of the San Antonio Bar
Association. A few years later, he was
elected to serve as director of the
State Bar of Texas in 2018. He is the
proud father of three children, Shane,
Mike and Erin, and grandfather to
eight. Affectionately known as “Big
Papa” by his grandchildren, Keyser
and his wife, Constance Lindsey,
reside in San Antonio.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI:
Tom Keyser ’67 General Studies
tly
w
Dat
f
J
“This award is for my mom and dad, Shirley and Eugene Keyser. They scraped and saved their money so that my sister, Susan Keyser and
I, could get an education. I watched them struggle to make ends meet at the apartment over Potomac Valley Pharmacy on Centre Street that
we called home for the first 17 years of my life. My dad held odd jobs, working at Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and Celanese Fibers before
landing a full-time job on the B&O Railroad with his father and two brothers. He dropped out of Fort Hill High School to enlist in WW II. His
clear and convincing message growing up was to stay in school and get as much education as possible. My parents are gone now but their
love and commitment continues to this day.”
A Life Rebuilt in Service to Others
Unlike most people, Tom
Keyser has a baseball
field in Texas named in
his honor.
He built the baseball field at
Camp Bullis Park with the help
of friends in 1986 as community
service for a drug offense. He
paid for it out of his own pocket,
eventually hitting his own personal
and professional low.
Sober since 1990, he’s a living,
breathing testament for recovery
and second chances. A man fully
committed to the practice of law
and living a life in service to others.
As noted by his sister, “One of
the biggest challenges in Tom’s
life has been substance abuse.
In Tom’s law practice, he reaches
out to people from all walks of
life. He’s always there for those
who need help with recovery.
I am incredibly proud of his
accomplishments.”
In June of 2017, Bexar County
Commissioner’s Court also
recognized his accomplishments by
voting to name the field he built at
Camp Bullis Park the “Tom Keyser
Baseball Field” in appreciation of
his work to improve the lives of
others within his community.