Frank Keating - Early Life

Early Life

Francis Anthony Keating was born on February 10, 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri but before Keating was six months old his family moved to Oklahoma and settled in Tulsa. A practicing Roman Catholic, Keating attended Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, graduating in 1962. Keating attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where he became a member of the Philodemic Society, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1966. After receiving his degree, Keating returned to Oklahoma. He received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1969.

Upon receiving his law degree, Keating began his career in law enforcement. The same year he finished law school, Keating was made a Special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Relocated to the West Coast, Keating was charged with investigating terrorism incidents in the area and other various duties. After years on the coast, Keating would return to Tulsa to become an Assistant District Attorney.

In 1973, Keating, under the Republican Party banner, was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He would only serve a single term in the House, until 1975, when he was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. He would serve in the Senate from 1975 until 1981, winning reelection in 1978. While in the Senate, Keating rose to become the highest ranking Republican as the Senate Minority Leader.