THEODORE W. KHEEL

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

Theodore W. Kheel is one of America’s most distinguished professional mediators and one of New York City’s most influential public advocates. An esteemed lawyer and professional arbitrator, he has participated in the resolution of more than 30,000 labor disputes. His approach to identifying common ground and his ability to maintain a voice of reason amid many opposing voices have made it possible for him to settle some of the most difficult labor disputes of the 20 th century. His penchant for finding solutions, however, has extended far beyond resolving conflicts. Today he is also well known as an environmentalist with strong commitment to sustainable development and preserving biodiversity.

A lifelong New Yorker, Mr. Kheel has been a member of numerous fact-finding boards appointed by presidents, governors and mayors. He gained notice early in his career for his mediation of a strike against the New York City newspapers. His outstanding talent for getting the parties of a dispute to think in terms of solutions instead of problems has been evident to leaders in the nation’s highest offices, including President Lyndon Johnson, who enlisted his help in mediating a nationwide railroad dispute. In recognition of his long track record in conflict resolution, The New York Times declared him “the most influential peacemaker in New York City in the last half-century,” and Newsweek dubbed him the “Master Locksmith of Deadlock Bargaining.”

Finding solutions to problems such as the impact of automation on the workplace, community disputes, and protecting a sustainable environment in which mankind will flourish, to name a few, have all been the focus of Mr. Kheel’s interest, enthusiasm, and financial support. In November 1991, Mr. Kheel was invited by the Secretary General to the United Nations Committee on Environment and Development to chair the Earth Summit Conference to Promote the Pledge to Protect the Earth (Earth Summit Conference), and to create awareness of and interest in the Conference. It was then that Mr. Kheel formed the Earth Pledge Foundation (EPF), a not-for-profit foundation, to support the Conference, which was held in Rio in 1992. Since then, EPF continues to emphasize and promote economic growth and environmental protection as the twin goals of sustainable development.

Mr. Kheel has long recognized that his greatest skills are in solving problems and bringing people together, and he has excelled at both throughout his life. As co-developer of the Punta Cana Resort and Club in the Dominican Republic, a major Caribbean tourist destination, he helped create a 1,500 acre ecological reserve with the Fundacion Ecologica de Punta Cana. Recognizing the value of the area’s biodiversity, Mr. Kheel was inspired to work with his alma mater, Cornell University, to create the Biodiversity Laboratory at Punta Cana. The facility has allowed students and academic researchers from several universities to expand the scope of their biological research. Since launching that venture, Mr. Kheel’s vision and generosity, and his deep appreciation for the collaborative potential of Technogenesis through his experiences in arbitration, have made it possible for Stevens Institute of Technology to establish another important laboratory at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, the Stevens Chemical Ecology Laboratory. There, researchers led by Stevens Professor Athula Attygalle, are engaged in profiling the intricate chemical mechanisms insects use to communicate and ward off disease. This Stevens program, called “Drugs From Bugs,” makes use of the great biodiversity of the Dominican Republic as it explores possibilities for vital new pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Kheel is a graduate of Cornell University, A.B. 1935, and Cornell Law School, LLB 1937. He has been a member of the Bar of New York since 1937, and is a member of the American Arbitration Association and the Academy of Arbitrators. He is of counsel to the Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP law firm. He also is the author of the 10 volume treatise, “Kheel on Labor Law,” as well as a book on the basic principles of conflict resolution, “The Keys to Conflict Resolution.”