On May 12, 2017, President Thomas F. Rosenbaum hosted a luncheon and a ceremony renaming Caltech's Keck Center to celebrate the legacy of W. M. "Bill" Keck Jr. and Caltech's longstanding partnership with the W. M. Keck Foundation and Superior Oil Company, both founded by Keck Jr.'s father. Keck Jr. served on the Caltech Board of Trustees from 1961 until his death in 1982 and was a key member of the Investment Committee during most of his tenure on the board.
"It's been a great partnership over the years between the Keck family and Caltech," said Robert Day, who has been the chairman and CEO of the W. M. Keck Foundation for over 20 years and is the nephew of Keck Jr. "I'm very proud of this day; it's a wonderful thing."