Born in a naval hospital on Long Island, New York,[REF] Keyes was the fifth child of mother Gerthina (Quick) and father Allison L. Keyes, a U.S. Army sergeant and a teacher [REF].
Keyes earned his Ph.D. in government affairs from Harvard University in 1979, having written a dissertation on Alexander Hamilton and constitutional theory, under Harvey C. Mansfield [REF].