Class of 1943

Judge Keith J. Leenhouts

District Judge, City of Royal Oak

Developed National Court Volunteer Probation Services Program

Published Author

Winner of national awards for excellence in probation practices

Royal Oak Citizen of the Year

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 1996

Keith J. Leenhouts is a graduate of Royal Oak High School, Albion College and Wayne State University College of Law. He has received Distinguished Alumni Awards from Albion and Wayne State.

Mr. Leenhouts served as Royal Oak District Judge from 1959 to 1969.  During his tenure on the bench he developed a court volunteer probation system that helped win the city of Royal Oak the All-American City Award in 1967. Through his leadership the probation project became part of a national program. The success of the program in reducing repeat offenders earned Judge Leenhouts national attention. His work appeared in articles by the Readers' Digest and Guidepost magazines. He was given awards for excellence by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the Foundation for Justice.

Keith Leenhouts was also an author. In addition to articles published by the Readers' Digest in 1965, 1968 and 1975 he authored a book, A Father A Son and A Three Mile Run which was later made into a motion picture.

Judge Leenhouts took an active role in his church and community. He was a Sunday school teacher at the First United Methodist Church in Royal Oak and was awarded the Michigan United Methodist Church Evangelism Award in 1995. For his extensive volunteer work in the community, the city of Royal Oak name him Citizen of the Year.

In 1996, Judge Keith Leenhouts was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame.