Residents of Murray House in Knapp Hall know their housemate, 46-year-old Joe Keller, as a quiet graduate student who studies constantly, loves to dine on dormitory food and is often clad in khakis and plaid shirts.

What few students of Murray House know about Keller is he was a former candidate for governor in Missouri in 2000 who ran on the Reform Party ticket.

Keller is listed as the Iowa contact for the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), an organization that “defends White interests and rights in the same fashion that the NAACP works for the advancement of Colored People,” according to its Web site at www.whitecivilrights.com.

EURO does not believe in equality.

The organization believes “no two individuals or races are exactly equal in their inborn talents and potentialities,” but, “the best way to determine and award talent is through equal opportunity and equal rights.” The group is strongly opposed to affirmative action and busing practices.

After numerous attempts to contact him, Keller declined to comment on this story.

Keller graduated from Harvard University in 1977 with a bachelor of arts in mathematics. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, in Omaha, Neb., with a doctorate degree in 1980 and practiced ophthalmology for 22 years. As an ISU graduate student working toward his mathematics doctorate, Keller teaches three sections of Math 265.

Vincent Breeding, national director of EURO, said Keller has been a member of the New Orleans-based organization for a year or two.

“I’ve spoken to him many times. I’ve never met him personally,” Breeding said. “I feel he has a sense for what the organization is about and truly feels passion for what he does.”

Breeding said national EURO contacts who are listed on its Web site are usually more active with the organization than nonlisted members.

Typical EURO national contacts lobby their local government, hold meetings with local people who agree with their position, write letters to politicians and organize events, he said.

“We create local civil rights heroes. These people are really fulfilling the basic American dream,” Breeding said. “They have taken personal responsibility for their community. They’re precious jewels when you can find them.”

According to July 2000 reports by the Kansas City Star, Keller’s gubernatorial platform included repealing the voting rights of women.

While running in the Missouri governor’s race, Keller’s Web site, which is no longer accessible, included statements such as “fluoridated water causes infertility, that drug importers be punished to death, that fathers be granted child custody and that prisons be segregated because ‘white men should not be raped by black men.’ “

Breeding said he did not know Keller ran for governor of Missouri or wanted to repeal the voting rights of women, but said he agreed with Keller that prisons should be segregated.

ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said he is not aware of any criminal complaints against Keller at Iowa State.

“A person’s personal or even political beliefs are not a matter of police activity, unless they are linked to criminal behavior,” he said.

Deisinger said he is not aware of any group-organized activity at Iowa State advocating white nationalist views.

Reed Baessler, Murray House resident assistant and junior in political science, said he first heard about Keller’s political background on Thursday from his residence hall coordinator, Bobbi Delaney.

Baessler said few of the residents on his floor, which is made up entirely of white males, know about Keller’s background.

“I’d say everyone will be surprised,” he said. “I don’t think it will be like, ‘how dare he’ or hatred toward him. They might not agree with him, but he has a right to believe what he wants.”

Taylor Mulfinger, Murray House president, said Keller is an extremely courteous resident.

“He’s kind to everyone on the floor, very respectful,” said Mulfinger, sophomore in food science.

Kate Bruns, communications specialist for the Department of Residence, said the department has not received any incident reports regarding Keller.

“He has a political belief,” Bruns said. “It’s not grounds for removing anyone.”