Keith Barze (1928-2006) was not only a long time radio and TV engineer in Birmingham,  Assistant Dean at the College of Communication at the University of Alabama, he helped launch the Alabama Public Television Network, WUAL-FM in Tuscaloosa, and the Alabama Public Radio

Keith was born in Winter Park, Florida and lived in Atlanta, Tuscaloosa, Miami and Daytona Beach during his childhood. At age fifteen, he entered the University of Alabama. At age seventeen, he joined the Army at the end of WWII and served two years in Hawaii. He then completed his BA degree in 1950 from the University of Alabama where he was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He earned a Masters degree from UA in 1956.

From 1947-1954 he worked as an announcer/engineer for several radio stations, including WBRC radio in Birmingham. After a short time, he moved from WBRC radio to WBRC television and remained there for twenty years. For seventeen of those years, he was the Program Director/Production Manager and did the on-air editorials from 1964 to 1974. While at WBRC, Keith helped install the first Public Education TV station in Alabama (1955). With the addition of Ch. 7 at Cheaha, it became the first ETV network in the nation.

In 1974, he became an Associate Professor in Telecommunication and Film and Assistant Dean of the College of Communication at the University of Alabama. Mr. Barze was instrumental in putting WUAL-FM on the air in 1982. He retired in August 1990 as Professor Emeritus.

Industry and Civic Service and Honors

· President of the Metropolitan Birmingham Kiwanis Club from 1971-1972

· Long-time member of the Tuscaloosa Kiwanis Club. He became

· Editor of the Tuscaloosa Kiwanis Club’s “Key Hole” weekly newsletter in 1997 and served until December 2006.

· Received the Kiwanis, George E. Hixon Fellow Award in 2004.

· Member of the Friends of the Library Board of Directors for many years and editor of the Friends newsletter.

· President of Family Counseling Service of Tuscaloosa for five years.

· Member of the Tuscaloosa Amateur Radio Club and editor of their monthly “Hamsay” newsletter from 1989 until 2000.

· Editor of “Elephant Ears”, the newsletter for the Republican Party of Tuscaloosa.

· Served thirty years in the Navy’s Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) providing emergency communications to servicemen and women around the world and at one point was state coordinator

· Member of the Alabama State Poetry Society.

· 1974 Received the “Outstanding Alumnus Award” from the College of Communication, University of Alabama

· 1990 Received the “Distinguished Service” Award from the College of Communication, University of Alabama

Keith Barze was married to the former Nancy Ruth Hendrix for 53 years. They had three daughters, Suzanne Barze Jones, Beverly Barze, Stacy Barze Hallman and five grandchildren.

He served as a Deacon and Elder for Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Homewood, Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa where he was a member of the Faith Sunday School Class. In 1978, Mr. he started a drive to put First Presbyterian’s Sunday service on television and successfully added cable-casting in 1981. For six years, he served on the Presbytery Council of Sheppard’s and Lapsley, with three and a half years as Moderator.