Michael G. O'Keefe
Class of 1987

 In the cover letter of Michael’s nomination application, W. Allen Thomas, Jr. Retired Principal of Chelmsford High School, wrote:

“Dear CHSAA Hall of Fame Selection Committee:

It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Michael O’Keefe for induction into the Chelmsford High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame. I have known Michael for about thirty years, first as a student and then as a teacher/coach.

First, and perhaps foremost, he is a decent person. He has continuously displayed characteristics that are most desirable. He is honest, loyal, dedicated, and hardworking. As a member of the class of 1987, he was successful as a student/athlete. He was successful in the classroom, on the basketball court and the baseball field.

He attended Assumption College where he was a star baseball player. He planned to follow a dream and possibly pursue a career in baseball. An accident and the resulting injuries ended that dream. He went on to teach social studies, first in Worcester and then in Chelmsford.

At Chelmsford High School, Michael has been a highly regarded member of the faculty and a successful baseball coach. As a dean and then principal at CHS, I always could count on him to do whatever was necessary to meet the varied responsibilities he assumed. He has a knack of developing a positive relationship with both faculty and students. He has had the school yearbook dedicated to him.

It is also worthy of note that he teaches life lessons, both in the classroom and on the baseball field. He demonstrates that it is important to be a good person who lives a good life while sharing his love for social studies and baseball. He would be a Hall of Fame member that would be a source of pride for all involved.”

Throughout his years at Chelmsford High School, Mike was an outstanding athlete and student. Focused on his dual-sport commitment to baseball and basketball, he was a multi-team athlete both on the Chelmsford High School teams as well as playing and refereeing for the Chelmsford Youth Basketball program and the Legion Baseball League in summers where he was named to All Star teams for 1986 and 1987.

After outstanding freshman year seasons, he went on to play varsity baseball and basketball for three years at Chelmsford High School. He was Lowell Sun All-Start for baseball in both 1986 and 1987 and served as Captain for the Varsity Basketball team in his senior year. He was part of the school’s MVC Championship team for both sports in his senior year (1987).

He maintained a challenging, college-level academic course-load that led to his acceptance at several private and public colleges and universities.

Mike was an outstanding student and athlete during his years of undergraduate and graduate school studies at Assumption College in Worcester, MA. His outstanding performance on the baseball field won him significant acclaim nationally and regionally, and attracted the interest of semi-professional teams. He was named to two athletic Halls of Fame – Assumption College as well as the Northeast 10 Conference as the result of record-breaking career in college baseball.

At the time of his induction into the CHSAA Hall of Fame, Mike was a highly successful member of the CHS faculty, teaching as a member of the Social Studies Department as well as an award winning coach of the Varsity baseball program.