Camille Keith ’67 has been with Southwest Airlines since its beginning in 1971. She has seen the airline’s fun and unconventional atmosphere catch national attention.

Working for a startup, Keith began where the work was — at the top. In an effort to drum up business and media coverage, Keith, the director of public relations in those days, came up with some off-the-wall promotions. She went so far as to put two Southwest flight attendants on The Dating Game. She also tried to have an Easter egg hunt on an airplane.

“There wasn’t anybody to tell me it couldn’t be done, so I tried it. Nothing was silly when you weren’t sure if (Southwest) would make it,” she said.

In 1971, Keith created the first frequent flyer program in the airline industry called the Sweethearts Club.

“It used to be that the secretaries made all the (airplane) reservations,” she said. “Your boss would carry a little passport and when it got enough hearts on it, the secretary would get a free ticket.”

Keith also helped develop the “Home for the Holidays” program, which gives economically strapped senior citizens a free airplane ticket to visit family over the holidays.

Her pioneering spirit and selfless attitude has taken her a long way. Keith was recently named a recipient of the 2002 Women of Excellence Award presented by Women’s Enterprise and the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, which recognizes individuals active in the community and the business world.

“I don’t want to go home any day where I don’t feel like I’ve made a difference somewhere to somebody. I think we all have a gift to help others.”