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Born in Minnesota, Ralph Keithahn began as a missionary and social worker in 1925. He was influenced by Gandhi and the movement for the Indian national movement. He later cut ties with the missionary societies of the United States, adopted traditional Indian garb, and lived in an ashram in South India. A contemporary of Bede Griffiths, he similarly drew on both Christian monasticism and the ashram tradition of India. He was a Benedictine oblate when he died. He writes to Merton from the Sarvodaya Ashram.

Fr. Thomas Keller was a Benedictine monk writing from Hauterive Abbey, Switzerland.

William Melvin Kelley was born and raised in New York. He went to Harvard with the intention of becoming a lawyer, but experienced a life-changing desire to become a writer after attending a prose fiction class of John Hawkes. He began writing an did not finish at Harvard. His novels and short stories reflect mythic takes on the frustration of the African American experience of racism in the United States. He first writes to Merton in response to a review Merton wrote for Kelley's first novel, «A Different Drummer», thanking him more that he "got it" than for liking it. The following year, he writes Merton after having read some of his writings. He expresses that he is not a Christian and harbors both happy and bitter memories of his mother's Catholicism. He expresses feeling more affirmed in Catholic Italy, though, than Protestant America. He would later move to Paris, a move to further distance himself from United States culture. He would later seek to rediscover some of the oral history tradition of Africa. Some of his other books include «A Drop of Patience» and «Dəm». (Source: "Kelley, William Melvin". World Authors. 1970. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 2005/05/12. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Frances Kelley was an acquisitions librarian with the King Library at University of Kentucky in Lexington. She writes to provide an address for Merton to send his small press literary magazine «Monks Pond».

Fr. J. M. Kelly was a Basilian priest and President of St. Michael's College in Toronto.

Rev. J. N. Kelly was pastor of Harrodsburg Christian Church in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

Mary Lu Kelly was project assistant to Dr. Robert F. Roeming, a French and Italian professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Mona Kelly writes from Amherstburg, Ontario. She was the mother of Fr. Timothy Kelly, who was later to be the eighth abbot of Gethsemani, serving from 1973-2000.

At the time of writing, Patricia Kelly was a woman in her twenties from Chicago, Illinois. She asks Merton for some advice on some very personal matters of religion.

Fr. Timothy Kelly was eighth abbot of Gethsemani Abbey, serving in this role from 1973-2000. During the time of this correspondence, he was in his theological studies in Rome.

Fr. Matthew Kelty was a Trappist monk of Gethsemani Abbey. He was a former missionary priest in Papua New Guinea before joining Gethsemani. He was later able to return to New Guinea as a monk. Merton chose Kelty as his confessor. Among Kelty's published books include collections of talks and sermons he delivered to Gethsemani guests after the monks prayed compline.

Gerald E. Kemner is professor emeritus in the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. He composed musical arrangements for two of Merton's poems, "A Picture of Lee Ying" and "The Winter's Night".

Wallace Kendrick was with the Catholic Worker movement.

Ethel Kennedy is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy and daughter of George and Ann Skakel (see "Skakel, Ann Brannack" file).

Jacqueline Kennedy was married to President John F. Kennedy. Merton writes to Jacqueline Kennedy after the President's assassination.

Fr. James William Kennedy was Director and Editor of Forward Movement Publications, an official agency of the Episcopal Church, USA.

Fr. Colum Kenny was a Dominican priest writing from Saint Rose Priory in Dubuque, Iowa.

Catherine Kent was a 23-year-old teacher from Dorchester, Massachusetts, at the time of writing.

Br. Fidelis Kerekes was a monk of Gethsemani Abbey.

Walter Kerell writes from the Catholic Worker in New York.

Julie Kernan was an editor for P. J. Kenedy and Sons in New York. Merton wrote an introduction for a book they were publishing, Raïssa Maritain's «Notes on the Our Father».

Donald Keys was Director of Communication for the International Center for Integrative Studies (ICIS), who published «Forum» (or "Forum for Correspondence and Contact"). Merton's friend Amiya Chakravarty was on the Board of Sponsors.

Gabriel Khouri-Sarkis was editor of L'Orient Syrien and a West Syrian Rite Catholic priest. He writes from Paris, France.

Fr. Robert Kiely was a Trappist monk from Southern Star Abbey in Kopua, New Zealand.

Edward Kikama writes from Japan.

While David Kilburn was studying in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham in England. He wanted to use some of Merton's poetry for the departmental magazine he edited, «Retort». He later moved to London and worked with the literary magazine «Ambit».

Fr. Thomas Kilduff writes on behalf of «Spiritual Life: A Catholic Quarterly», published by the Discalced Carmelite Fathers.

Sr. Agnes Jae Soon Kim was from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Seoul, South Korea.

Francis Kim writes from Taegu [Daegu], South Korea.

Fr. Paul Kim writes from Seoul, South Korea.

Coretta Scott King, an advocate of civil rights and racial equality, is the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. Merton writes to her after Martin's assassination. She telegrammed Gethsemani following Merton's death.

Simon King was Director of Burns and Oates publishers and writes from London.

Winston L. King was a professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He and Merton discuss Zen and the visit of Shibayama Roshi to Nashville.

Fr. Nivard Kinsella was a Trappist monk of Mount Saint Joseph Abbey in Roscrea (Ros Cré), Ireland. (Previously filed under "Nivard, Br., O.C.S.O." and moved in 2022.)

Fr. David Kirk was a peace activist and member of the secular institute of the Company of St. Paul. He was studying in Rome in the early letters and later comes back to the United States to help found Emmaus House in New York.

Grayson Kirk was President of Columbia University from 1953-1968. He was also a highly acclaimed figure in the study of political science.

Carl L. Kline, M.D., was a doctor serving in Wausau, Wisconsin, when he wrote this letter to Merton.

Dom Vital Klinski was born in Poland. In 1904, he entered the Cistercian Abbey of Achel in Belgium and was elected their abbot in 1920. By 1927, he left for the United States to join Gethsemani. He was Merton's confessor at the time of correspondence. (Source: «The School of Charity», p. 10.)

Sr. John Marie Klisiewicz was a Sister of St. Ann of Providence at Mount Saint Ann in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.

Bonaventure Knaebel was a Benedictine Archabbot at the Archabbey of St. Meinrad at the time of writing.

John W. Kneller was Provost of Oberlin College in Ohio.

Laura Knight was a high school junior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Louisville, Kentucky. She asks for Merton's help in writing a term paper on him.

Perry Knowlton was an editor and later Vice President of Curtis Brown publishers.

Brs. Harold Kohl, Brian Palmer and Erasmo Leiva were Trappists novices from the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia.

Fr. Bede Kok was a Brazilian Trappist monk.

Janina Kolendo was Chief Editor of «Pax» from the Instytut Wydawncizy of Poland, a Catholic publishing house.

Franz Cardinal König was Archbishop of Vienna, Austria.

Andrew Kormos writes from Santa Ana, California.

Sr. Mary Norbert Körte was a Dominican from San Francisco, California.

Frank Kowalski was a United States Representative for Connecticut. He writes from his office in Washington, D.C. Kowalski retired from the military as a colonel in 1958 and had served under Dwight Eisenhower in World War II. He was a Democrat and voted pro-labor and against improper utilization of the armed forces. In 1962, inspired by "Original Child Bomb", he asks Merton to write a peace prayer to be read in Congress. Later, Kowalski would serve on the Subversive Activities Control Board. (Source: "Kowalski, Frank." «New York Times» obituary. 1974. Online. Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 2005/05/24. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Bishop Rembert Casimir Kowalski was an American-born Franciscan who was later ordained a bishop of Wuchang, China.

Marcelle Kraemer-Bach and Pierre Kraemer-Raine were from the French law firm representing the Abbey of Gethsemani while Marie Tadié, a translator and agent for some of Merton's works in romance languages, was threatening a law suit concerning her role as publishing agent. Tadié decided not to file the law suit.

Robert J. Kreyche wrote about philosophy and mysticism. He attempts to contact Merton after having spent some time with John Howard Griffin. He writes from Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

Gilda Kuhlman was Production Editor for New Directions and writes from Norfolk, Connecticut.

Br. Benedict Kunz was a Trappist monk from Gethsemani Abbey.

Giorgio La Pira was an Italian politician who was twice mayor of Florence and served as deputy of the Christian Democrats. He was serious about his Catholic faith and was in the Third Order of Saint Dominic. He brought his values to his political life and campaigned for peace and against atomic weapons. He has a cause for sainthood and was declared "venerable" by Pope Francis in 2018.

Pedro Juan Labarthe was a poet originally from Latin American and a friend of Ernesto Cardenal and Cesar Vallejo. He writes from Hudson, Illinois.

Janet Labuda was a 15-year-old student from St. Joseph's High School in Brooklyn, New York. She asks Merton's help in filling in some biographical details of his life for a term paper she is writing on him.

Ripu Daman Lama was studying engineering in Cracow, Poland, but was originally from India. He developed an interest in Christianity after becoming acquainted with the Catholic Intellectuals Club and soon was introduced to Merton's writings.

Fr. Matthew Lamb was a Trappist monk of Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia. He was writing from Monte Cistello in Rome. He was asking Merton to send a copy of «Seeds of Destruction» to his younger brother, who was a conscientious objector.

Mr. Lamb seems to have been a curator with the Sterling Galleries in Palo Alto, California, where Merton hoped to exhibit some of his drawings.

Fr. Lambert was a Carmelite priest at St. Joseph's Pontifical Seminary-Carmelgiri in Alwaye, India.

Fr. Gregory Lambing (at that time Br. Gregory) was a monk of Gethsemani Abbey.

Aloys Landes was Director of Development for Catherine Spalding College in Louisville, Kentucky.

Gerald Landry was living in Glen Garden, New Jersey, at the time of Merton's letter to him.

Lionel Landry was Director of the Asia Society, a group found in 1956 to promote intercultural dialog between Asia and the United States. Landry writes from New York.

Kathleen Landy was writing on behalf of the Bureau of Information of the United States Catholic Conference in Washington, D.C.

Alfred H. Lane was Head of the Gift and Exchange office of Columbia University in New York.

Warren Lang was a doctoral student in the English Department at Indiana University at this time. He sent some poems to Merton, some of which appeared in «Monks Pond».

Erik Langkjaer was an editor in the Religious Literature department for Charles Scribner's Sons publishers.

Sarah Lansdell was an art critic for the Louisville Courier Journal. She wrote an article in November of 1964 concerning the drawings Merton was exhibiting at Spalding College.

Chanterelle Lanza del Vasto was the wife of Joseph Jean Lanza del Vasto, the founder of the Communautés de l'Arche in France.

Joseph Jean Lanza del Vasto was a Christian disciple of Gandhi who founded the Ark communities (Communautés de l'Arche) in France in the 1940's. They were committed to peace, non-violence and living a self-sustaining lifestyle that was not damaging to the environment or exploitative of other people.

Rogelius Lardé was writing on behalf of «The Second Coming» magazine and writes from New York, declining two of Merton's poems.

Fr. Ernest Larkin was a Carmelite priest from Whitefirars Hall in Washington, D.C.

Archbishop (later elevated to Cardinal) Arcadio Larraona was a head of the Sacred Congregation for Religious at the Vatican. He wrote the prologue to the Italian translation of «The Ascent to Truth».

The poet and Catholic convert born Raymond Edward Francis Larsson would write under the pen name Raymond Ellsworth Larsson.

Pasteur Jean Lasserre was a traveling secretary of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) and worked with Jean Goss (see the "Goss-Mayr, Hildegard" file). He writes from Lyon, France. In France, IFOR was called the Mouvement International de la Réconciliation (MIR). He was the author of a number of books on a Christian responsibility for peace and non-violence.

Irving Laucks writes from Santa Barbara, California.

James Laughlin and Merton first came to known each other through Merton's former professor at Columbia University, poet Mark Van Doren. Van Doren recommended some of Merton's poems to Laughlin for his publishing house, New Directions. These poems became Merton's first published book, Thirty Poems. Laughlin, having been born into a wealthy steel-producing family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, decided he would rather enter the literary world. He attended Harvard and, during his years there, went to Europe and met Ezra Pound, who encouraged Laughlin to get into publishing. While still a student at Harvard, Laughlin began New Directions in Norfolk, Connecticut, publishing a young generation of modern poets. Through correspondence and visits to Gethsemani, Merton and Laughlin forged an intimate friendship, entrusting Laughlin with some of his most private confidences.

Sr. Mary Laurence writes from Holy Cross Abbey in the United Kingdom.