Charlie Kieffer won his first national title as a member of the All-Philadelphia prep eight which took the National High School Championship in 1927. He rowed for several more years, mostly with the Penn AC, and was a member of their eight which won the World Championships in Belgium in 1930, setting a record for the fastest time over a 2,000 meter course. At the 1932 Olympics, Kieffer was partnered by Joe Schauers and coxed by Ed Jennings en route to the gold medal. He later became a banker, serving as President of the Union Bank and Trust Company in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and also worked as wage tax collector for Milford Township.