  We present the first results of a Kepler survey of 41 eclipsing binaries that
we undertook to search for third star companions. Such tertiaries will
periodically alter the eclipse timings through light travel time and dynamical
effects. We discuss the prevalence of starspots and pulsation among these
binaries and how these phenomena influence the eclipse times. There is no
evidence of short period companions (P < 700 d) among this sample, but we do
find evidence for long term timing variations in 14 targets (34%). We argue
that this finding is consistent with the presence of tertiary companions among
a significant fraction of the targets, especially if many have orbits measured
in decades. This result supports the idea that the formation of close binaries
involves the deposition of angular momentum into the orbital motion of a third
star.
