James Velma Keen was born in Dublin, Georgia on August 23, 1899. Before graduating from the University of Florida, where he received the LL. B (1922) and A.B. (1923) degrees, James Velma Keen attended the Georgia School of Technology, Oglethorpe University, and the University of Pittsburgh. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1923 and began his law practice in Sarasota, principally with the firm of Sawyer, Surrency, Carter, and Keen, which Keen operated from 1922-1932. During his residence in Sarasota, he served as State Attorney for the 27th Judicial District. From 1927 to 1929, he was Chairman of the Board of Public Instruction of Sarasota County. In 1930, he was State Attorney in Sarasota County. From 1931 to 1933 he served in the Florida State Legislature as a Representative from Sarasota County. From 1933-1936 he served as Florida Assistant Attorney General. In November 1936 he moved to and opened a law practice in Tallahassee (Keen, O'Kelley and Spitz), which he maintained until his death on March 4, 1963. Keen was also one of the founders of the Southern Interstate Nuclear Compact in 1959, a voluntary agreement established by the 16-state Southern Governors' Conference to "provide the means for cooperation with each other in fostering the development of the region by taking full advantage of nuclear energy." On March 19, 1966, to honor his work in nuclear energy development, the James Velma Keen Physics Building was dedicated on the FSU campus. A portrait of Keen was unveiled in the building on December 8, 1967.
From the description of James Velma Keen papers, 1922-1967 (inclusive) (bulk 1955-1967). (Florida State University). WorldCat record id: 663881083
