Samuel Jackson Keith was born in 1831 in Jackson County, Tenn. In 1855, he moved to Nashville. He worked in the wholesale grocery business and was partner in Nevins, Keith and Co. He moved to New Orleans, La., in 1866 where he conducted a commission business in cotton and tobacco under the firm name of Kirkpatrick, Nevins and Keith. He returned to Nashville in 1878, went into banking, and became president of the First National Bank. He was elected president of the Tennessee Bankers Association in 1897, and served as a member of Vanderbilt University's Board of Trust from 1894 to 1919.
From the description of Samuel Jackson Keith Collection, 1986. (Vanderbilt University Library). WorldCat record id: 64224486