Judge Damon Keith Scholars Hall

Born in Detroit in 1922, Judge Damon J. Keith was a descendant of slaves who rose to prominence as a judge on the US Court of Appeals. Keith earned an undergraduate degree from West Virginia State University (WVSU) in 1943. During Keith’s time at WVSU the college was still an all-Black institution. Keith credited many professors and leaders at WVSU for inspiring him in his career. While a student at WVSU, Keith stayed in Prillerman Hall and worked at a nearby movie theater to pay his tuition.  

After graduating from WVSU, Keith served in World War II for 3 years and later attended both Howard University and Wayne State University’s law schools. It was at Howard where he would meet famed US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall who would become another mentor for Keith. Before becoming a judge for the US Court of Appeals in 1977, Keith held positions as a US District Court Judge and a member of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. Keith first began to capture national attention for his 1970 decision to require changes in bus routes to insure desegregation of schools in Pontiac, Michigan. Just a year later he would rule that the Nixon administration could not wiretap student radicals without a warrant.  

As a Judge for the Court of Appeals, Keith continued to fight for civil rights. In 1979, Keith helped Mayor Young to make sure the Detroit Police Department was integrated through Young’s affirmative action plan. Keith notably opposed George W. Bush’s secretive deportation hearings in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He noted that the secrecy of such proceedings were a threat to democracy and freedom.  

During his lifetime, Judge Keith was recognized by many institutions and received more than 40 honorary degrees from US institutions of higher education. Among other honors, the NAACP has given Judge Keith both the Spingarn and Trumpet Awards because of his work upholding civil rights. This hall, constructed in 2014, was named by WVSU to honor the life and work of Judge Keith. The hall was completed just a few years before Keith’s death in 2019. Keith himself attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall was the first new residence hall to be built on WVSU’s campus since 1969. The Keith Scholars Hall replaced Keith’s former home, Prillerman Hall, and its neighbor Gore Hall which were both torn down to make space for the new building.  

Judge Damon J. Keith 1922-Present, International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/Damon_Keith.htm.

Judge Damon J. Keith -- ‘Crusader for Justice’, WV State University. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://www.wvstateu.edu/about/history-and-traditions/damon-j-keith.aspx.

Judge Keith, Wayne State University. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://law.wayne.edu/keith-center/about/judge-keith.

Langer, Emily. Damon J. Keith, trailblazing Black jurist who upheld civil rights, dies at 96, The Washington Post. April 29th 2019. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/damon-j-keith-trailblazing-Black-jurist-who-upheld-civil-rights-dies-at-96/2019/04/29/2379bd10-6a27-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html.

Lawrence, Chris. Ribbon cut on new WVSU residence hall, Metro News. October 13th 2014. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://wvmetronews.com/2014/08/13/ribbon-cut-on-new-wvsu-residence-hall/.

Mays, MacKenzie. ‘Oh, it’s gorgeous’: WVSU dedicates first new dorm in decades, Charleston Gazette-Mail. August 13th 2014. Accessed October 25th 2020. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/oh-it-s-gorgeous-wvsu-dedicates-first-new-dorm-in-decades/article_641d040c-0d78-573c-8778-a495f0eac561.html.

U.S. 6th Circuit Judge Damon J. Keith 1922-2019, Eastern District of Michigan: United States District Court . Accessed October 25th 2020. https://www.mied.uscourts.gov/PDFFIles/Damon_Keith_obituary.pdf.